There are so many marvelous websites out there that when I discover a new one I like to share it with my readers. This one is called Connecting Learning to Life and it is from the West Fargo High School Career Center Blog
Where should educators direct students in light of the current recession/depression? Unemployment rates are at a 14-year high and predictions are that it will last at least to 2010.
Nursing
Nursing is one of the best educational investments out there. It requires only an associate degree to break into the field, though a bachelor’s is usually preferred.
On top of an impressive average starting salary — over $52,000, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers — benefits include company-sponsored health care and matched retirement and sometimes additional perks such as tuition reimbursement and student-loan forgiveness.
With the addition of approximately 470,000 jobs between now and 2016, registered nurses will find work in organizations ranging from hospitals and clinics to retirement homes and summer camps. Minimal tuition investment, maximum opportunities.
Computer/information science
While almost everyone else took pay cuts last year, computer science grads saw their average starting salary rise nearly 15 percent between 2007 and 2008.
With starting annual salaries hovering around the $60,000 mark, computer science grads claimed the No. 1 fastest-growing occupation in the country ““
Engineering
Those entering the engineering market are still finding decent jobs and decent pay, especially in the areas of computer and project engineering.
NACE reports that while those majoring in liberal arts fields can expect starting salaries of $30,000 to $35,000 per year, new engineers earn an average salary topping $56,000 per year, not including health care, signing bonuses and company-sponsored retirement plans.
Economics
Students who know their way around both bull and bear markets (and have the degree to prove it) have a much better shot of landing a well-paying job than most other grads.
In addition to a nearly $53,000 average starting salary, economics majors can also expect more job options. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, two of the top 20 fastest-growing occupations require economics or business-related degrees to break in.
The BLS estimates that the market for personal financial advisors will grow over 40 percent within the next decade while the market for financial analysts should grow over 30 percent.
Education
As the baby boomers exit the teaching market, the field will require new blood to move in. The National Educational Association estimates that in the next decade, more than 2 million new teachers will be needed to replace retirees and tend to increasing student populations.
The field is especially ripe for bilingual, special education, math and science educators. While teachers’ starting salaries have traditionally been lower than those in professions that require comparable education, teachers willing to work in critical-needs areas may be eligible for substantial signing bonuses as well as student loan forgiveness programs.