passGED Articles

Listen to this article

Toyota rejected millions in subsidies from several American states to build a new plant in Ontario, Canada instead. The reason? Training American workers is more difficult and costly. What is the solution for America’s workforce?

In 2008, Toyota will open a new plant in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. American states vied for the jobs the new Toyota plant could provide, but Toyota rejected offers of millions of dollars in aid. “The training program you need for people [in Ontario], even for people who have not worked in a Toyota plant before, is minimal compared to what you have to go through in the southeastern United States,” said Gerry Fedchun, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association. See the article here.

Read the rest of this entry »

Listen to this article
by Leonard Williams

The GED Academy unveils an innovative, online GED practice test to reach the millions of American adults without a high school diploma…over 30 million. The GED Academy strives to utilize technology to help undereducated adults who need to learn how to learn.

The GED Academy has unveiled an innovative version of the GED practice test. “The problem is,” says Michael Ormsby, president of The GED Academy, specialists in GED preparation, “that many potential GED candidates never learned how to learn. They struggle with traditional classroom environments and test-taking materials.” GED practice tests are an example. Traditional pen-and-paper tests require hand-scoring, and GED candidates often aren’t skilled enough to evaluate their own performance. “It requires a lot of support,” says Ormsby, “and community programs aren’t well funded.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Listen to this article
by Leonard Williams

The number of adult Americans who never finished high school is staggering: about 39 million Americans, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. In today’s marketplace, what is the outlook for these Americans?

Read the rest of this entry »

Listen to this article

By Leonard Williams

What good is the GED? How will it help me?

As a GED instructor, those are the questions I hear most often about the General Education Development credential, the adult learner’s alternative to a high school diploma. Those are my favorite questions to answer.

Here are some facts to consider about earning your GED:

1. A GED will help you get a job, and even keep it. Employers would rather hire someone who has the basic skills to pass the GED test than someone who doesn’t. Completing the GED means that the graduate has the fortitude to successfully finish a difficult exam. The GED is not a small thing!

2. You can expect to earn more money in your lifetime with a GED. Research shows that people with a GED make an average of $385,000 more in their lifetime than people who do not have a GED or high school diploma.

3. Passing the GED test will make you more valuable to your employer because you’ll have gained basic writing and math skills … demonstrated critical thinking and knowledge application. You’ll probably find it’s easier to get a work promotion or advance through workplace job-training programs once you have your GED.

4. Having the GED opens doors for advanced training. Most specialized training programs require either a high school diploma or a GED. And with a GED, you can look at higher educational opportunities.

5. You’ll feel better about yourself with a GED because you’ve accomplished something that only 60% of high school graduates can do.

6. Consider the impact of your educational achievement on your family. That alone goes a long way; it’s priceless.

More Resources
For additional GED study tips, test information and free resources on the GED test, including financial aid and student support, visit passGED.com. The website also provides links to federal agencies and nonprofits that serve GED students, instructors and workforce development programs. For a list of official GED testing sites and administrative contacts, visit Test Sites.

About the Author:
Leonard Williams, an e-learning instructor with passged.com, is also a curriculum specialist who focuses on research and development, implementation and assessment of best-practice learning solutions for adult learners and people with educational challenges. Leonard’s email is LeonardWilliams@passGED.com. He invites feedback and questions from GED students and instructors.

©2006 Essential Education Corporation. / www.passGED.com
Want to reprint this article? It’s easy, and in most cases, it’s free. See Articles, Content and Image Use Guidelines.