Taking traditional steps to guarantee a good career – obtaining a good education, putting in plenty of time and hard work and gaining relevant experience may not be enough anymore in today’s changing marketplace with its new technology, refined industries and global reach. Perhaps you are one of many employees that have realized your current skills no longer completely fulfill your changing job requirements, or your workplace has been restructured and your role has been replaced with a position requiring skills you do not have…or maybe you have obtained a degree that is no longer in high demand, thereby making it difficult to find a job?
All of these scenarios have a common solution – further education focused on skillsets that are in demand in today’s changing workplace. Skillsets that once were applicable and adequate are being upgraded, replaced or left obsolete as companies strive to find new ways to work more efficiently to remain competitive. So who is responsible for making sure your skills stay current and you remain in high demand in the job market? The short answer is, in most cases, you are. Fortunately, for those of us located in the RTP/Triangle area, highly specialized continuing education courses and opportunities abound right on our doorstep. Duke, NCSU, UNC-CH, Wake Tech – all offer full and part-time programs for continuing education and job specific certifications.
While this may sound like a recent phenomenon, it really isn’t. In fact UNC formally organized its program in 1913 to expand University resources and reach; The McKimmon Center at NCSU first began offering extension courses as far back as 1924; Duke launched a program in 1969 aimed at assisting non-traditional female students to return to college; and Wake Tech was originally chartered in 1958 to “train adults in the vocational and technical skills needed by the region’s emerging industries.”
Aimed at accommodating existing work schedules, many courses are offered outside of normal business hours, online or in manageable time segments. NCSU FastTrack Series even brings some of its courses to you if you are in The RTP – alternating locations which include hosting in The RTP Headquarters Conference Center.
We take education seriously here in The RTP. More than 50 years ago, the RTP was created on the strength and promise of a talented workforce pipeline provided by its Founding Universities. Today, RTP is home to 250 businesses that employ 50,000 people, continuing proof that our key focus on education remains one of our greatest strengths.