Library News

Important events involving libraries will appear in this section.
 

YBP News

YBP is setting new benchmarks for timely order fulfillment.

GobiWorks

Georgia State University's Pullen Library: Georgia State has been a YBP customer since 1977, and like many libraries, was interested not only...

Publisher News

Rizzoli Restructures: Rizzoli is restructuring its U.S. Art publishing subsidiary. The move will bring two divisions, Rizzoli and Universe Publishing, closer together. Rizzoli and Universe publish about 60 titles each annually, with Universe publishing...
 

Publisher Profile

University Press of New England is an award-winning university press supported by a consortium of schools: Brandeis University, Dartmouth College, Middlebury College, the University of New Hampshire, and Tufts University...

GOBI2.COM: Engineering Technician Educational Advancement

It is widely acknowledged that educational programs worldwide are hard-put to provide high-quality education to all. Failures arise due to many causes. Often there are inadequate schools, underfunding, and deficient teachers. Also, the degrading effects of poverty, neglect, and poor socio-economic conditions conjoin to prevent many students from reaching their potential.

Parents often wish for their children to attend university, and go on to earn post-graduate degrees as well. Students who have been given a good pre-college education are more likely to attend college, while other students may leave before finishing secondary school. Easy solutions don't exist for these problems; many alternatives should be studied to promote long-term improvement. The pertinent question is: how can we give failing students and drop-outs another chance to achieve their dreams?

One good alternative is technical education. There is a lasting need around the world for technicians and engineers to repair the myriad machines, appliances and gadgets that make our lives more efficient. Through Internet-based advances in technical education, individuals now have a lower-cost way to carry on their education and undo previous failures. Often, the first step is earning a secondary school equivalency diploma. Many educational systems worldwide present online course work to students preparing for an equivalency exam, and there are many excellent books that furnish the required knowledge.

While a secondary-school diploma is important, it is by itself simply not enough to get a good job in today's competitive marketplace. Individual must candidly evaluate their own capabilities and skills. There are a large number of technical careers that do not require a university degree, but which require structured training and accredited licensing. As an example, licensed practical nurses usually need only one year of full-time education, and there exist many venues that permit some of that education to be obtained online.

There is a wide range of other examples; a student's decision depends on his/her interests and aptitude. Persons possessing superior eye-hand coordination often gain expertise at repairing timepieces, appliances, cell phones, and similar devices. The startling rise in functionality provided by gadgets such as the Apple ITouch has created a market for experts at, for example, ITouch repair. "Nerds" are sought out to help meet the demand for entertainment system hookup and computer repair. Today there are virtual training programs as well as physical locations that afford students the training and certification they need for technical and engineering careers. Technical education thus offers an essential alternative that answers the requirements of many individuals throughout the world.