Career Training

According to the Autism Society of America (ASA), the number of diagnosed autistic children in the United States has been growing significantly in the last several decades.

In fact, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, their 2007 study confirmed that approximately 1 out of every 150 children will be diagnosed with autism. This rise in cases adds to the nearly 1.5 million Americans who are currently coping with the effects of autism spectrum disorder.

Due to the rising need for autism support, community colleges have created a variety of autism training programs to help students specialize in helping autistic children. As ASA supports, “The spotlight shown on autism as a result of the prevalence increase opens opportunities for the nation to consider how to serve these families facing a lifetime of support for their children.”

What is Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder is a highly complex developmental disability that typically influences how a child thinks, behaves, and interprets various interactions. Labeled as a “spectrum disorder,” autism has an incredibly vast range of symptoms and signals.

Typically, children with autism will begin to show signs of this disorder within the first three years of their lives. Since autism is not a short term condition, but a lifetime component of a child’s life and thinking process, there is no quick cure for this disorder.

Furthermore, since scientists are unsure as to what the exact cause of autism really is, experts assert that parents with autistic

While organic foods are healthier than their pesticide-laden counterparts, organic options are typically far more expensive. To help students become healthier – while saving money – a rising number of community colleges are now offering organic gardening classes.

The Benefits of Organic Gardening

As The Daily Vidette reports, a rising number of consumers are embracing the many benefits of organic foods. Specifically, not only are organic foods grown without harmful chemicals, but these foods also contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown crops. In addition, organic foods tend to have more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

This video describes the benefits of organic gardening.

Since conventional farming and gardening methods utilize fertilizers and chemicals to boost the yield of food growth, these vegetables and fruits are robbed of many of their natural healthy compounds. By avoiding these potentially less healthy foods, consumers adhering to an organic lifestyle can experience perks such as:

• Decreased risk of various cancers
• Decreased toxins in the body
• Reduced inflammation
• Decreased signs of body aches/headaches/ general pains
• Additional health and wellness benefits

Community College Organic Programs

Although organic foods are certainly healthier than their conventional options, many individuals are frustrated with the higher cost of these products. Typically, organic foods are priced about 10 to 20 percent more than traditionally farmed produce.

To help ameliorate this burden, community colleges are now offering courses to teach students about

If you’re worried about the economy and job market when considering your future career plans, don’t fear! There are a variety of career options that are expected to be steady amidst a dwindling economy.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics and Kiplinger, the field with the greatest job security in tough economic times is the health care industry. As the country’s aging residents are fueling a need for greater health care services, experts anticipate a rising demand for care occupations. To pursue an economically “safe” pathway, choose from one of the three popular recession proof health care programs at your local community college: geriatric care, hospice support, and physician assistant programs.

Recession Proof Health Care Careers

Geriatric Care

As our steadily aging population maintains a rising life expectancy, students can be assured that a career in geriatrics will be not only be important, but also very stable. While a rising number of community colleges are creating programs to specifically train individuals for elderly care, most currently enrolled students can pursue a specialization in geriatrics as they complete their nursing certification program.

For example, students attending Nunez Community College (NCC), located in Chalmette, Louisiana, can enroll in courses that offer training, education, and hands on experience with elderly patients. As NCC states, students will learn about ethical and legal aspects of elderly care, and participants will also study the “Theories and concepts of aging, the physiologic and psychosocial changes and

Although the American auto industry has been struggling recently, many experts believe that the auto industry will soon be hiring highly skilled workers to build energy-efficient vehicles. If you are passionate about automobiles, check out your local community college’s auto program. With careers in repair, engineering, design, and various other options, an auto-based education can help students race toward a potentially lucrative future!

Auto Programs and Opportunities

With diverse opportunities in the automotive industry, students can investigate new and traditional career options. For example, Shoreline Community College (SCC), located in Shoreline, Washington, is one of the many community colleges offering students exciting course opportunities. Students can enroll in Automotive Service, Automotive Programs, Automotive Career Training, Technical Education Networks, and General Service venues.

Best of all, each focus area is endorsed by a leading automotive company. For example, students enrolled in the Automotive Service Education Program can earn their degree with the support of General Motors. To provide students with both knowledge and experience, students enrolled in this pathway spend alternating quarters in the classroom and the workforce by participating in internships at a sponsoring General Motors dealership. Similarly, Chrysler also provides students with a cooperating internship opportunity, as students enrolled in the Chrysler College Automotive Program can also work at a Chrysler dealership while alternately attending classes. Both Honda and Toyota also provide students with cooperating work and educational options.

In addition, for students looking to graduate early, SCC offers three-quarter programs,

As the government is now offering tax cuts and financial incentives for companies and individuals to “go green,” community college students are finding incredibly vast opportunities in the fields of environmental safety and studies.

The economy is predicting a new rise in “green collar workers,” and subsequently, more students are preparing for jobs in the field of renewing resources, eliminating corporate and facility emissions, and other “green” career avenues. If you want to enter a greener career path, consider starting at your local community college.

This video offers an overview of careers in sustainability.

Green Energy Careers

As the Los Angeles Times reports, the new studies in climate change and global warming are inspiring a whole new range of careers and collegiate studies; “Concern about climate change is galvanizing more undergraduate students to turn toward a subject involving science and engineering.”

In fact, many college students feel confident that an environmental educational pathway will lead to an array of job opportunities upon graduation. As President Obama is proposing a multibillion-dollar push to stimulate clean energy standards, the President is striving to improve the environment while also hoping to create millions of new “green collar” jobs.

Presenting that college engineering programs have dropped over 5 percent from 2003 to 2005, Obama argues that new environmental studies and engineering careers will be the key to boosting the country’s economic recovery. To help students pursue this