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Descriptors:
Credentials; Competition; Participant Characteristics; Labor Market; Employment Experience; Interviews; Recruitment; College Students; Foreign Countries; Employment Potential; Extracurricular Activities; Student Attitudes

Abstract:
With the rise of mass higher education, competition between graduates in the labour market is increasing. Students are aware that their degree will not guarantee them a job and realise they should add value and distinction to their credentials to achieve a positional advantage. Participation in extra-curricular activities (ECAs) is one such strategy, as it allows students to demonstrate competencies not otherwise visible in their resumes due to limited job experience. This article presents data from interviews with 66 students about their use of ECAs in relation to the labour market. It describes the reasons students got involved in ECAs, how they integrate them in their resumes, their perceptions of their peers' behaviour and their beliefs about how employers will interpret their activities. Our data show that especially students involved in associations use ECAs to distinguish themselves from competition. Implications for employers, students and further research are discussed. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Energy; Power Technology; Facilities; Employment Opportunities; Occupational Information; Credentials; Qualifications; Scientists; Engineering; Technical Occupations; Skilled Workers; Building Trades; Paraprofessional Personnel; Income; Employment

Abstract:
In the search for new energy resources, scientists have discovered ways to use the Earth itself as a valuable source of power. Geothermal power plants use the Earth's natural underground heat to provide clean, renewable energy. The geothermal energy industry has expanded rapidly in recent years as interest in renewable energy has grown. In 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counted about 1,050 jobs in geothermal power generation. And the Geothermal Energy Association estimates that there were about 5,200 jobs directly related to geothermal power production and management in the United States in 2010. Geothermal energy production is expected to continue to grow, and with it the demand for workers in associated occupations. This article describes geothermal energy and career opportunities in the industry, focusing on geothermal projects that generate electricity for power grids. The first two sections explain geothermal energy and how it works, and the third section discusses the different steps necessary to construct a geothermal plant. The fourth section highlights occupations that are critical to the geothermal industry. Each occupational overview includes information on job duties; occupational wage and employment data; and the credentials needed to work in these occupations, such as education, training, certification, and licensure. Sources for more information are listed at the end of the article. (Contains 4 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Higher Education; Credentials; College Faculty; Adjunct Faculty; Professional Development; Teacher Surveys; Teacher Attitudes; Institutional Mission; Questionnaires; Trend Analysis; Academic Degrees; Mentors; Demography; Employment Level; Teaching Load

Abstract:
Adjunct faculty make up a large contingent of faculty teaching in today's colleges and universities. In fact, the use of adjunct faculty allows these institutions to fulfill their educational missions. Much is written in the popular press and in periodicals dedicated to higher education about adjunct faculty. While some of this is accurate, a great deal of this seems to be based on assumptions about adjunct faculty members. This report describes the results of the second survey conducted by the Maryland Consortium for Adjunct Faculty Professional Development of adjunct faculty in the state of Maryland. This survey, done in 2009, sought to determine what trends exist in adjunct faculty responses to an in-depth questionnaire administered to 1,645 adjunct faculty. The survey focused on adjunct faculty members' opinions and demographic information, including degrees and credentials, number of adjunct positions held, number of courses typically taught, and types of professional development offered for adjuncts in their higher education institutions. Implications for current practice, especially in professional development, and future research are included. (Contains 4 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Credentials; Academic Freedom; College Faculty; Tenure; Web Sites; Electronic Publishing; Financial Needs; Doctoral Degrees; Grants; Intellectual Disciplines; Computer Mediated Communication; Employment; Research

Abstract:
Independent scholars are a growing part of the academic landscape. They may have been jilted by the academic job market, or are uninterested in either being on the tenure track or in cobbling together full-time work as adjuncts. Like traditional professors, they perform research, secure grants, and publish books and papers. In some cases, their work is having an impact on their disciplines, challenging established views and advancing knowledge in the field. But independent scholars say their contributions are frequently discounted by tenured professors, who, as gatekeepers of scholarly conversations and the distribution of intellectual ideas, tend to exclude those who lack university credentials. Some prominent professors acknowledge that such scholars do important academic work. Yet professors question whether the blogs, podcasts, Facebook posts, and tweets that independent scholars sometimes depend on as alternatives to journal publishing are more harmful than helpful to the quality of scholarship. The work life of an independent scholar--with its freedom from the performance requirements of the tenure track--can be attractive to those with young children and those who can't or don't want to relocate for a faculty job. Yet theirs can be a spartan existence, lacking intellectual colleagues or recognition, a calling that most can afford to pursue only by working extra part-time jobs or relying on a partner's income. The financial needs of independent scholars can also get in the way of academic freedom by limiting the kinds of questions they are able to ask and the projects they are willing to pursue. "The Chronicle" talked with Ph.D.'s who work as independent scholars in anthropology, Asian studies, biology, education, English, evolution, history, political science, religion, and theater. Some set up shop on their own after they failed to earn tenure or grew disillusioned with the culture of large research universities, which they found too limiting, in terms of the kinds of projects they could pursue, or too competitive. Others sidestepped academe from the very beginning, some for jobs outside higher education, others because they didn't want to be tied down to a full-time position. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Student Financial Aid; Federal Government; Higher Education; Incentives; Eligibility; Educational Change; Tax Credits; Tuition; Student Loan Programs; Credentials; Grants; Low Income Groups; Outreach Programs

Abstract:
The federal financial aid system is no longer up to today's demands. Built in a different era, its haphazard evolution over the decades has made it inefficient, poorly targeted, and overly complicated. With the need for higher education never greater and college growing increasingly unaffordable, students deserve a streamlined aid system that is more understandable, effective, and fair. Policymakers can achieve such reforms at no additional cost to taxpayers--by rebalancing existing resources and better aligning incentives for students and institutions of higher education. Ultimately, those reforms will increase access to high-quality credentials and boost student success in higher education and the workforce. In "Rebalancing Resources and Incentives in Federal Student Aid," the authors offer more than 30 specific policy recommendations that are designed to create such a system. Nothing is off-limits. They recommend specific changes to federal grants, loans, tax benefits, college outreach programs and federal regulations to provide more direct aid to the lowest-income students, while strengthening accountability for institutions of higher education to ensure that more students are able to earn affordable, high-quality credentials. Taken together, the package of proposals in their report is "budget-neutral" over the 10-year period from federal fiscal years 2013-2022. Pell Grant Funding Sources are appended. (Contains 1 figure, 3 tables, and 120 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Credentials; Dropouts; Developmental Studies Programs; Community Colleges; Dropout Prevention; School Holding Power; Student Characteristics; Age Differences; Academic Persistence; College Preparation; College Readiness; Part Time Students; Student Financial Aid

Abstract:
For colleges to develop effective dropout prevention strategies, it is necessary to have a clear picture of who these early dropouts are. This report identifies distinguishing characteristics of this group by analyzing six years of transcript data on 14,429 first-time college students who in 2005 and 2006 enrolled at one of five community colleges in a single state. Of these students, 28 percent never returned to the same college after their first semester, and the majority of these students never attended any college again. Early dropouts were, on average, older than early persisters. While early dropouts did not differ appreciably from early persisters in terms of secondary credentials, their developmental placement rates suggest that they were somewhat less academically prepared than early persisters. Early dropouts performed very poorly in their college coursework, particularly in their developmental courses. With failure and withdrawal rates in some courses exceeding 60 percent, it is clear that the first-term experience for early dropouts was not a positive one. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Information Sources; Study Guides; Recreation; Certification; Test Preparation; Licensing Examinations (Professions); Credentials; Parks; Test Content

Abstract:
The "Official Study Guide for the CPRP Examination" provides up-to-date information in this new edition to assist the park and recreation professional in preparing for the CPRP examination. The study guide serves as an excellent source of information for any individual who works directly or indirectly in the field of park and recreation services.

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Descriptors:
Credentials; Developmental Studies Programs; Evidence; Measures (Individuals); Nonprofit Organizations; Community Colleges; Grants; Educational Change; Remedial Instruction; Two Year College Students; Interviews; Program Evaluation; Program Effectiveness; Qualitative Research; Statistical Analysis; Outcomes of Education; Partnerships in Education; Program Implementation; Intervention; College Instruction; Student Needs; Educational Policy; Professional Development

Abstract:
There is wide agreement that the well-paying jobs of the future will require postsecondary credentials. But for many students attending community college, developmental (or remedial) classes in reading, composition, and/or mathematics--the courses that students often must complete before they can enroll in courses that confer credit toward a degree--pose an often-insuperable barrier to progress. While over half of all community college students are judged to need at least one developmental class, the majority of students who are referred to developmental education do not complete their prescribed sequence of remedial courses, much less persist and obtain a diploma or certificate. To address this issue, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation created the Developmental Education Initiative (DEI) in 2009; Lumina Foundation for Education funded the evaluation. Fifteen colleges that had been early participants in Achieving the Dream (AtD): Community Colleges Count, a national community college reform network dedicated to evidence-based decision-making, were selected to receive grants of $743,000 each over a three-year period. The institutions are highly diverse in size, location, and the characteristics of the students they serve. The purpose of the DEI grants was to enable the colleges to scale up existing interventions, or establish new ones, that would help students to progress through developmental courses more rapidly and more successfully or to bypass these courses altogether. DEI funding also financed state policy teams that sought to influence state higher education legislation and policies. MDC, a North Carolina-based nonprofit organization, was selected as managing partner of the demonstration and in this role monitored and assisted the colleges, organized communications, and convened regular meetings of demonstration participants. Six other organizations made up the partnership that provided leadership and support for the colleges. Among these, MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy research organization, was asked to evaluate the demonstration, with the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia University, serving as evaluation partner. The directive to the evaluators was to examine the implementation of the DEI at the participating colleges. This report--the second and final report from the evaluation--relies on a combination of qualitative data (primarily interviews with key personnel conducted during the course of site visits to all 15 institutions and through periodic telephone calls with project directors) and quantitative data (information on participation and on student outcomes that the colleges regularly collected). It addresses three main questions: (1) To what extent did the colleges scale up their chosen developmental education reforms to serve more students?; (2) What factors affected the colleges' ability to expand their programs and practices?; and (3) To what extent were the colleges' strategies associated with improvements in student outcomes? The report also considers ways that participation in the DEI influenced the colleges more broadly. For these reasons, it may be of interest to other colleges looking to scale up reforms (especially reforms that are related to instruction and the provision of student supports), as well as to funders concerned about how best to support community colleges in bringing promising ideas to scale. Technical Appendix is included. Individual chapters contain footnotes. (Contains 16 tables and 6 figures. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Adults; Educational Attainment; Postsecondary Education; Adult Education; Certification; Educational Certificates; Noncredit Courses; Credentials; National Surveys; Pilot Projects; Incidence; Individual Characteristics; Age Differences; Employment; Comparative Analysis; Error of Measurement

Abstract:
Education and training beyond high school are important for securing opportunities for high-wage jobs in the United States. Academic degrees awarded by institutions of higher education represent a key component of the post-high-school credentials available to the American labor force. Other credentials, such as industry-recognized certifications, occupational licenses, and subbaccalaureate educational certificates have also emerged as key credentials with potential labor market value. This report describes work undertaken by the federal Interagency Working Group on Expanded Measures of Enrollment and Attainment (GEMEnA) to develop a short set of survey items to measure the prevalence of these credentials. The development of survey measures to enumerate adults with certifications, licenses, and certificates culminated in the Adult Training and Education Survey (ATES) Pilot Study, a national household survey of noninstitutionalized adults ages 18 and over. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate a set of survey items in order to determine the most parsimonious set of items needed to accurately measure the prevalence of certifications, licenses, and certificates in the U.S. adult population. The purpose of this report is to present the results of this evaluation and make recommendations for survey items to use in existing and future federal data collections. The research effort described in this report was undertaken for questionnaire and procedural development purposes only. The information collected and published from this effort should not be used to generate or cite population estimates or other statistics. Appended are: (1) Details on the Interagency Working Group on Expanded Measures of Enrollment and Attainment (GEMEnA); (2) ATES Pilot Study Design and Methodology; (3) Supplemental Tables; (4) Standard Error Tables; (5) ATES Pilot Study Annotated Extended Interview Questionnaire; (6) ATES Focus Group Report; and (7) ATES Cognitive Interview Report. Individual chapters contain footnotes. (Contains 61 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Educational Policy; Community Colleges; Bachelors Degrees; Enrollment Management; Credentials; Government School Relationship; Administrative Change; College Applicants; Vocational Education; Undergraduate Study

Abstract:
Canada's province of Ontario introduced a new policy in 2000 allowing community colleges to offer a new type of undergraduate degree. This decision was a significant policy change for the government considering the nature of Ontario's binary system, where a rigid separation has historically prevailed between the university and college sectors. Drawing on multiple sources of data, this study indicates that the decision to create a new type of applied bachelor's degree generated a series of uncertainties and challenges for higher education institutions, students and government agencies. The paper highlights the need for policy makers to consider the socio-cultural aspects of higher education systems in policy design, particularly the role of legitimacy. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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