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Employment statistics indicate that approximately 9% of the U.S. population is unemployed. This means that not only is the economy in less than stellar shape, it means that fewer people can afford extras. People may have to take jobs for which they are overqualified. Chances are that with less money, going to school full time is no longer an option for some people. Instead, more people are probably more inclined to hold onto whatever job they have, at least until the economy takes a turn for the better.
Keeping a job in hand does not mean career aspirations have to take a back seat. Education statistics show that more people than in years past have embraced online learning. This educational strategy solves the problem of relinquishing a job as a source of needed income, and advancing career aspirations.
Employers have welcomed Internet instruction as a practical and feasible solution that saves dollars and makes business sense. Employers avail themselves of internet instruction as a method to gain employee training without sacrificing workplace productivity. By the same token, employers are not put off by applicants who have gained their knowledge through online learning.
The Internet has become a worldwide source of educational information. People can discover valid sources of information to learn about any given topic via information on demand portals such as Wikipedia, Wikiuniversity, How Stuff Works, eHow, educational domains, and government domains. In fact, the Internet has promoted collaborative learning with open social network communities such as Wikipedia and Wikiuniversity that invite the public to contribute knowledge. Tools to contribute are easily accessible and user friendly. This Internet has catalyzed a public education social movement that has empowered individuals to take charge of their personal learning. More people can gain knowledge faster and more easily than ever before with knowledge on demand, leveraging what they know with what others know, to expand personal potential. Real time, learning on demand can be viewed as similar to supply side business Just in Time inventory modeling. Inventory is not amassed on hand but pulled forward upon demand from a thirty party supplier. In this regard, the Internet provides innumerable legitimate data sources or suppliers that supply a backend repository that can be tapped to pull forward knowledge upon user demand. As with any market, it is incumbent upon those demanding a supply to make quality selections from reputable sources for the best value.
