Connect With Your Future.^®

Friday, August 8, 2008

Continuing Education: Always a Sound Investment

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Posted at 9:15 AM • Comments (0)

Continuing Education: Always a Sound Investment

By David Pannen, Education Journalist
Without a doubt, continuing an education is one of the most important investments an individual can make. With high returns and low risks, education makes goals achievable and dreams possible. Initially, education might seem like a waste of money to working adults. People interested in going back to school usually weigh the money spent on an education against the money they could be earning instead of school. With this perspective, the short term choice would be to continue working rather than attend school. But continuing education is a long term investment, one that will only pay off if the student takes advantage of the doors it opens.

A college education guarantees a more successful future. According to the National Association of Educational Statistics (NCES), in 2004, the average American with a Bachelor’s degree made $18,573 more than those with just high school diplomas. $18,573! Considering current predictions, this difference will only increase. While salaries for skilled employees increase, the conditions to employment reach meticulous levels as well. Each year, more and more employers hire educated, well-trained individuals. An interviewer might think, why take the applicant without a degree when I have five others with degrees to choose from? The choice seems obvious. As the standards for employees rise, college educated candidates will stand at the forefront, leaving those without degrees behind.

In addition to job security, continuing education can advance one’s career in many other ways. Most importantly, earning a degree or gaining a more advance degree typically leads to significant financial gains. According to the NCES, in 2004, the average annual earnings difference between a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree was $11,972. Such a difference in pay motivates many former students to go back and earn a superior degree. Another reason to continue education is to climb the professional ladder. Most workers begin at the bottom and work their way up to the top, a process that could take years. This highly competitive occupational hierarchy caters to workers with educated backgrounds. By earning a degree, a worker has a much better opportunity to move up for the reason that management positions are rarely held by unqualified people. There are also companies which pay for their employees to earn degrees. Numerous companies even offer their employees pay-raises for going back to school. Essentially, the more knowledge you gain, the more money they pay. Companies do this to create loyalty from their employees, but more importantly to acquire a more knowledgeable staff and a collectively smarter group of workers. By covering the cost of tuition, owners improve their employee’s consciousness in vital areas of expertise. This relationship between employer and employee has merged education with benefits, leading both partners to eventual success.

The upside to the demanding world of business education is the growing trend of the high availability of schools. With thousands of universities, hundreds of online schools, and even more trade schools around the country, education is easily accessible to prospective students looking to advance their careers. There are no more excuses to be made with all the convenient options that cater to busy lifestyles. With the abundance of choices to continuing education, looking into a degree could mean the difference of millions of dollars in lifetime earnings. More and more schools are offering cost-effective plus time efficient programs which launch students into the workforce or reinforce workers ready to launch their career.

In the end, students can only benefit from continuing their education. With financial gains, career success, and self-awareness, continuing education offers students a higher level of living through a high level of learning. You learn something new every day, but will what you learn better your future? Education is to be continued."

Tags: continuing education, college education benefits, job security, education advantage, career advancement, increasing salary, increase earning potential

Posted at 9:15 AM • Comments (0)