PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – The last of 10 Americans detained while trying to take 33 children out of Haiti after the Jan. 12 earthquake was freed Monday when a judge convicted her but sentenced her to time already served in jail.
Laura Silsby, the organizer of the ill-fated effort to take the children to an orphanage being set up in the neighboring Dominican Republic, returned to her cell briefly to retrieve belongings before quickly heading to the Port-au-Prince airport.
"I'm praising God," Silsby told The Associated Press as she waited for a flight out of Haiti. She declined to answer further questions before clearing immigration and heading through a gate to catch a plane to Florida. The flight she was supposed to be on landed in Miami on Monday night, but waiting journalists couldn't locate her.
The Idaho businesswoman had been in custody since Jan. 29. She was originally charged with kidnapping and criminal association, but those charges were dropped for her and the nine other Americans who were previously released. Silsby she was convicted of arranging illegal travel under a 1980 statute restricting movement out of Haiti signed by then-dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier.
Prosecutor Jean-Serge Joseph said she was convicted and sentenced to the 3 months and 8 days she spent behind bars. Last week, the prosecution had recommended a six-month sentence and she faced a maximum of three years on the charge.
"She is free," Joseph said.
The 40-year-old Silsby told the court earlier she thought the children were orphans whose homes were destroyed in the earthquake. But she lacked the proper papers to remove them from the country at a time when the government was restricting adoptions to prevent child trafficking in the chaos that followed the disaster.
An AP investigation later revealed all the children had at least one living parent, who had turned their children over to the group in hopes of securing better lives for them.
Silsby and others in the group, mostly members of the same Baptist church in Idaho, insisted they had only come to Haiti to help. They unwittingly helped draw attention to the dark side of the adoption industry in Haiti, where children for many years have been abandoned by their parents or sold into slavery.
In February, a Haitian judge released eight of the Americans after concluding they had not knowingly engaged in any crime. The judge released a ninth member, Silsby's friend and former nanny, Charisa Coulter, in March.
Silsby was held the longest because she organized the venture and prosecutors insisted she knew that she did not have the proper authorization to take the children out of Haiti.
She was prosecuted with Jean Sainvil, an Atlanta-based pastor born in Haiti who allegedly helped find the children for the missionaries. The pastor, facing the same charge as Silsby, was not in Haiti and was being tried in absentia. The status of his case was not immediately clear.
Original article>>>
Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners Raises $585 Million for Global Secondary Opportunities Fund
NEW YORK, May 17, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) today announced that Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners (AIP) raised $585 million in commitments for Morgan Stanley Global Secondary Opportunities Fund LP (GSOF), a fund dedicated to acquiring interests in private equity funds in the secondary market. The capital raised exceeded MSIM's initial $500 million target.
"This successful fund raise demonstrates how MSIM leverages its competitive strengths and draws upon the full depth of resources at Morgan Stanley to deliver compelling investment solutions to our clients," said Gregory Fleming, President of MSIM. "As an integrated platform participating in both the primary and secondary markets, AIP is well-positioned to employ its differentiated investment approach to take advantage of the expected growth in secondary opportunities."
The objective of GSOF is to target off-market secondary opportunities across the private equity spectrum, with an emphasis on small- and mid-cap buyouts, distressed and special situations funds. GSOF is expected to be diversified by managers, strategies, regions, vintage years and portfolio companies. Investors include existing MSIM investors and new limited partners, including endowments, foundations, public and corporate pension plans, family offices, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds.
"We think the market for secondaries is poised for substantial growth in 2010, and we believe that our solutions-oriented approach to secondary investing will continue to be attractive to both sellers and the general partners of the funds we purchase," said John Wolak, Head of Secondary Investing for AIP Private Equity Fund of Funds and Lead Portfolio Manager for GSOF. "MSIM has been an active buyer of secondary interests through AIP's global core private equity fund of funds program, and through our dedicated fund, we will continue to focus on small- to mid-sized managers and the less efficient parts of the private equity universe."
GSOF is the second fund dedicated to secondary private markets that MSIM has closed this year. In March, AIP's Real Estate Fund of Funds team announced that it raised $370 million in commitments for Morgan Stanley AIP Phoenix Global Real Estate Secondaries 2009 LP (Phoenix), a fund dedicated to acquiring secondary interests in opportunistic and value-added private equity real estate funds.
AIP is the fund of funds division of Morgan Stanley Investment Management and has approximately $17 billion(1) of assets under management as of March 31, 2010. AIP manages portfolios of hedge funds, private equity funds and real estate funds for some of the world's largest institutions and high net worth individuals. AIP has offices in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; New York; San Francisco; Atlanta; London and Hong Kong.
MSIM, together with its investment advisory affiliates, has nearly 1,000 investment professionals around the world and approximately $262 billion in assets under management or supervision as of March 31, 2010(2). By leveraging its global 'community of boutiques' structure and the strength of Morgan Stanley, MSIM strives to provide outstanding long-term investment performance, service and a comprehensive suite of investment management solutions to a diverse client base, which includes governments, institutions, corporations and individuals worldwide.
Morgan Stanley /quotes/comstock/13*!ms/quotes/nls/ms (MS 26.76, -0.33, -1.20%) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals from more than 1,300 offices in 42 countries. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.
(1)AIP's total assets under management is based on (i) the total net asset value of its funds of hedge funds managed investment vehicles and separate accounts, (ii) the value of all partners' capital accounts plus their unfunded commitments of its private equity funds of funds and private equity separate accounts, and (iii) the value of all partners' capital accounts plus their unfunded commitments of its real estate funds of funds and real estate separate accounts. The private equity/real estate assets under management in separate accounts that are not solely dedicated to private equity/real estate managed by the Team is defined as the carrying value of all private equity/real estate assets plus unfunded private equity/real estate commitments.
(2)Amount excludes certain asset management businesses following the decision to sell the Retail Asset Management business to Invesco.
SOURCE: Morgan Stanley
"This successful fund raise demonstrates how MSIM leverages its competitive strengths and draws upon the full depth of resources at Morgan Stanley to deliver compelling investment solutions to our clients," said Gregory Fleming, President of MSIM. "As an integrated platform participating in both the primary and secondary markets, AIP is well-positioned to employ its differentiated investment approach to take advantage of the expected growth in secondary opportunities."
The objective of GSOF is to target off-market secondary opportunities across the private equity spectrum, with an emphasis on small- and mid-cap buyouts, distressed and special situations funds. GSOF is expected to be diversified by managers, strategies, regions, vintage years and portfolio companies. Investors include existing MSIM investors and new limited partners, including endowments, foundations, public and corporate pension plans, family offices, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds.
"We think the market for secondaries is poised for substantial growth in 2010, and we believe that our solutions-oriented approach to secondary investing will continue to be attractive to both sellers and the general partners of the funds we purchase," said John Wolak, Head of Secondary Investing for AIP Private Equity Fund of Funds and Lead Portfolio Manager for GSOF. "MSIM has been an active buyer of secondary interests through AIP's global core private equity fund of funds program, and through our dedicated fund, we will continue to focus on small- to mid-sized managers and the less efficient parts of the private equity universe."
GSOF is the second fund dedicated to secondary private markets that MSIM has closed this year. In March, AIP's Real Estate Fund of Funds team announced that it raised $370 million in commitments for Morgan Stanley AIP Phoenix Global Real Estate Secondaries 2009 LP (Phoenix), a fund dedicated to acquiring secondary interests in opportunistic and value-added private equity real estate funds.
AIP is the fund of funds division of Morgan Stanley Investment Management and has approximately $17 billion(1) of assets under management as of March 31, 2010. AIP manages portfolios of hedge funds, private equity funds and real estate funds for some of the world's largest institutions and high net worth individuals. AIP has offices in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; New York; San Francisco; Atlanta; London and Hong Kong.
MSIM, together with its investment advisory affiliates, has nearly 1,000 investment professionals around the world and approximately $262 billion in assets under management or supervision as of March 31, 2010(2). By leveraging its global 'community of boutiques' structure and the strength of Morgan Stanley, MSIM strives to provide outstanding long-term investment performance, service and a comprehensive suite of investment management solutions to a diverse client base, which includes governments, institutions, corporations and individuals worldwide.
Morgan Stanley /quotes/comstock/13*!ms/quotes/nls/ms (MS 26.76, -0.33, -1.20%) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals from more than 1,300 offices in 42 countries. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.
(1)AIP's total assets under management is based on (i) the total net asset value of its funds of hedge funds managed investment vehicles and separate accounts, (ii) the value of all partners' capital accounts plus their unfunded commitments of its private equity funds of funds and private equity separate accounts, and (iii) the value of all partners' capital accounts plus their unfunded commitments of its real estate funds of funds and real estate separate accounts. The private equity/real estate assets under management in separate accounts that are not solely dedicated to private equity/real estate managed by the Team is defined as the carrying value of all private equity/real estate assets plus unfunded private equity/real estate commitments.
(2)Amount excludes certain asset management businesses following the decision to sell the Retail Asset Management business to Invesco.
SOURCE: Morgan Stanley
Who Needs College? Maybe Fewer People Than We Thought
"Meeting different kinds of people, navigating a new environment, opening one’s mind to unfamiliar ideas and possibilities, and living away from home are just a few of the positive developments that students experience in college. I certainly understand that in a rough economy where money is tight, but should we really encourage 18-year-olds to give up on a four-year degree that could help them in myriad ways for the rest of their lives?"
For him, the very idea is anathema.
I see the word “could” in his sentence and that, as someone who has taught graduates and undergraduates, gives me pause. I was underwhelmed by many of my students. Lovely people, sure. Fun, friendly. But really working hard? Determined to excel and do whatever was necessary — not just grade-grub — to get it?
Most were so busy sucking up to their profs they had no idea how to negotiate with/in the real world beyond campus, the one where you don’t wear pajamas during the day or drink yourself unconscious on weekends. I’ve seen way too much slavish thinking and book-focused learning to believe that “college degree” = prepared to compete effectively in a multi-cultural, global economy.
I also think, in a global economy where the world is wide open to those with the vision or guts to go for it — through student visas and work-study programs, and volunteer work or even just hanging out for a while with people whose jobs really interest you, if they’ll let you — one can learn a tremendous amount that is useful, life-long, far away from any college classroom. For every student whose eyes are opened and whose horizons are broadened, there are those hanging out with all the same rich kids they went to prep school with and who’ll snag them great Wall Street jobs when they all graduate.
I’m not wildly persuaded that college is so enlightening, nor that it is the best place in which to watch the world at work and find your place within it.
From The New York Times:
The idea that four years of higher education will translate into a better job, higher earnings and a happier life — a refrain sure to be repeated this month at graduation ceremonies across the country — has been pounded into the heads of schoolchildren, parents and educators. But there’s an underside to that conventional wisdom. Perhaps no more than half of those who began a four-year bachelor’s degree program in the fall of 2006 will get that degree within six years, according to the latest projections from the Department of Education. (The figures don’t include transfer students, who aren’t tracked.)
For college students who ranked among the bottom quarter of their high school classes, the numbers are even more stark: 80 percent will probably never get a bachelor’s degree or even a two-year associate’s degree.
That can be a lot of tuition to pay, without a degree to show for it.
A small but influential group of economists and educators is pushing another pathway: for some students, no college at all. It’s time, they say, to develop credible alternatives for students unlikely to be successful pursuing a higher degree, or who may not be ready to do so.
Whether everyone in college needs to be there is not a new question; the subject has been hashed out in books and dissertations for years. But the economic crisis has sharpened that focus, as financially struggling states cut aid to higher education.
It’s a question that needs asking. University education in the United States is, as most know, an extremely costly proposition, unless you’ve won a free ride or a lot of scholarship or grant money. (In my native Canada, at even the best schools — all of which are publicly funded — a year of tuition is still about $5,ooo.)
No one would argue that, for those with the emotional maturity, academic preparation and intellectual drive, college is well worth their time, as students choose or focus on a possible career choice. But blowing $25,000 or $30,000 or more, each year — a downpayment on a home, a really good car — to “find yourself” and send emails all through class? Not such a great idea.
Many people hate college. They hate sitting for hours in a classroom, listening to some boring old prof drone on and on. Or they beat their profs up for grades because they have to get into competitive graduate or professional programs because….Mom and Dad want to see a healthy return on the $100k+ plus they’ve just dropped on their schooling so law/dentistry/MBA/medicine are it, kids!
What you might really want to do? God forbid it’s blue-collar or creative — not important.
I enjoyed my time at the University of Toronto in some ways. We had tremendous teachers, a gorgeous campus, really smart fellow students, lots of student clubs and activities. But ask many U of T grads — then as now — if they really liked it. Not so much. The school is huge (50,000+) plus and often impersonal, in itself a great prep for the “real world.” I learned, because their standards were high, to place the bar for myself a lot higher than I might have thought necessary. (I never attended graduate or professional school. I’d really had my fill by then.)
But there are people who never attend college, let alone never graduate, and thrive. Many skills are just as easily — and much more affordably — learned through an apprenticeship or internships or networking and freelancing.
In our family, award-winning and highly successful, only two of us graduated college, me and my half-brother who runs his own software company. My father, mother, step-mother and her son, now 30, all made terrific money and enjoyed international success without a college degree.
For everyone who reveres the mythology that college is the only, or the most important, place to get smarter, I think there are many more ways to spend $40,000 to $100,000 over four years and get an education — jut not a expensive, official piece of paper certifying it.
Original article>>>
For him, the very idea is anathema.
I see the word “could” in his sentence and that, as someone who has taught graduates and undergraduates, gives me pause. I was underwhelmed by many of my students. Lovely people, sure. Fun, friendly. But really working hard? Determined to excel and do whatever was necessary — not just grade-grub — to get it?
Most were so busy sucking up to their profs they had no idea how to negotiate with/in the real world beyond campus, the one where you don’t wear pajamas during the day or drink yourself unconscious on weekends. I’ve seen way too much slavish thinking and book-focused learning to believe that “college degree” = prepared to compete effectively in a multi-cultural, global economy.
I also think, in a global economy where the world is wide open to those with the vision or guts to go for it — through student visas and work-study programs, and volunteer work or even just hanging out for a while with people whose jobs really interest you, if they’ll let you — one can learn a tremendous amount that is useful, life-long, far away from any college classroom. For every student whose eyes are opened and whose horizons are broadened, there are those hanging out with all the same rich kids they went to prep school with and who’ll snag them great Wall Street jobs when they all graduate.
I’m not wildly persuaded that college is so enlightening, nor that it is the best place in which to watch the world at work and find your place within it.
From The New York Times:
The idea that four years of higher education will translate into a better job, higher earnings and a happier life — a refrain sure to be repeated this month at graduation ceremonies across the country — has been pounded into the heads of schoolchildren, parents and educators. But there’s an underside to that conventional wisdom. Perhaps no more than half of those who began a four-year bachelor’s degree program in the fall of 2006 will get that degree within six years, according to the latest projections from the Department of Education. (The figures don’t include transfer students, who aren’t tracked.)
For college students who ranked among the bottom quarter of their high school classes, the numbers are even more stark: 80 percent will probably never get a bachelor’s degree or even a two-year associate’s degree.
That can be a lot of tuition to pay, without a degree to show for it.
A small but influential group of economists and educators is pushing another pathway: for some students, no college at all. It’s time, they say, to develop credible alternatives for students unlikely to be successful pursuing a higher degree, or who may not be ready to do so.
Whether everyone in college needs to be there is not a new question; the subject has been hashed out in books and dissertations for years. But the economic crisis has sharpened that focus, as financially struggling states cut aid to higher education.
It’s a question that needs asking. University education in the United States is, as most know, an extremely costly proposition, unless you’ve won a free ride or a lot of scholarship or grant money. (In my native Canada, at even the best schools — all of which are publicly funded — a year of tuition is still about $5,ooo.)
No one would argue that, for those with the emotional maturity, academic preparation and intellectual drive, college is well worth their time, as students choose or focus on a possible career choice. But blowing $25,000 or $30,000 or more, each year — a downpayment on a home, a really good car — to “find yourself” and send emails all through class? Not such a great idea.
Many people hate college. They hate sitting for hours in a classroom, listening to some boring old prof drone on and on. Or they beat their profs up for grades because they have to get into competitive graduate or professional programs because….Mom and Dad want to see a healthy return on the $100k+ plus they’ve just dropped on their schooling so law/dentistry/MBA/medicine are it, kids!
What you might really want to do? God forbid it’s blue-collar or creative — not important.
I enjoyed my time at the University of Toronto in some ways. We had tremendous teachers, a gorgeous campus, really smart fellow students, lots of student clubs and activities. But ask many U of T grads — then as now — if they really liked it. Not so much. The school is huge (50,000+) plus and often impersonal, in itself a great prep for the “real world.” I learned, because their standards were high, to place the bar for myself a lot higher than I might have thought necessary. (I never attended graduate or professional school. I’d really had my fill by then.)
But there are people who never attend college, let alone never graduate, and thrive. Many skills are just as easily — and much more affordably — learned through an apprenticeship or internships or networking and freelancing.
In our family, award-winning and highly successful, only two of us graduated college, me and my half-brother who runs his own software company. My father, mother, step-mother and her son, now 30, all made terrific money and enjoyed international success without a college degree.
For everyone who reveres the mythology that college is the only, or the most important, place to get smarter, I think there are many more ways to spend $40,000 to $100,000 over four years and get an education — jut not a expensive, official piece of paper certifying it.
Original article>>>
Greener exercise = better mood By SANDY BAUERS The Philadelphia Inquirer
We all know the "aaaah" feeling that comes from being out in nature. I even get the same feeling from sitting on my front porch, looking at the birds and trees.
But recently, a group of researchers quantified just how much "aaaah" benefit we get, as long as we're exercising at the same time.
They found that just five minutes of walking in a pretty woodland setting, or gardening, or cycling around a lake - indeed, anything you do to get exercise while in a "natural" setting - could boost your mood and your mental health.
Their study in the American Chemical Society's semi-monthly journal, Environmental Science & Technology, found that "green exercise" promotes personal well-being, and five minutes is all the dose you need.
They analyzed 1,252 people of different ages, genders and mental health status drawn from ten existing studies in the United Kingdom. All natural areas were beneficial, they found, but natural areas with water added - a lake or beach, presumably, but I'm betting a city fountain would count as well - were even better.
"We know from the literature that short-term mental health improvements are protective of long-term health benefits," said researcher Jules Pretty, of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Environment and Society at the University of Essex in England. His colleague, Jo Barton, added, "so we believe that there would be a large potential benefit to individuals, society and to the costs of the health service if all groups of people were to self-medicate more with green exercise."
Hmmm. Wonder if rocking on the front porch, instead of just sitting there, would count for something.
Visit Sandy Bauers' blog at http://go.philly.com/greenspace.
Read more>>>
But recently, a group of researchers quantified just how much "aaaah" benefit we get, as long as we're exercising at the same time.
They found that just five minutes of walking in a pretty woodland setting, or gardening, or cycling around a lake - indeed, anything you do to get exercise while in a "natural" setting - could boost your mood and your mental health.
Their study in the American Chemical Society's semi-monthly journal, Environmental Science & Technology, found that "green exercise" promotes personal well-being, and five minutes is all the dose you need.
They analyzed 1,252 people of different ages, genders and mental health status drawn from ten existing studies in the United Kingdom. All natural areas were beneficial, they found, but natural areas with water added - a lake or beach, presumably, but I'm betting a city fountain would count as well - were even better.
"We know from the literature that short-term mental health improvements are protective of long-term health benefits," said researcher Jules Pretty, of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Environment and Society at the University of Essex in England. His colleague, Jo Barton, added, "so we believe that there would be a large potential benefit to individuals, society and to the costs of the health service if all groups of people were to self-medicate more with green exercise."
Hmmm. Wonder if rocking on the front porch, instead of just sitting there, would count for something.
Visit Sandy Bauers' blog at http://go.philly.com/greenspace.
Read more>>>
Less job opportunities for new nurses
Economy slows jobs for new nurses
Hiring for entry-level nursing jobs is slow, but graduates still see long-term job security.
By Sarah Bruyn Jones
Josh Tucker graduated from Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke with an associate degree in nursing Friday morning.
Next week he begins a job in the critical care unit at Martinsville Memorial Hospital.
"I'm jumping right in," said Tucker, 25, of Horse Pasture. "I consider myself lucky to have a job when I finished school. It's tough this year."
Students who have flocked to nursing school with the promise of jobs are finding that the economy has made landing a position immediately after graduating this spring more challenging. Still, while the number of entry-level jobs for nursing school graduates is limited, projections of a nursing shortage still exist, boosting the long-term prospects for job security.
"This is the first year that I taught that students didn't have jobs when they left the college," said Rebecca Greer, director of the associate degree program at Jefferson. "In previous years, the majority of students had jobs at graduation. ... It's a reflection of the economy."
Greer said that the tighter job market is something that all nursing graduates are facing, including those who graduated from Jefferson with a Bachelor of Science in nursing. This year is the last that Jefferson will graduate students from the two-year associate degree program.
Other area nursing school graduates have had similar experiences.
During an annual pinning ceremony for nursing graduates at Radford University, students typically say where they are going to work, said Kim Carter, director of Radford's School of Nursing.
"A year ago, 98 percent of the class could say where they were going to work," she said. Last week only one-third of the 84 graduates who earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing had a job.
Similarly at Virginia Western Community College's associate degree in nursing program, the 43 students who graduated Friday night have also had a tougher time finding work.
"There are some graduates who already have jobs," said Shirl Lamanca, dean of Virginia Western's School of Science, Mathematics & Health Professions. "But we're finding that a lot of nurses are keeping their jobs for longer rather than retiring, and I think the job market definitely is going to be impacted by that."
Earlier this year the Virginia Department of Health Professions Healthcare Workforce Data Center released its first report surveying the state's nursing work force. The finding suggested that the economic downturn and recession had led many nurses to continue working longer than initially anticipated. In some instances older nurses are delaying retirement.
The result has been to delay the long-anticipated nursing shortage. The report found that, "If they delay retirement by as few as two years, Virginia is more likely to meet 2013-2015 demand for licensed nurses."
At Carilion Clinic, the Roanoke region's largest employer, nursing jobs are still available, but the economy has slowed the turnover of nursing positions, spokesman Eric Earnhart said.
Lamanca, Carter and Greer all said despite the current situation, the long-term job prospects for nursing graduates are strong.
"We're predicting what's going to happen once the economy improves, they will then go on and retire or go have babies as they had planned, or whatever in their life ... and then people will get hired," Carter said. "We're anticipating that this is a little slump."
It's that long-term job security that had many nursing graduates at Jefferson indicating that they aren't concerned about the current situation.
"I don't think we have to worry about getting a job," said Travis Moore, 23. "There is always going to be a need for us."
Instead of worry, most students said they were going to study and take the licensing board exam. Passing the exam gives them one more thing to add to their resumes.
"A lot of the responses I've gotten have been to call back after I pass the boards," said Kim Brittingham, 28.
While most nurses are employed by hospitals, nursing graduates are being advised to keep their options open in looking for a job.
"Maybe to get a job, it will not be the perfect job the first time," Lamanca said. "A lot of institutions will hire new graduates and then over the years they move into that perfect job situation that they are looking for. ... We tell them to look around to shop for different job opportunities."
Original article>>>
Hiring for entry-level nursing jobs is slow, but graduates still see long-term job security.
By Sarah Bruyn Jones
Josh Tucker graduated from Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke with an associate degree in nursing Friday morning.
Next week he begins a job in the critical care unit at Martinsville Memorial Hospital.
"I'm jumping right in," said Tucker, 25, of Horse Pasture. "I consider myself lucky to have a job when I finished school. It's tough this year."
Students who have flocked to nursing school with the promise of jobs are finding that the economy has made landing a position immediately after graduating this spring more challenging. Still, while the number of entry-level jobs for nursing school graduates is limited, projections of a nursing shortage still exist, boosting the long-term prospects for job security.
"This is the first year that I taught that students didn't have jobs when they left the college," said Rebecca Greer, director of the associate degree program at Jefferson. "In previous years, the majority of students had jobs at graduation. ... It's a reflection of the economy."
Greer said that the tighter job market is something that all nursing graduates are facing, including those who graduated from Jefferson with a Bachelor of Science in nursing. This year is the last that Jefferson will graduate students from the two-year associate degree program.
Other area nursing school graduates have had similar experiences.
During an annual pinning ceremony for nursing graduates at Radford University, students typically say where they are going to work, said Kim Carter, director of Radford's School of Nursing.
"A year ago, 98 percent of the class could say where they were going to work," she said. Last week only one-third of the 84 graduates who earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing had a job.
Similarly at Virginia Western Community College's associate degree in nursing program, the 43 students who graduated Friday night have also had a tougher time finding work.
"There are some graduates who already have jobs," said Shirl Lamanca, dean of Virginia Western's School of Science, Mathematics & Health Professions. "But we're finding that a lot of nurses are keeping their jobs for longer rather than retiring, and I think the job market definitely is going to be impacted by that."
Earlier this year the Virginia Department of Health Professions Healthcare Workforce Data Center released its first report surveying the state's nursing work force. The finding suggested that the economic downturn and recession had led many nurses to continue working longer than initially anticipated. In some instances older nurses are delaying retirement.
The result has been to delay the long-anticipated nursing shortage. The report found that, "If they delay retirement by as few as two years, Virginia is more likely to meet 2013-2015 demand for licensed nurses."
At Carilion Clinic, the Roanoke region's largest employer, nursing jobs are still available, but the economy has slowed the turnover of nursing positions, spokesman Eric Earnhart said.
Lamanca, Carter and Greer all said despite the current situation, the long-term job prospects for nursing graduates are strong.
"We're predicting what's going to happen once the economy improves, they will then go on and retire or go have babies as they had planned, or whatever in their life ... and then people will get hired," Carter said. "We're anticipating that this is a little slump."
It's that long-term job security that had many nursing graduates at Jefferson indicating that they aren't concerned about the current situation.
"I don't think we have to worry about getting a job," said Travis Moore, 23. "There is always going to be a need for us."
Instead of worry, most students said they were going to study and take the licensing board exam. Passing the exam gives them one more thing to add to their resumes.
"A lot of the responses I've gotten have been to call back after I pass the boards," said Kim Brittingham, 28.
While most nurses are employed by hospitals, nursing graduates are being advised to keep their options open in looking for a job.
"Maybe to get a job, it will not be the perfect job the first time," Lamanca said. "A lot of institutions will hire new graduates and then over the years they move into that perfect job situation that they are looking for. ... We tell them to look around to shop for different job opportunities."
Original article>>>
Phrases you should never use on your resume by Fleur Bradley, Investopedia.com
Given the recent mass layoffs and signs employers are starting to hire again, everyone is taking a closer look at their resumes. Does it reflect your accomplishments and show your career progression - or hide the lack thereof? If you've been working with an older resume, take a closer look at your language, and ask: how many cliches do you have in there?
Here are 10 phrases you should ban from your resume, and new, fresh ways to showcase your skills to put your resume at the top of the applicant pile.
1. "I'm a Team-Player."
This is one of the most over-used cliches, so try to find a way you can show that you are this team player. Did you collaborate with someone or with a department to meet an objective? Put that on your resume instead of a vague, cliched expression. Be detailed about your achievement.
2. "I Have Great Communication Skills."
Communication skills can mean so many things, which is why using this term on your resume only makes you lose your recruiter's interest. What communication skills did you use to contribute to your employer? Did you create a presentation, a press release or lead a conference call? State your specific achievement.
3. "I Have a Proven Track-Record."
So prove it! What did you do to give you this track record? Be specific, and try to quantify your impact; "I brought in 10 new customers, adding $50k profit for 2009" sounds far more impressive than some vague statement, and will help you stand out among the dozens of resumes.
4. "I'm a Problem Solver."
Everybody loves a problem solver, which is why so many resumes state this skill with pride. You can do better: tell your prospective company what problem you solved. Did you optimize a troubling schedule, did you solve an employee dispute or did you iron out a problem with a customer? Again, be specific to be memorable.
5. "I Assisted In X Task."
Maybe you weren't the lead on a particular project, but saying you "assisted" is the kiss of death for your resume. What was it that you did? Did you write a sales report or keep inventory? Write that on your resume with pride, and lose the "assisted" - you're better than that.
6. "I Have a Strong Work Ethic."
A strong work ethic - that sounds great, right? You're not the only one using this cliche, so freshen up your resume by stating how you go that extra mile. Did you take a class to improve your skills? Did you meet some really tough deadline? Show the hiring official what makes you this person with a strong work ethic, instead of using another cliche like your fellow applicants.
7. "I'm Bottom-Line Focused."
Another hollow term that is overused and now means nothing - so show what you did that added to the bottom-line of your company. It's very important to quantify for this skill: list amounts of money, time, or resources you saved or added to the business.
8. "I'm Responsible For X."
We're all responsible for something when we go to work, whether a janitor or a CEO. Drop this expression and just state what your job title is and what you added to the company's success. Cutting these clutter words will make your resume stronger and more to-the-point.
9. "I'm Self-Motivated."
What you're really trying to say is that you're not that slacker who clocks out at three every day, but this cliche is not going to help you get your point across. Find a way to show that you're self-motivated: did you overhaul a broken inventory system, or find a new way to expand your sales territory? Self-motivated employees find innovative ways to improve on what they've been handed - put what you actually did on your resume.
10. "I'm Accustomed to a Fast-Paced Environment."
What does this mean, exactly? Fast-paced work environments are the norm in this recession, where most people do more work for less money. To be specific, look at one of your busiest days in your (former) job. What did you accomplish, and how did you adapt to the obstacles thrown your way? Put that achievement on your resume to prove that you can adapt when challenged - a quality employers look for.
Show, Don't Tell
Avoid these cliches, because they're umbrella terms everyone uses, so your resume gets lost in the shuffle. In this competitive job market, your resume really needs to stand out and be memorable for you to get that interview. Find ways to be detailed about your achievements, and quantify how you've added to the company's bottom line. Show who you are and what you've done - these details will make you stand out as the memorable candidate you are.
Original article>>>
Here are 10 phrases you should ban from your resume, and new, fresh ways to showcase your skills to put your resume at the top of the applicant pile.
1. "I'm a Team-Player."
This is one of the most over-used cliches, so try to find a way you can show that you are this team player. Did you collaborate with someone or with a department to meet an objective? Put that on your resume instead of a vague, cliched expression. Be detailed about your achievement.
2. "I Have Great Communication Skills."
Communication skills can mean so many things, which is why using this term on your resume only makes you lose your recruiter's interest. What communication skills did you use to contribute to your employer? Did you create a presentation, a press release or lead a conference call? State your specific achievement.
3. "I Have a Proven Track-Record."
So prove it! What did you do to give you this track record? Be specific, and try to quantify your impact; "I brought in 10 new customers, adding $50k profit for 2009" sounds far more impressive than some vague statement, and will help you stand out among the dozens of resumes.
4. "I'm a Problem Solver."
Everybody loves a problem solver, which is why so many resumes state this skill with pride. You can do better: tell your prospective company what problem you solved. Did you optimize a troubling schedule, did you solve an employee dispute or did you iron out a problem with a customer? Again, be specific to be memorable.
5. "I Assisted In X Task."
Maybe you weren't the lead on a particular project, but saying you "assisted" is the kiss of death for your resume. What was it that you did? Did you write a sales report or keep inventory? Write that on your resume with pride, and lose the "assisted" - you're better than that.
6. "I Have a Strong Work Ethic."
A strong work ethic - that sounds great, right? You're not the only one using this cliche, so freshen up your resume by stating how you go that extra mile. Did you take a class to improve your skills? Did you meet some really tough deadline? Show the hiring official what makes you this person with a strong work ethic, instead of using another cliche like your fellow applicants.
7. "I'm Bottom-Line Focused."
Another hollow term that is overused and now means nothing - so show what you did that added to the bottom-line of your company. It's very important to quantify for this skill: list amounts of money, time, or resources you saved or added to the business.
8. "I'm Responsible For X."
We're all responsible for something when we go to work, whether a janitor or a CEO. Drop this expression and just state what your job title is and what you added to the company's success. Cutting these clutter words will make your resume stronger and more to-the-point.
9. "I'm Self-Motivated."
What you're really trying to say is that you're not that slacker who clocks out at three every day, but this cliche is not going to help you get your point across. Find a way to show that you're self-motivated: did you overhaul a broken inventory system, or find a new way to expand your sales territory? Self-motivated employees find innovative ways to improve on what they've been handed - put what you actually did on your resume.
10. "I'm Accustomed to a Fast-Paced Environment."
What does this mean, exactly? Fast-paced work environments are the norm in this recession, where most people do more work for less money. To be specific, look at one of your busiest days in your (former) job. What did you accomplish, and how did you adapt to the obstacles thrown your way? Put that achievement on your resume to prove that you can adapt when challenged - a quality employers look for.
Show, Don't Tell
Avoid these cliches, because they're umbrella terms everyone uses, so your resume gets lost in the shuffle. In this competitive job market, your resume really needs to stand out and be memorable for you to get that interview. Find ways to be detailed about your achievements, and quantify how you've added to the company's bottom line. Show who you are and what you've done - these details will make you stand out as the memorable candidate you are.
Original article>>>
Space shuttle Atlantis' last launch By Robert Block, Orlando Sentinel
Space shuttle Atlantis thundered off its launchpad at Kennedy Space Center into cloudless skies Friday afternoon and headed to the International Space Station on the 32nd and final planned mission of its 25-year career.
It was a bittersweet moment for the shuttle workers standing outside the landmark Vehicle Assembly Building to watch the first of the final three launches before the shuttle fleet is retired later this year. It was also emotional for the six-member crew that strapped into Atlantis for what is expected to be the last time.
Shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach said minutes before launch: "I'd like to wish you all good luck and Godspeed, and have some fun out there."
Atlantis commander Ken Ham replied: "Thank you to the thousands of folks out there who have taken care of this bird for a long time.... If it's OK with you, we're going to take her out of the barn and take her for a few more laps around the planet."
Tens of thousands of spectators crowded Space Coast beaches and causeways to catch a glimpse of the historic flight. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates; David Letterman, host of CBS' "Late Show"; and Anatoly Perminov, head of the Russian Space Agency, were among the crowd of 40,000 at the space center.
Ham leads an all-veteran flight crew: pilot Tony Antonelli and mission specialists Michael Good, Piers Sellers, Steve Bowen and Garrett Reisman, who spent three months aboard the space station in 2008.
During the 12-day mission, the astronauts will conduct three spacewalks to deliver and install a Russian-built mini-research module, a set of batteries and a dish antenna, along with other equipment needed to complete the $100-billion station before shuttle is mothballed later this year or early next.
Only two more launches are scheduled this year (2010) before the program ends. NASA's latest plan calls for Discovery to launch in September 2010, followed by Endeavour in November.
Original article>>>
It was a bittersweet moment for the shuttle workers standing outside the landmark Vehicle Assembly Building to watch the first of the final three launches before the shuttle fleet is retired later this year. It was also emotional for the six-member crew that strapped into Atlantis for what is expected to be the last time.
Shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach said minutes before launch: "I'd like to wish you all good luck and Godspeed, and have some fun out there."
Atlantis commander Ken Ham replied: "Thank you to the thousands of folks out there who have taken care of this bird for a long time.... If it's OK with you, we're going to take her out of the barn and take her for a few more laps around the planet."
Tens of thousands of spectators crowded Space Coast beaches and causeways to catch a glimpse of the historic flight. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates; David Letterman, host of CBS' "Late Show"; and Anatoly Perminov, head of the Russian Space Agency, were among the crowd of 40,000 at the space center.
Ham leads an all-veteran flight crew: pilot Tony Antonelli and mission specialists Michael Good, Piers Sellers, Steve Bowen and Garrett Reisman, who spent three months aboard the space station in 2008.
During the 12-day mission, the astronauts will conduct three spacewalks to deliver and install a Russian-built mini-research module, a set of batteries and a dish antenna, along with other equipment needed to complete the $100-billion station before shuttle is mothballed later this year or early next.
Only two more launches are scheduled this year (2010) before the program ends. NASA's latest plan calls for Discovery to launch in September 2010, followed by Endeavour in November.
Original article>>>
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