{"id":2004,"date":"2012-07-28T17:25:06","date_gmt":"2012-07-28T21:25:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=2004"},"modified":"2012-07-28T17:25:06","modified_gmt":"2012-07-28T21:25:06","slug":"want-an-encore-career-education-tap-your-ipad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=2004","title":{"rendered":"Want an Encore Career Education? Tap Your iPad"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Whether you\u2019re looking to change\u00a0careers<\/a>\u00a0or have\u00a0lost<\/a>\u00a0your job, adding new skills is often a key to making a transition.<\/p>\n

But heading back for a master\u2019s degree is not really what most of us need at this stage in our boomerlicious lives. It\u2019s too expensive and time-consuming.<\/p>\n

There are, however, some great certificate programs that now that fit the bill. In recent years, they\u2019ve been rolling out at community colleges and universities across the country, including American University in Washington, DC and New York University.<\/p>\n

The programs aren\u2019t necessarily cheap, but when compared to an MBA, they sure are. You can nab a certificate in art appraisal, bookkeeping, eco-landscaping, fundraising and restaurant operations, to name a handful.\u00a0At the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies, for example, a\u00a0Financial Planning Professional Certificate<\/a>\u00a0costs $10,400 for the full program of ten courses.<\/p>\n

I recommend you research these programs with an eye of a potential employer, talk to students who have graduated if possible, and ask the program\u2019s director for details of where past grads are now working.<\/p>\n

Importantly, if you carve out the time and spend the dough, you certainly want that classwork and certificate to carry some weight, some cachet in the workplace.<\/p>\n

Online education at your fingertips.<\/strong>\u00a0This week, a new cat (or should I say, bear) arrived on the scene carrying the stamp of approval from powerhouse UCLA. And no, you don\u2019t have to go to California to pick up your schoolbooks.<\/p>\n

Empowered<\/a>\u00a0UCLA Extension is an online Internet-education firm that will offer fast-track certificate programs for older adults, Empowered co-founder and CEO Steve Poizner explained to me in a recent interview. These 25-person classrooms are all taught right on your iPad screen via a special app that serves up audio, face-time video, discussion boards, and more.<\/p>\n

Tuition is $12,800 for a 12-month certificate program, but plans call for about 20 percent of all seats will be available for full or partial scholarships.<\/p>\n

The online classes will begin on September 24 \u00a0in 10 certificate programs, including Global Sustainability, Health Care Management, Nonprofit Management, IT Management, Patient Advocacy, College Counseling, Project Management, Financial Planning, Human Resources and Marketing & New Media.<\/p>\n

These are all growing job areas. One certificate course that caught my eye is patient advocacy. See\u00a0my post<\/a>here on great jobs to ride the age wave.<\/p>\n

Career counseling help<\/strong>. But what might set these new certificate programs apart is that one-on-one personalized career counseling comes with your tuition. You\u2019ll be able to work with a career counselor to help you spruce up your resume; learn how to build out your Linked-In profile<\/a>, and practice interviewing with mock practice sessions.<\/p>\n

Once enrolled, students meet with their career counselors as often as they like, via face-to-face video chats, phone calls, email and group webinars. Dedicated career counselor support will last for two years starting when the first school bell rings.<\/p>\n

Who is behind this venture?\u00a0UCLA Extension\u00a0<\/a>partnered with Empowered Careers \u2013 which was founded by the Sherry Lansing Foundation, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Silicon Valley entrepreneur Steve Poizner. The goal: to address the growing skills gap in America and significantly enhance online education for busy adults.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all just one tap away,\u201d Poizner told me with gusto. \u201cNo one else is doing it this way\u2026 using the iPad.\u201d Then too, for older workers worried about being up to speed with technology, this is a great way to get comfortable with it, he pointed out.<\/p>\n

Sounds good to me. Plus, you can save on new school clothes.<\/p>\n

A potential drawback.<\/strong>\u00a0I have one niggle about learning this way\u2014I really like the engagement of a classroom. There\u2019s a connection that comes when you look a professor in the eyes. There is a spontaneity that emerges when you have a group of smart people gathered together in the same room. Sharing the learning process via a pixilated \u00a0screen is a different dynamic. I feel this distanced shift when I conduct interviews via Skype. Something is lost in the translation.<\/p>\n

It will take some getting used to.<\/p>\n

Mark Edmundson, a professor of English at the University of Virginia, and the author of \u201cWhy Read?\u201d wrote an op-ed piece this week: The Trouble with Online Education in\u00a0The New York Times<\/a>. I found it thought-provoking.<\/p>\n

Edmundson writes: \u201cOnline education is a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It tends to be a monologue and not a real dialogue. The Internet teacher, even one who responds to students via e-mail, can never have the immediacy of contact that the teacher on the scene can, with his sensitivity to unspoken moods and enthusiasms.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt, however, that online learning platforms are hot. In May, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology\u00a0announced a new nonprofit partnership, known as edX, to offer free online courses from both universities.<\/p>\n

Those who complete the course receive a certificate, but no credit. \u00a0Other top tier\u00a0universities planning to offer free online courses\u2013Stanford, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan.<\/p>\n

On first blush, I like the concept of the new Empowered UCLA online education program. I\u2019m a fan of the iPad. And,\u00a0based on research I have done on the job market and interviews with employers,\u00a0I think the course list looks spot on. (Please continue reading on next page.)<\/p>\n

t promises to be a welcomed addition for older workers moving toward \u00a0an encore career\u2013or who want to hang in there with a current employer as the marketplace shifts. It\u2019s relatively affordable and can be completed in a fast timeframe. I look forward to seeing how it rolls out over the next year.<\/p>\n

If you opt to pursue a certificate program (not a freebie), here are some money tips you might find helpful. See my\u00a0post<\/a>\u00a0here for more details.<\/p>\n

Employer Assistance.<\/strong>\u00a0If you\u2019re still working, but thinking about transitioning into a new area with your current employer, your company might offer tax-free tuition assistance programs\u2014up to $5,250, not counted as taxable income.<\/p>\n

Federal loans.<\/strong>\u00a0You might qualify for a low-interest Stafford loan, currently a fixed rate of 6.8 percent.<\/p>\n

Scholarships and grants<\/strong>. Scholarships and grants for older students are offered by associations, colleges, religious groups, and foundations. Go to sites such as\u00a0FinAid.org<\/a>\u00a0to find what\u2019s available.<\/p>\n

Educational tax breaks<\/strong>. Depending on your income, you might qualify for the lifetime learning credit, worth up to $2,000 each year If you make too much, the income ceiling is higher for claiming a deduction associated with tuition and fees. There\u2019s also a student loan interest deduction. For details, see\u00a0IRS.gov<\/a>, Publication 970.<\/p>\n

<\/em>\"\"I\u2019m\u00a0the author of\u00a0What\u2019s Next? Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job<\/a>, available here\u00a0www.kerryhannon.com<\/a>. I am a\u00a0MetLife\u00a0Foundation Journalists in Aging fellow. To learn about great jobs for retirees, check out my\u00a0column\u00a0<\/a>at\u00a0AARP. My weekly column \u00a0at PBS\u2019s NextAvenue.org is\u00a0here<\/a>. Follow me on Twitter,\u00a0@KerryHannon<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more Forbes fun:<\/p>\n

22 images\"\"<\/a>Photos:\u00a0How To Plan For A Second Career<\/a><\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a>Ten Things to Do When You Lose Your Job<\/a>\"KerryKerry Hannon<\/strong>Contributor<\/a><\/cite><\/div>\n
12 images\"\"<\/a>Photos:\u00a012 Jobs To Ride The Aging Wave<\/a><\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a>Planning For A Second Career<\/a>\"KerryKerry Hannon<\/strong>Contributor<\/a><\/cite><\/div>\n
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