In hard times many go back to school to become more marketable. However, the education industry is often a good place to find employment. For example, during 2011, more than 4,710 colleges and universities posted over 97,910 faculty, administrative and executive job postings to www.HigherEdJobs.com and the site is visited by more than one million a month as verified by Google Analytics. At present, HigherEdJobs lists 17,899 jobs at 1,968 institutions by category, location and type. Most colleges have their own Web sites that list their job openings.

Ever have trouble finding a childcare provider or know someone who has? For free referrals and a plethora of related services visit the NYS Office of Children and Family Services online at http://ocfs.ny.gov or if you are Asian or feel more comfortable communicating in Chinese see www.childcarecpc.org which is the Asian Childcare Resource and Referral service under the Chinese-American Planning Council, working under the above NYS Office of Children and Family Services. Both sites enable online form submission for free qualified childcare referrals. An example of the qualifications, include: CPR and First Aid certification, screening for child abuse, good mental health and two years’ experience.

While on the subject of China, did you know you may now find the New York Times online in Chinese? It comes in Mandarin and Cantonese at the click of a mouse in the upper right corner of the web page at http://cn.nytimes.com.

Recent American Trucking Association (www.Trucking.com headquarters in Arlington, VA) statistics indicate the industry turnover is at a whopping 88 percent as of the fourth quarter of last year and about 83 percent as of the first quarter of this year. Turnover is simply defined as the percentage of employees that quit an industry. Thus, if you have 100 employees in a company and 10 quit that year the annual turnover is 10 percent. The LA Times reported the high turnover as good news, meaning it indicates increased business and therefore, truckers are being hired by better companies for higher pay, hence leaving their prior company is a promotion. Regardless of the specifics it clearly indicates a strong need for good drivers. The BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) pay range is a median of $38,000 with the upper 10 percent making over $57,000. However, owner operators make over $100,000 per year. Not bad considering the prerequisite is: a high school diploma, a state CDL Class A, this may involve a trucking school costing about $3,000 to $5,000 for most, or having the employer pay, with a contract for continued employment of about two years and good health. Of course you will have to be away for several weeks at a time, be able to work independently and meet deadlines without incurring traffic violations, such as your vehicle being overweight, failing to keep a travel log and speeding, never mind keeping the truck on the road in one piece in all weather conditions. The prevalence of GPS technology means tractor-trailers are monitored more than ever before in history, so drivers will have to be good at following industry regulations to remain employed.

Ted J. Bloom, MLS., MSEd., CPL., has been a published columnist in New York since 1999. A college librarian in Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan with two graduate degrees, some of his credentials include, creating and running a career preparation computer lab for at-risk youth through the U.S. Department of Labor, as well as being a SUNY Communications Instructor and a YMCA Director.