Online Education: Certificate Programs Help You Demonstrate Your Skills

by Richard Barrington
Online Education Columnist

In today's fast-changing--and sometimes unsteady--job market, a key to finding rewarding, long-term employment is matching your skill set with in-demand occupations. Earning a certificate through an online program can be a practical way to keep your skills on target and up-to-date.

The rapid changes brought about by technological advancements, global trade, and consumer trends can be disruptive to the job market. People sometimes unexpectedly find their job skills out of date or no longer in demand. Earning a certificate in a specific career field can be a way to refresh and/or redirect those skills, to get back on the right side of the job market.

Now more than ever, online degrees and certificates allow people to upgrade their skills in a cost-effective manner. For example, online programs can be perfect for people who cannot afford to quit their jobs to go back to school. Online education allows you to fit your academic schedule around the demands of your current job, so you can keep earning while you are learning.
Online Education: A Practical Solution

Certificate programs can also be a practical solution for a young parent with daycare issues. Daycare can be expensive or even unavailable in some areas. For parents who plan to re-enter the workforce once their children are in school, this can mean foregoing training that could improve their job prospects. With an online certificate program, however, those parents can get training from their own homes and better prepare to enter the job market. Certificate programs can also eliminate commuting costs to and from school, and make certain programs available in parts of the country where physical training centers do not exist.

Certificates are available in fields as diverse as computers, graphics and web design, emergency services and security, health care, criminal justice, and customer service. You can pick an area that is in demand and appeals to you, and get your training on track for a career in that field.