Graduating Into The Information Economy (NAPSA)—Whatsets the students at one recent graduation ceremony apart may havea lot to say about new directions and new opportunities in education. When more than 1,200 graduates recently converged at the Phoenix Civic Center, many met face-to-face for the first time since the school they received degrees from wasan online university. These University of Phoenix Online Campusgradsarealso different from their college graduate counterparts in other ways. On average, they are 35 years old, work at full-time jobs and twothirds have family responsibilities. Online learning offers an opportunity for students to continue learning and gaining new skills without disrupting their careers. Established in 1989, the University’s Online Campus offers customized corporate training pro- grams, as well as complete degree programsat the associate through doctoral level in business management, technology, education and nursing. The school’s programs have been developed in cooperation with business and industry leaders to focus on the current concepts, methods andpractices used by professionals in today’s economy. Guest speaker at the graduation ceremony was Neil Evans, executive director for the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technology and former CIO at Microsoft. The number of people taking advantage of online educational opportunities is growing. Evansspoke about the ascent of the “knowledge worker” and other megatrends in the “information economy”; stressing the value of investing in lifelong learning and education. For many students, the most efficient way to continue learning is to learn online. The working professional’s learning needs and styles tend to be different, and to some extent more complex than those of other students. University of Phoenix Online has designed its programsspecifically for working professionals with 24-hour-a-day classrooms and a strong integration of theory andpractice. As a result of their practicality and flexibility, more people may be motivated to take advantage of online educational opportunities. For more information on online education or University of Phoenix Online, call 1-800-796-3791 or visit the Website at www.uoponline.com.
