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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Working Adults Reskilling, Returning to College Amid Recession Talk

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Tuesday, January 10, 2023   

Recession forecasts and lives upended by the pandemic have prompted many working adults in North Carolina to consider going back to college. A 2022 survey by Gallup and Strada Education Network found almost half of American adults without college degrees think they need additional education to advance their careers, and 53% say they will likely enroll in courses within the next five years.

Monica Gemperlein, continuing education expert at Wake Technical Community College, explained people are seeking flexible and fulfilling work.

"That does sometimes require new job training, or upskilling," she said. "Seeing ways that they can maybe find a career path that aligns with their interests is an important factor for them, and then having more flexibility in terms of their work schedule."

She said there is a stark gap between the perceived need for higher education in less populated areas compared with cities. More than half of urban residents say they need more credentials, compared with less than 40% of rural residents.

Ben Levine, Assistant Director of Admissions at William Peace University, said working adults considering going back to school should reach out to admissions offices and have an open conversation about their career goals, skills, and schedule.

"That's definitely the first thing to do is to speak to a college or even more than one and find out what they're about, find out what resources they have," he said.

Gemperlein added options are available for people uncertain about their new career path. She pointed to the benefits of short-term training programs or non-degree study as a way to explore new fields or get a foot in the door.

"We do have a program that if they're unemployed or underemployed, or possibly seeing a layoff on the horizon, that they could come to us for some fee-waived skills analysis or job training or help with employment," she said. "So that's a special unique program here in North Carolina, which folks often don't know about."

A full-time worker with a high school diploma will earn around $1.6-million dollars within their lifetime, while those with an associate's degree earn two million, according to data from The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

Disclosure: William Peace University contributes to our fund for reporting on Education. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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