Advanced study offers a low-risk chance to try out new ideas, says Alliant International v.p. Ginger Hovenic.

We hurried through high school and crashed through college, getting ready for that career that would last a lifetime, and found ourselves in a world where smart workers know the need for the growth and change spurred by education never ends. And it’s even more important now, as a recession may loom and our workplaces keep changing, says Joe Shapiro, the dean of SDSU’s College of Extended Studies. “Now more than ever, everything is changing with every second we talk,” he says. “The amount of knowledge is increasing at such an exponential rate that you will fall behind if you don’t strive to keep up.”

Shapiro knows from his own life how important focused learning is. He’s had four careers by his count, including teaching, computers and now an administrative post.

“My master’s degree in computer science from 1970 is an archeological object,” he says. “If you want to adapt to the things that six-year-olds take for granted, you have to take steps to stay not just current but a little bit ahead.

“Lifelong learning is absolutely necessary,” Shapiro adds.

Consider that the fastest growing, well-paying segments of San Diego’s job market are for jobs that didn’t exist 25 years ago, from biotechnology to Web-intensive jobs. And within those fields, change is the norm.

“A worker who wants to do well in a competitive, challenging job market has to be forward-thinking and ready to innovate,” Shapiro says. “You have to be ready for new and different ways of doing things.”

Many professions, from attorneys to X-ray technicians (can you think of something that starts with a Z?) require continuing education as part of keeping a current license or certificate — and we’re better off for it. Electricians and medical professionals, for example, who aren’t up on the profession’s current standards and practices are a danger to all of us.

Joe Shapiro

Those of us who aren’t required to stay current by law often find that a competitive job market and a workplace buffeted by an unpredictable economy will make us stay current — grudgingly.

But people who want to advance and compete stay on the lookout for classes that help.

Andrea Houck, a communications specialist for SPAWAR, earned a certificate in event and meeting management at UCSD Extension in 2006, after she’d already organized such events for her employer. “I’d already organized events but I wanted to get the whole structure for how to select the site and take the steps to organize a large scale meeting,” she says. “I received training in contract reading, for example, and it helped me a lot when we put on a big event. You can think you know so much about something but it’s not until you take a class like that that you learn what you didn’t know you didn’t know.”

The 11-week course was pretty intense, she says, taking up a few evenings and a weekend day each week. But the investment was worth it, both for the certificate and the experience.

“There were people with very diverse backgrounds in the course, from people trying out a new niche to people who’d been in the business a long time and wanted the certificate,” she says. “It was a great networking opportunity.”

Henry deVries, the director of communications at UCSD Extension, says the networking opportunities are pretty amazing. DeVries teaches marketing courses along with his duties as the school’s spokesman.

“Your instructors are already in the industry and they know about internships and jobs,” he says. “People in the business know what I do and they ask if I have someone who might fit an opening or help on a project and I’ve been able to get students started in new niches to already established careers.”

Henry deVries

At UCSD Extension, business management courses are the most in demand.

“A high percentage of the people who take those courses already have a degree and work experience,” deVries says. “People are expanding their skills and earning certificates that document their hard work — and that employers value.”

Copy editing and the school’s clinical trial certificate are the next most popular courses, according to deVries.

“We were the first in the nation to offer clinical trial certification and the course remains very much in demand,” he says. “Our instructors are already in the industry and there’s great networking opportunities for people looking to advance their careers.”

Very specific courses that award students with certificates they can stack on their resumes are a great bet for people who want to advance their careers, deVries says. And, as the job market grows more competitive, workers are looking for those certificates to earn recognition and raises from current employers or to be more competitive as they look for better jobs.

“Enrollment in UCSD Extension’s certificate course is up 25 percent from last year,” deVries says. “The students are coming from outside the county and even outside the country for the chance to take classes taught by working professionals and come away with a certificate that shows potential employers that they have initiative and will work to stay competitive.”

Prospective employers notice and value that kind of initiative in employees and candidates, says Dirk Broekema, CEO of On Call Employee Solutions Inc., a staffing firm. “Continuing education is an employee attribute that good employers look at positively,” he says. “It tells you that this person is committed to her career, they will come in and continue to grow with their responsibilities.”

Broekema sends his employees to school for classes including Web optimization and marketing courses. “Our best manager has gone out on her own and taken advantage of community offerings to learn how to deal with challenging people and it’s part of what makes her a great manager.”

For the student, he says, it keeps them fresh.

Dirk Broekema

“It exposes you to things you never would have thought about and it’s a great idea generator,” Broekema said. “And the networking is amazing — you work with students who bring perspectives that you’d never thought of in your workplace.”

Ginger Hovenic, an associate vice president of corporate business and government at Alliant International University, says that advanced, focused study choices help move workers out of the day-to-day dilemmas.

“It’s a place where they’re away from the pressure of getting things done and it rejuvenates the rejuvenators,” she says. “It gives people a chance to be really forward-thinking about their work, to try new ideas where the risk is relatively low.”

And education is a great perk for employers to offer.

“Particularly in a recession, to get people to continue to be motivated, to share ideas and to feel optimistic about their work is really important,” she says.

An employer’s commitment to supporting such education can be a litmus test for workers, according to Jose Munoz, director of the MBA program at Point Loma Nazarene University.

“Individual employees who are looking at continuing education need to find out their employers’ policies, particularly the tuition reimbursement policy,” Munoz says. “If they don’t have one, that tells you their values.”

Munoz works with employers who are helping their workers keep their skills sharp and current. And, he says, employers are also in touch looking for new employees.

“They say let me see some of your sharper students and they like students who are seeking advanced degrees,” he says. “It shows extra initiative, especially since it’s an incredible inconvenience while you’re getting through it.”

Knowing that employers are sniffing around campuses looking for those students motivates Houck to stay current on her skills.

“If your employer can hire someone right out of school who’s already trained, you’ve got to be able to compete,” she says. “It’s vital to be able to compete in this challenging job market.”