Jewish Vocational Service of San Francisco www.JVS.org and a beneficiary of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties and an affiliate of IAJVS, the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services.

Can you think back and recall your least favorite class in school? Do you remember that question you tried answering nightly: "When will I ever need to know this stuff?" The day has come to answer that nagging question, and the answer is... "OK, maybe you don't need to know the exact information you learned in that Algebra or History class, but what you do need is what you were learning behind the facts. You were learning how to learn, and that is what you desperately need in today's economy. " It takes more than knowing our basic math and reading comprehension skills, though that is definitely the first step. In today's rapidly changing economy, we all need to begin, right now, being lifelong learners. We must become students of the world if we hope to follow and succeed in any of today's career tracks.

Where this "schooling" takes is place is no longer limited to the classroom. "Learning shouldn't be limited to a campus or classroom anymore," Glenn R. Jones, founder of Jones International University, explains in the October 2000 edition of Fast Company. One alternative is online learning. Professionals can study anything from basic computer skills to advanced programming languages, from entry-level career marketability tools to executive management strategies, from their office or home computer. Jones goes on to hypothesize the obstacles to online learning by saying that, "What needs to be overcome... is resistance to the idea of online learning."

Online classes are just one means to obtaining the necessary skills to advance in your career. Having a solid grasp on fundamental communication and computer skills can make the difference between having one job after another and truly progressing in your chosen field. "To advance to higher-paying positions," UPS District Staffing Specialist, Matthew Cohagan says, " workers must display advanced communication skills along with technology job skills, including computer literacy." Like it or not, we are no longer living in a society where we can avoid computers in any career field. No one can get by without fundamental computer skills, which means that people from all walks of life find themselves needing to continue the learning process.

Many organizations offer one-time computer workshops as well as short-term training programs. Topics cover basic Microsoft programs such as Word and Excel, more advanced subjects including HTML and JAVA, and professional development themes for people at various levels of their career path. There has been a lot of focus recently, especially in the non-profit community, on how all of this creates a digital divide whereby those who can afford computers can also afford the necessary classes to keep themselves current, but those in lower wage and lower skilled jobs are consistently left behind. With the assistance of the federal and local government and private foundations, organizations across the country are focusing on that theme by providing classes, one-on-one assistance, and lab time in community-based technology centers, at minimal or no cost to the individual.

Whether you are entering a new career field or advancing in your current field, it is vital to your career growth that you continue to enhance your current skill set and gain new proficiencies. Utilize organizations like your local JVS, New Horizons, Fred Pryor Seminars, and local libraries to access computers and training software as well as computer and professional development classes. Your future is your own to create, and the greatest tool you have is your capacity to love learning.