Online Education Appeals to Blue-Collar Workers, Too

Online education has been steadily expanding its reach, and now a new group is gearing up for e-learning -- blue-collar workers.

In response to a job market that increasingly requires higher education, a new school will open in fall 2010. The school, tentatively named the College for Working Families, will be the first and only accredited degree-granting online institution devoted exclusively to educating union members.

The online school is the product of a joint venture between the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), a federation of 57 national and international labor unions representing a total of 11.5 million members; the National Labor College (NLC), a Silver Spring, MD-based school for union members; and the Princeton Review and its subsidiary, Penn Foster Education Group, an online education provider.

Though the online courses are designed for AFL-CIO members and their immediate families, laborers whose unions are not in the AFL-CIO may also enroll in the school, most likely at a higher tuition rate.

Opportunities in Online Education for Union Members
In fall 2010, the College for Working Families will begin offering online courses in business, criminal justice, education, health care, technology, and other subjects that are tailored to the needs of working men and women and their families. About 20 online courses will be available, all taught by NLC faculty.

The school is being designed to meet the training needs of the nation's labor force, which includes chefs, engineers, farm workers, firefighters, miners, nurses, teachers, painters, pilots, plumbers, and many others. Rather than requiring working adults to start from scratch, the online school will enable laborers to build on the prior training, knowledge, and experience they have garnered through formal and informal education in union- and industry-sponsored training programs and community colleges.  

Recognizing, however, that many adult workers will need to brush up on secondary-level subject matter, the online school will also emphasize remedial learning. By paying close attention to the needs of working adults, the school hopes to retain students and help them succeed.

Benefits of Online Education for Union Members
The goal of the College for Working Families is to expand job opportunities for union members through education and retraining. Through a range of education options, the online school will provide practical training for advancement and new career opportunities.

The very nature of online education makes this training accessible for laborers and their families. It's affordable, too - the online school will charge about $200 per credit, which is competitive with community college tuition. This type of online education can efficiently and effectively meet union members' desire for inexpensive training.

By supporting blue-collar workers' need to expand their knowledge, the College for Working Families is poised to make a major impact on the American workforce. With successful online education and retraining opportunities, union members can combat unemployment and underemployment, enjoy successful careers, and jump-start the economy in the process - a profitable experience for everyone.

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