Becoming A Mechanic From The Comfort Of Your Own Home

The internet has revolutionized education and professional training. Nowadays, anyone can learn a new craft or skill by enrolling in an online training program. Whereas once upon a time this may have been reserved solely for the book-learning world of university education in the humanities, today's inter-active training environments have opened up the doors to even the most technical form of education.

You may think that it is a disadvantage to learn what is normally considered a hands-on skill without the benefit of a classroom or workshop. This may seem especially true of the mechanic industry. How can one learn to inspect, diagnose and repair a vehicle by simply sitting in front of a computer? Before you give in to such scepticism, take the time to research some online training courses to see exactly how they can be advantageous.

Becoming a mechanic starts first and foremost with an in-depth knowledge of cars and engines, how they are put together, how they function as a whole, and what are some of the possible problems that they have. Interactive software serves as a three-dimensional encyclopedia of parts and functions that can be easily navigated with a click of the mouse or more complicated algorithmic search methods. Another advantage to this kind of study is that you can work with simulated accidents and breakdowns without having to worry about actual vehicular damage or worse, bodily harm due to collisions. Online mechanic training can take the student through a wider variety of situations than any real-life course would be able to feasibly provide.

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African Engineers: Green Cutlasses

In an age in which Greens preach more loudly than Christians it is fitting that popular Biblical quotations find new green expressions. In Ghana, grassroots engineers have reinterpreted Isaiah's vision of turning swords into ploughshares by turning worn out band-saw blades into farming cutlasses. Band-saws are used in Ghana's numerous sawmills to turn its mighty forest trees into wooden planks, but making cutlasses from the old blades is helping small farmers to feed themselves and their village communities. Although this activity does nothing directly to preserve the forests it does recycle precious imported material and preserve it for use in a greener setting.

Band-saw blades are made of specially formulated carbon steel that combines the properties of hardness with flexibility and shock resistance. The metal can provide a sharp and durable cutting edge with the capability to run bent around steel rollers in a continuous loop. According to veterans of the sawmilling industry, all that these blades cannot survive is meeting a large rock that has been carried up by the tree as it grew and become embedded deep within its enormous trunk. Needless to say, steel of this quality is ideal for farmers' cutlasses used for weed control and clearing scrub.

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Forklift Requirements For Certification

Forklift drivers and operators are a vital part of the many industrial and manufacturing companies worldwide. Without them, freight, cargo and all other types of shipment would be impossible to transfer or even transport. This is the reason why they too, must be trained and certified in order to be as effective in their line of work.

It may seem that they just drive a bigger than golf cart type of vehicle but actually they are not. The forklifts are specialized trucks, of different models, that must be handled very carefully in order to prevent accidents and of course, deliver goods in time.

Individuals wanting to work in this type of job have to satisfy a number of Forklift requirements for certification. This is needed not only by the companies wanting to employ them but is actually a law that is required across all states.

Basic requirements to becoming a certified forklift operator are good eyesight, great physical and mental condition plus a driver's license. Not that a guy wearing eyeglasses is automatically exempted from becoming one but good eyesight is necessary. Yet, simply owning a 20/20 vision or a muscular body cannot certify one to be a forklift operator. Other state-required necessities must be fulfilled too, in fact, such are needed to get employed.

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Commercial Pilot - Why The Fat And Generous Pay?

It is almost irresistibly attractive - you get to wear a gorgeous white-clad uniform, you are regarded highly in the eyes of the public, you only need to make a few flights per day, and you get to enjoy a fat and generous salary on your payday. Yes, these are just some of the advantages of being a commercial pilot.

As such, a lot of people aspire to be one. The American Airlines for example pay rookie pilots a salary of 31,000 USD. The pay can go up to as much as 123,000 USD for experienced pilots (10th year in service). Delta and UPS reportedly pay their experienced pilots a salary of more than 200,000 USD.

It is definitely not easy to ignore those numbers. And getting to fly something like an Airbus Jumbo Commercial Plane is like a childhood dream come true. But why exactly are pilots paid premium? Here are some of the reasons:

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From Crab Cakes to Commercial Roof Design

"I couldn't stand the thought of slinging one more crab cake or spending one more day smelling of fish," Peter lamented as he thought back to a 6-year span of his life during his mid- to late-twenties when he worked as a waiter at a seafood restaurant.

"One day while working a double-shift, I went out to the parking lot to grab a quick nap in my car before my second shift of the day. As I sat in my car staring at the windshield, I knew right then and there that I needed to do something to make a change in my life. I knew going back to school was the right thing to do, I just didn't know for what or where."

Many people can certainly identify with Peter's story: working in a dead-end job, unhappy about the direction of your life, and feeling hopeless and confused about how to go about making any sort of change.

What was it that changed for Peter that one day, sitting in his car between shifts, after 6 years of working a job he loathed that caused him to actually take action? How many times over that 6-year span did the thought of doing something else cross Peter's mind? "Pretty much everyday," said Peter. When asked what was different about this one day that made him do something as opposed to the all the rest, Peter didn't have a good answer. It wasn't a particularly bad day. He worked double-shifts almost every weekend. So what was it that caused Peter to go home that night and look up colleges?

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All About The CNA Practice Exam

CNA practice exams are mockups of the Certified Nursing Assistant examination (offered by the National Nursing Aide Assessment Program), and are meant to prepare you as a student for the actual examination. Since the CNA exam is divided into two: a written test and a practical test, you will need sufficient practice in both these components if you are to pass the exam.

The internet has numerous resources offering practice material for the written and practical aspects of the exam. Taking timed mock tests are a good practice for the written exam, and watching instructional videos will help you with the practical aspect of the exam.

Does Tackling CNA Practice Exams Help Me Prepare for the Real Exam?

Yes, tackling CNA practice exams does help with sitting the actual exam. They not only get you psychologically prepared for your exam, but they also help you review and revise course content you have tackled in the course of your CNA training.

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College Students and Their Self-Worth in Denial

Many college students believe that once they have all the right knowledge from school that they will have invested in their future and be ready to go out and conquer the world. Is this so, can a mere degree or knowledge allow for this to occur with a high-probability of success?

For their sake I hope so considering the cost of college tuition these days and the student loan debt these kids are taking out as of late. Not long ago, someone explained to me that they had a huge amount of potential and just needed a chance to succeed, even though they hadn't succeeded at much in their other endeavors including school. Okay so let's talk about all this shall we?

You see, I explained to the college kid that I understood his point and argument on his future potential, but also stated; "one thing a wise man once told me, he said to me that I must not expect others to judge me by what I know or believe I will do in the future. He was right, I had always "expected" people to just observe and know that I'd make good, but that's not how we are judged in society, humans don't do it that way, so, you have to achieve or prove yourself first. That's fine, it's the way they do it, so, once you know, then you know what is needed, and can get started right away."

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Are Vocational Colleges Getting The Shaft In The Student Loan Sector?

Federal regulatory agencies have sure gone after the vocational colleges when it comes to student loans. There have also been quite a number of lawsuits where students had later sued these colleges claiming that they were told there were plenty of jobs once they completed their degree program, but once they got out of college there were no jobs to be found. Still, although that may be the case with a very large number of students in certain industries, I don't see where that would be a specific problem only to vocational schools.

You see, there are plenty of college students that went to school to get their degree at major not-for-profit universities and colleges, and it turns out well over 50% of the kids who graduated with a law degree found no work at all. If they don't get work, they obviously can't pay their student loans, and the default rate is stacking up significantly. In fact, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal on July 18, 2012 titled; "Student Debt Hits the Middle-Aged," by Josh Mitchell, which stated;

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Begin Your Health Care Field Career With CNA Certification in Alabama

The passage of the federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA-87) legislation required each state, including Alabama to establish state and federal OBRA approved CNA Training program and evaluate the competency level of nurse aides. The federal legislation further requires candidates upon completion of the program must pass state approved CNA Certification in Alabama within 120 days to earn certification and to work legally in a variety of health care settings in the state.

CNA Training Program

The Alabama Department of Health approved training program requires nurse aides to complete, at least, 75 hours program, prior to earning their CNA Certification in Alabama. The program consists of 59 hours of theoretical classroom instructions and 16 hours of supervised clinical hands-on experience that must be performed in an approved facility among the residents, under the direct monitoring of a registered nurse.

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Vocational Schools Are Just As Important If Not More So Than Universities Offering Social Sciences

Okay so, you may not have considered this but I'm going to ask you to consider it today anyway. We know that the student loan bubble is a huge problem, and there is over $1 trillion in outstanding student debt currently in the United States. Each year we should expect that to grow, along with the tuition costs which have also been increasing at about 8% per year. In many regards this is a terrible tragedy for our society, especially at a time when our civilization is becoming more technologically advanced, and we need more people in the math and science fields. Okay so let's talk a little bit about vocational schools and their relevance to our economy and jobs in America.

You see, many employers are complaining that they have jobs available but no skilled labor. A cynic might say that these corporations merely want more corporate welfare in the form of employee training, and that might be part of their complaint, but the problem in this situation is real. We don't have enough skilled workers to take those specific jobs. This doesn't mean we don't have an unemployment problem? No, we surely do, and even if we could fill those jobs, it still wouldn't be enough to get America back to work in the percentages that we need currently, especially if we want to recover from this economy.

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CNA Certification in Arkansas - A Need for Quality Health Care Services

The Federal regulations passed by the congress and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services mandate each state to establish minimum standards in the state offered NATP. The regulations were passed to improve the quality of cares in hospitals and long term care facilities to safeguard the public health. The Federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA-87) further requires nurse aides to meet these minimum requirements for nursing and basic nursing care related services.

In the state of Arkansas, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is entrusted to implement the state and federal regulations in the state NATP for certification. The basic purpose to design and develop training program by ADHS is to prepare nurse aides to provide quality health related services to ailing patients in hospitals, long term care facilities, hospice, home health care and restorative care centers. The ADHS approved nurse aide training programs (NATP) are offered through various vocational schools, community colleges, technical institutes and long term care facilities.

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3 Steps to Getting Your Personal Training Certification

Personal trainers are in demand right now. In order to succeed in this career field you will need to attend one of the quality personal training schools in your area that can help you prepare for certification and credentialing exams. Hands-on training and certifications can usually be earned in less than 2 years.

How to Get Your Personal Training Certification

It is essential to be certified in order to begin working with clients or with members of a fitness facility.

Follow these 3 steps to become a certified personal trainer:

• Take classes at a personal training school that can help prepare you to take certification and credentialing exams.
• Log some time alongside an experienced personal trainer until you are deemed ready. Externships provided by personal training schools do count as experience!
• Get certified by one of the top certification organizations such as the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

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How Distance Education Courses Can Work for You

There is a constant clamour for high quality education; however, certain challenges hindered the advancement of activities that should have made this possible. Lack of funds for the infrastructure of new school classrooms and buildings, escalating prices of tuition fees, low salaries and less benefits for teachers, proximity of schools; these are but some of the factors which learners are currently facing. This is the reason why online learning courses were introduced to answer that need.

Open Institutions are schools of learning that deliver online education courses. They provided the solution in bringing quality education and training to people wherever they may be. There is no need to worry about waking early everyday just to beat the morning traffic and arrive in school on time for class. The challenge of finding time for study has been solved as well because of curriculums that are specifically designed for self-paced learning. Access to daily topics of discussion and online training courses are made available 24 hours a day through the use of modern technology via computers and the Internet. The principles of education, online discussions, group projects and assessments are coursed through different kinds of media which include email, conferencing, message boards, chat rooms and video tutorials, to name a few. All a learner would need to have is access to a computer, stable Internet connection, dedication and focus to finish his or her chosen course.

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CNA Certification in Michigan Eligibility Requirements

In 1987, federal legislation Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA-87) was passed by Congress to improve the nursing and nursing-related cares in nursing homes. The legislation requires nursing homes to employ nurse aides who are trained and evaluated through state Nurse Aide training and Evaluation Program (NATCEP). The federal requirements included 75 hours training program which contains classroom instruction, lab training and16 hour's clinical hands-on experience in an approved facility, and a Written/Oral Test and Skill Test. The training program also requires inclusion of minimum OBRA required education requirements. Nurse Aides meeting federal requisites are awarded a CNA Certification and registered with the state Nurse Aide Registry.

In the state of Michigan, the State Department of Community Health has been entrusted the responsibility to develop a state CNA program that includes minimum OBRA requirements and accordingly, Michigan Nurse Aide Training Curriculum, 1989, was designed to train nurse assistants in direct patient cares. The complete duration of state approved NATP is federal legislation required 75 hours, divided between 34 hours class/16.5 hours lab and 24.5 hours clinical training. The administration of the state training program is the responsibility of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Health Professions.

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Is Marketing a Good Venue for Vocational School Degrees?

The cost for college tuition is absolutely too high, and the average student is taking out $20,000 per year in student loans at state colleges and paying over $1200 a year for textbooks. All I can say to that is; ouch. But what if you go to a vocational school to learn a trade, skill, or get the training for a specific job? Does that make more sense because when you get out you will be qualified to work in a given industry?

Remember you have to pay those student loans back, so perhaps a vocational school might be the right ticket, even though the regulatory authorities seem to have come down on vocational colleges for suggesting there will be guaranteed jobs when you graduate. The other day, I was talking to an acquaintance who lives in the upper Midwest and he decided that he would study marketing. He explained to me that; "Marketing will always be needed, and every great concept needs a voice."

Well, that's absolutely true isn't it? It hardly matters what a company is selling, they have to let everyone know because otherwise no one will buy it. It hardly matters if you have the greatest invention, innovation, product, or service on the planet, because if no one knows about it, and you haven't done your proper marketing, then no one's going to partake in a purchase. Therefore, marketing will obviously always be needed.

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A Step-By-Step Guide To Becoming An LPN

Quite a few nursing professionals have discovered that the position of LPN offers the fastest way to get into the health care field. Nowadays, one of the preferred ways to do this is by enrolling in online courses. Indeed, the advantages offered by online study, especially when it comes to convenience and cost, are making these classes an obvious choice for more and more students.

With the need for nurses at a record high around the nation, and so many people interested in getting into the profession, the following step-by-step process is one that anybody can use to start their career in practical nursing quickly.

Step 1 - Find A Good LPN School

The initial step in becoming a Practical Nurse involves locating, and graduating from an approved LPN training program. In nearly all cases, your practical nursing schooling can be finished either through distance education, at a private or public school or, in many instances, at a local community career training facility. This training will generally require an average of twelve months to complete.

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A Day in the Life of a Cosmetologist: 5 Professionals Surveyed

We surveyed five cosmetology certification program instructors at a local Technical College. We asked them their likes and dislikes about their careers as professional cosmetologists before they became instructors. Read on to get a feel for what a normal day is like for a professional beautician.

1. What are the best aspects of having a cosmetologist career?

2. What are the least desirable aspects of having a career in cosmetology?

3. What is a typical day like as a working cosmetologist?

What are the best aspects of having a cosmetologist career?

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Resume Writing for the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment Student

Resume Writing for the Job Seeker

Upon completing your Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or other Vocational Training and Assessment Course, many students ask the question... "Now what?" If you are not already employed, creating a standout resume is the best bet at giving you the edge in today tough job market.

For your convenience I have created a sample resume below, basically a 'fill in the blanks' for job seeking students.

TIPS & TRICKS

1. Keep your resume to two pages (three max!)
2. Spell check, spell check, spell check (and proof read) - grammatical errors are not acceptable
3. The real opportunity is within the cover letter so highlight your biggest achievements there
4. Keep the front plain and pages spaced
5. Without 'resume padding' put forward the best version of you

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Vocational Trade School or University - Which Is for You?

Many people around the world are engaged in vocational education and training as well as university level courses. However, when enrolling into a training program it is important to consider which medium of higher education is right for you. There are many differences between university and vocational education and training. Below these differences are outlined for your convenience.

University

• Involves degrees, honours, masters and doctorate level courses and some universities offer associates degrees as a bridge between vocational education and university courses
• Based on theoretical learning
• Generally gives students access to professions that require formal qualifications (teachers, doctors, psychologists, lawyers)
• Usually between three and 6 years, depending on course structure
• Consists of lectures, labs and tutorials
• Lectures generally are over 100 students, tutorials refined to about 30 students
• You must have completed your high school diploma or as a mature aged student pass some other form of test

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A Guide To Effective Business Writing

A good personal assistant or secretary will need to have excellent command of the English language at her fingertips. Emails and letters may have to go out at a seconds notice. Likewise you are responsible for staff memos. Given that you will produce so many scrutinised pieces of writing for both clients and colleagues, your writing must be faultless.

There are easy rules and aspects for all PAs or Secretaries to revise that can help maintain your standard of English. Common mistakes include "their" and "there", all too often PAs send out email with these words being used in place of the other. Everybody will know the meaning of these words,but it is just all too easy to make these mistakes. Another common mistake is "were" and "we're", these have very different meanings but often substitute one another.

Also, be sure that you are clear on the difference between "can" and "may". I can write correctly, infers that I have the ability to write accurately. If I substitute "can" with "may"; the meaning changes and means that perhaps I will write correctly. This is a subtle difference that can make emails and letters look clumsy to the reader.

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