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It looks like the economic recession is starting to end. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that 162,000 new jobs were added last March. Even better, another 255,000 new jobs were added in April. If this trend continues, those who have qualified educations will have a better chance of rejoining the work force. Please note the word “qualified”.

As it happens, education has long been a determining factor on unemployment. The Bureau noted the hardest hit by the recession were those who never graduated from high school (14.7%). Just having an associate’s degree cuts the unemployment numbers by nearly one half (8.3%). In other words, this degree can provide the extra skills and knowledge needed for a new, more interesting position. Those who work full- or part-time schedules can complete an associate degree at one of many accredited schools online if they can’t leave their job for on-campus study.

Helping them along in this are online schools, setting up work-study/internship programs. If that isn’t enough, going online for a degree helps the student save money, still hold down their job and prepare to advance even higher. It’s all in the way one manages one’s time.

As an example, many who study drama in one form or another take courses online. They do so to be able to hold down a regular job and also be available for auditions. On the plus front, they can schedule their courses around their work and creative endeavors. At the worst, if they get their two year degree in a different area, they have a second career if all they ever do is go to auditions.

Another more direct example is a career in health care. There are a number of medical operations who hire people straight out of secondary school and then put them through an internship program. Usually the ultimate goal is to turn them into some sort of assistant – nursing, physical therapy, pharmaceutical or even dentistry. The employee works at the hospital, clinic or practice for whatever hours they are scheduled for, and then take their courses online during their off hours.

In fact, the majority of these positions are predicted to show strong growth over the next 10 years. Individuals who plan on beginning their associate degree program in the near future might want to consider focusing their studies on a subject such as computer and network administration, for example, if they enjoy working with information technology. Health care is considered one of the fastest growing professions in the country, with the Bureau reporting a need for literally hundreds of thousands more assistants by 2018.

If that isn’t enough, there are also a number of grant and scholarship programs out there for these professions. All this and one has a job, too.

So while the steadily improving unemployment numbers may not be cause for celebration, or even relief, just yet, there are ways one can hedge one’s bets and improve one’s chances to be one of those new hires. Just remember, the higher one’s online classes, the better the odds are in your favor. You can also get graduate school scholarships to help pay for it. For more information about money for college, check the internet.