HOBOKEN, NJ, November 03, 2011 (Press-News.org) Amid high unemployment rates and a volatile job market, new research released today by eLearners.com signals even greater concern among Americans. Even those employed lack the confidence that they have what it takes to remain competitive in their careers. The eLearners.com Career Confidence Poll found that 22 percent of Americans over the age of 18 don't feel competitive long-term (5+ years) and that among the employed, nearly one in four (23 percent) don't even feel they can remain competitive for the next two years.
"America's economic recovery and long-term competitiveness depends on a workforce with the confidence to perform," said Tom Anderson, CEO of EducationDynamics, parent company of eLearners.com. "The key to the future will be lifelong learning - staying ahead of the knowledge curve."
Unfortunately, the research revealed even deeper insecurities among younger workers; more than one-third of 18-34 year olds don't feel they have the training or education to stay competitive in their field for more than two years, while almost half (44 percent) don't feel they can stay competitive for more than four years. This is particularly alarming when you consider the percentage of Americans currently unemployed, which means that they aren't even getting "on the job" training.
Finally, the eLearners.com Career Confidence Poll found that women are more likely than men to lack confidence about remaining competitive long-term. Thirty-five percent of employed women reported feeling competitive for four years or less, compared to 29 percent of employed men.
"These findings should be a startling wake-up call for America," continued Anderson. "Whether it is corporate America facing an ill-equipped workforce or individuals whose confidence has been shaken, the only answer is education."
Anderson shares five recommendations focused on improving Americans' career confidence:
1. Take advantage of every learning opportunity your company offers, whether tuition reimbursement, on-the-job training or internal webinars.
2. Finish that degree. Millions of Americans have some education, but didn't have the chance to graduate. Go back and finish that bachelor's or master's degree that will increase your knowledge and marketability.
3. Ask hiring managers or other company leaders about what in-demand skills they are seeking and find ways to continually sharpen your own skill set.
4. Look for inexpensive learning options beyond the workplace - consider community college or online courses, volunteer opportunities, how-to books from the library, online tutorials, and courses offered by professional associations.
5. Maintain a thirst for knowledge. Never stop learning from senior leaders and the newer generations, all of which offer different and equally important insights and information.
Wakefield Research administered the eLearners.com Career Confidence Poll by telephone in September 2011 to a representative sample of 1,000 Americans over the age of 18. For the interviews conducted in this study, the margin of error is approximately +/- 3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level and larger for sub-groups.
eLearners.com features a robust library of tools and resources about ongoing education, financial aid, online education and a variety of other topics.
About eLearners.com
Since 1999, eLearners.com has been successfully connecting prospective students interested in online degree, certification and training programs with a wide selection of accredited colleges and universities. eLearners.com offers a powerful search engine that indexes thousands of program offerings online, as well as a variety of educational evaluation tools and financial aid resources. eLearners.com offers schools seeking prospective students a low-cost, performance-based method to gain national exposure and increase enrollments in their programs.
Contact:
Jenny Foust
Communications Strategy Group
jfoust@csg-pr.com
(303) 433-7020
eLearners.com Career Confidence Poll Indicates a Confidence Crisis Among Americans
Research finds that among the employed, 1 in 4 don't feel they can remain competitive for the next two years.
2011-11-03
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Analysis reveals malaria, other diseases as ancient, adaptive and persistent foes
2011-11-03
CORVALLIS, Ore. – One of the most comprehensive analyses yet done of the ancient history of insect-borne disease concludes for the first time that malaria is not only native to the New World, but it has been present long before humans existed and has evolved through birds and monkeys.
The findings, presented in a recent issue of American Entomologist by researchers from Oregon State University, are based on the study of insect specimens preserved in amber.
The study outlines the evolution of several human diseases, including malaria, leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis. ...
Genome-scale network of rice genes to speed the development of biofuel crops
2011-11-03
The first genome-scale model for predicting the functions of genes and gene networks in a grass species has been developed by an international team of researches that includes scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a multi-institutional partnership led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Called RiceNet, this systems-level model of rice gene interactions should help speed the development of new crops for the production of advanced biofuels, as well as help boost the production and improve the quality ...
Interactive play with blocks found to facilitate development of spatial vocabulary
2011-11-03
In a recent study published in Mind, Brain and Education, researchers at Temple's Infant Lab found there are some very real benefits to playing with that old toy classic — blocks.
Parents and researchers have long speculated that play with construction toys might offer a rich environment that would support later learning in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
The study led by Katrina Ferrara found that when playing with blocks under interactive conditions, children hear the kind of language that helps them think about space, such ...
New study reveals coral reefs may support much more biodiversity than previously thought
2011-11-03
Smithsonian scientists and colleagues conducted the first DNA barcoding survey of crustaceans living on samples of dead coral taken from the Indian, Pacific and Caribbean oceans. The results suggest that the diversity of organisms living on the world's coral reefs is seriously underestimated. The team's research "The Diversity of Coral Reefs: What Are We Missing?" was published in October in the journal PLoS ONE.
At depths of 26 to 39 feet, the scientists collected dead coral from five different locations. At two sites where removing coral is prohibited, the scientists ...
UCSB physicists identify room temperature quantum bits in widely used semiconductor
2011-11-03
Santa Barbara, Calif. –– A discovery by physicists at UC Santa Barbara may earn silicon carbide –– a semiconductor commonly used by the electronics industry –– a role at the center of a new generation of information technologies designed to exploit quantum physics for tasks such as ultrafast computing and nanoscale sensing.
The research team discovered that silicon carbide contains crystal imperfections that can be controlled at a quantum mechanical level. The finding is published this week in the journal Nature.
The research group of David Awschalom, senior author, ...
Texas A&M professor helping to unravel causes of Ice Age extinctions
2011-11-03
COLLEGE STATION -- Did climate change or humans cause the extinctions of the large-bodied Ice Age mammals (commonly called megafauna) such as the woolly rhinoceros and woolly mammoth? Scientists have for years debated the reasons behind the Ice Age mass extinctions, which caused the loss of a third of the large mammals in Eurasia and two thirds of the large mammals in North America, and now, an inter-disciplinary team from more than 40 universities around the world led by Professor Eske Willerslev and his group from the Centre for GeoGenetics, University of Copenhagen, ...
Fruit fly intestine may hold secret to the fountain of youth
2011-11-03
One of the few reliable ways to extend an organism's lifespan, be it a fruit fly or a mouse, is to restrict calorie intake. Now, a new study in fruit flies is helping to explain why such minimal diets are linked to longevity and offering clues to the effects of aging on stem cell behavior.
Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and their collaborators found that tweaking a gene known as PGC-1, which is also found in human DNA, in the intestinal stem cells of fruit flies delayed the aging of their intestine and extended their lifespan by as much as 50 ...
Maryland climate plan passes key tests in UMD studies
2011-11-03
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 meets a series of benchmark tests set by state lawmakers, concludes a new pair of studies by the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Environmental Research (CIER). The findings should help clear the way for adoption of a full Climate Action Plan next year, the researchers say.
Maryland's 2009 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act ordered independent studies to make sure that its provisions won't hurt the reliability of the state's electricity supply or damage the manufacturing sector ...
Study: Crop diversity myths persist in media
2011-11-03
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The conventional wisdom that says the 20th century was a disaster for crop diversity is nothing more than a myth, according to a forthcoming study by a University of Illinois expert in intellectual property law.
Law professor Paul Heald says overall varietal diversity of the $20 billion market for vegetable crops and apples in the U.S. actually has increased over the past 100 years, a finding that should change the highly politicized debate over intellectual property policy.
"The conventional wisdom, as illustrated in the July 2011 issue of National ...
Unsaturated fat breakdown leads to complications of acute pancreatitis in obese patients
2011-11-03
PITTSBURGH -- The toxic byproducts produced by the breakdown of unsaturated fats lead to a higher likelihood of severe inflammation, cell death and multi-system organ failure among acute pancreatitis patients who are obese, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Their findings, published online today in Science Translational Medicine, provide new insight into how fat can induce complications after sudden inflammatory, non-infectious illnesses.
Doctors have observed that obese people are at greater risk for adverse outcomes after trauma, severe ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
ASU researchers to lead AAAS panel on water insecurity in the United States
ASU professor Anne Stone to present at AAAS Conference in Phoenix on ancient origins of modern disease
Proposals for exploring viruses and skin as the next experimental quantum frontiers share US$30,000 science award
ASU researchers showcase scalable tech solutions for older adults living alone with cognitive decline at AAAS 2026
Scientists identify smooth regional trends in fruit fly survival strategies
Antipathy toward snakes? Your parents likely talked you into that at an early age
Sylvester Cancer Tip Sheet for Feb. 2026
Online exposure to medical misinformation concentrated among older adults
Telehealth improves access to genetic services for adult survivors of childhood cancers
Outdated mortality benchmarks risk missing early signs of famine and delay recognizing mass starvation
Newly discovered bacterium converts carbon dioxide into chemicals using electricity
Flipping and reversing mini-proteins could improve disease treatment
Scientists reveal major hidden source of atmospheric nitrogen pollution in fragile lake basin
Biochar emerges as a powerful tool for soil carbon neutrality and climate mitigation
Tiny cell messengers show big promise for safer protein and gene delivery
AMS releases statement regarding the decision to rescind EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding
Parents’ alcohol and drug use influences their children’s consumption, research shows
Modular assembly of chiral nitrogen-bridged rings achieved by palladium-catalyzed diastereoselective and enantioselective cascade cyclization reactions
Promoting civic engagement
AMS Science Preview: Hurricane slowdown, school snow days
Deforestation in the Amazon raises the surface temperature by 3 °C during the dry season
Model more accurately maps the impact of frost on corn crops
How did humans develop sharp vision? Lab-grown retinas show likely answer
Sour grapes? Taste, experience of sour foods depends on individual consumer
At AAAS, professor Krystal Tsosie argues the future of science must be Indigenous-led
From the lab to the living room: Decoding Parkinson’s patients movements in the real world
Research advances in porous materials, as highlighted in the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Sally C. Morton, executive vice president of ASU Knowledge Enterprise, presents a bold and practical framework for moving research from discovery to real-world impact
Biochemical parameters in patients with diabetic nephropathy versus individuals with diabetes alone, non-diabetic nephropathy, and healthy controls
Muscular strength and mortality in women ages 63 to 99
[Press-News.org] eLearners.com Career Confidence Poll Indicates a Confidence Crisis Among AmericansResearch finds that among the employed, 1 in 4 don't feel they can remain competitive for the next two years.