The Penn Foster Blog

The quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry has long been stigmatized as either a brief stop for teens to earn a little money before they move on or a dead-end job for those lacking training in more skilled professions. It's time for this misguided perception to end, for the truth is that the QSR industry holds a range of opportunities for people to grow and expand a promising career. According to a survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and reported in QSR Magazine, 97 percent of QSR managers and 94 percent of shift workers had advanced to higher-paying jobs within the industry. And more than nine out of 10 employees age 35 or older had been promoted to a higher-paying jobs.1

America's Promise Alliance has recently published a report funded by the Ford Foundation titled Expanded Learning, Expanded Opportunity: How Four Communities Are Working to Improve Education for Their Students. The report examines case studies from four cities from around the nation, and their efforts to supplement traditional schooling with after-school learning time. The ultimate takeaway: due to the fact that each community differs from the next, there is more than one approach for providing young people with educational support they need to help them thrive in school.

Across the nation, the rate of high schoolers graduating with associate's degrees and college credits is on the rise. As the rate has grown by 7% a year, it's clear that students are interested in earning postsecondary credentials earlier on in their academic careers. Before high school commencement this past May, hundreds and possibly thousands of students had earned their associate degree while still in high school.

Since its inception in 1890, Penn Foster has dedicated itself to enhancing students' lives by imparting the knowledge, skills and credentials to help students get started on their career path. In doing so, Penn Foster has paid tribute to the honor of skilled labor. From extending educational opportunities to miners, women and military personnel to reaching out to TV and Internet audiences, Penn Foster has brought the benefits of education to workers from all walks of life. As the school celebrates its 125th year of operation, Penn Foster's long history of helping hardworking people learn more testifies to its commitment to its mission.

The question, "is a college degree worth it?" persists as tuition rates increase and student loan debt skyrockets. But the Wall Street Journal breaks down the question over the investment of a college degree even further by asking:  If a student does attend and graduate college, does the graduate from a flagship state university with a bachelor's degree earn more? Or the graduate with a two-year degree from a community college or career college?

Experiential learning is the process of acquiring knowledge and skills outside the traditional academic setting. It embraces the idea that students learn better by doing - by experiencing - and reflecting upon those experiences, as opposed to being lectured to. Internships, applied learning projects and a variety of creative and professional work experiences are all examples of experiential learning.

High school students who want to become the first in their families to attend college often lack support, guidance and know-how necessary for college admissions and beyond.1 While the number of first-generation ACT takers has nearly doubled since 2011, over half of those taking the test meet none of the four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. To address this problem, the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education interviewed first-generation students to identify the factors that had the most impact on college enrollment decisions.2 Pell's findings identified three steps high school educators and administrators can take to help first-generation students get motivated and prepared to enter college.

On Wednesday, July 15th, four senators announced that they have reintroduced the Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act -- or the Youth PROMISE Act.

I had the pleasure of spending three days last week at the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) 2015 Annual Conference. This is my second time around and it was wonderful to see many friends from Penn Foster's partner schools - many of whom I directly work with - and some new faces.