Gaining a New Perspective after Traveling to Nepal

By Victoria Zito

The chance to hear politicians debate or discuss the environment is infrequent. It was rare to converse about the environment with my friends or peers in any daily context, other than small talk about the weather. My self-imposed goal was to deliberately find ways to be mindful about the environment, whether while walking through the woods or staying indoors.

When I traveled outside the suburb I grew up in, there were differences in how the environment appeared, as well as how it was treated by its residents. There was always a mystery of whether or not humans have as much impact on the environment as the environment does on humans. My initial conclusion: a dynamic and cooperative relationship between people and environment exists, evolves, and adapts.

Buddhist philosophy embraces change, regarding it as a successive series of different moments, joining together to appear as one continuous flow. In the context of the environment, to which degree is change in climate, habitat, or water supply natural and condonable? Are humans forced to adapt to new circumstances? And are these circumstances created by human impact?

Embarking on a Journey

Prior to my journey halfway across the world, I informed acquaintances of both my apprehension and excitement about immersing myself into the Himalayan culture, and they replied, “So you’ll be in South America?” This reinforced the geographic isolation and perception of Nepal, despite its being between two large advancing nations: China and India.

While flying out of JFK, the city looked like a concrete jungle. Eventually, mental images of beige office buildings and soaring skyscrapers in New York City dissolved. I painted an imaginary portrait of Nepal: mostly rural, and preserved by both tradition and modernization. Hour after hour, new brushstrokes painted more expectations. Since this time of year was more unpredictable, I added more colors to my canvas as I imagined rivers, gorges, mud-brick walls, and hopes of seeing a yak. (I later learned yaks only live above 12,000 feet.)

A Resourceful People

In Kathmandu, people travelled in groups; children sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the backseats of buses, poking their heads out the window. Some traveled alone by motorcycle. Kathmandu appeared primitive with piles of bricks along sidewalks for structures or a plaster-like mixture in wall cracks. Buildings, jeeps, and fruit stands were randomly placed with no established direction. It felt like navigating a labyrinth.

On the way to Lo, the rivers ran so dry they were only indents in the ground. However, on the way back, after change of seasons, the swelling rivers were so overbearing that we had to carefully maneuver around them.

The Nepalese relied on and asked for very little, but were very giving. In a country relying on natural resources, including poplar trees used as roof thatching, juniper trees for burning as incense during religious ceremonies, and the fur from herds of goats used for pashmina scarves.

Exploring Higher Terrains

Nothing compares to traveling to Nepal for the first time.

As we trekked and climbed higher toward Lo Manthang, it grew hotter and I experienced a greater closeness to God from a religious/spiritual perspective. There was silence versus complaints often heard by Americans either being, “The sun is too strong,” or “Rainy day after rainy day” or “When will the sun finally come out?”

I even forgot for a moment that America and Nepal revolved around the same sun. In Nepal, where there was less adherence and emphasis on time, the sun was the closest to what people could work like a clock. Waking up at sunrise, and sleeping at sundown, while watching many people in villages do the same was a routine. Seeing an ancient sundial at Syumbath, Kathmandu was interesting to me, and I wondered if they were in use in other parts of the country.

Higher altitudes presented less variety. More monochrome and less vegetation. The variation of climate, from tropical humidity to head-to-toe chills on mountaintops, makes it easy to forget you are in the same country.

Cooperative Alliances

The pattern seen along less-populated villages were apple orchards bordered by willow trees, followed by buckwheat/barley. One crop could produce several dishes, such as barley in porridge (tsampa), bread, cereal and soup. There was a strong reliance on fewer varieties of crops, strengthening the bond among the people working, all working together within the environment.

I soon became more aware of the complications of water systems. In Nepal, water was delivered by underground pipelines. Aside from agriculture, water was used for the women to wash clothes in public. Unfortunately, an on/off option was not active in the villages as a means of conserving water. Women would dip their hair under the water to cool off, then proceed with their laundry. Ubiquitous woven baskets were seen carried on their backs for transporting materials, such as clothing to be worn and washed.

Environment: Key to Nepal Living

As with their religion, the environment is so deeply imbedded in their culture that it almost went unnoticed in the beginning of the trip. Once I felt fully immersed in the culture, I began to notice the population’s strong connection to their environment. From a young age, Nepalese learn to provide for themselves and their families.

Nepal’s determination to cultivate their environment was my gateway to all other aspects of the Nepalese culture. I realized the binding connection between the environment and religion, philosophy, education, politics, and health. Living in Nepal, even temporarily, led to a greater understanding of their cultural traditions and practices, augmented by the population’s amazingly close relationship with the environment, most often in areas that with less modernized technology.

In Nepal, I grew conscious of how methods of bathing, eating, and traveling affects the environment. As a keen observer, traveler, and student, I can perceive, explore, study, and comprehend the environment in ways others haven’t. In Nepal, I saw houses and monasteries made from trees, branches and mud. I saw men boil water to cook with, and women use cool water for the back of their necks. Stupas were made of rocks and the paint in some old monasteries was made from leaves. As prayer flags blew in the wind, I imagined them being taken by windhorse as wished by those who made them.

Coming Home from Traveling to Nepal

As our plane landed back in New York, the area looked much greener than I had remembered it. Did I envision less green before leaving it, or did I see more green only when I returned? My exposure to a different culture and environment may have altered my previous perceptions on several levels. So many things to think about

5 Strategies to Improve Work Performance

It’s easy to let work-related stress take over your life. Looking at successful business people, however, it’s clear that leaders practice behaviors in the workplace that allow them to stand out and achieve more. It’s one thing to work – it’s another to work effectively. With these 5 practices, you’ll find yourself achieving more through your work and leaving the office with a sense of accomplishment.

Set a goal for your day and a plan for how to achieve it. Be proactive and direct work flows. Do you spend the whole morning responding to incoming emails or do you send out emails to direct projects that are within your goals for the day? Your daily activities should align with your specific project goals.

Prioritize your tasks. What are your immediate and long range needs? What groundwork needs to be laid in order to check the tasks off your list? Imagine your inbox as a hospital triage center. What inquiries or projects deserve your attention? Which items can wait? Prioritize the issues that are both important and urgent. Address your tasks strategically with your daily goal and project vision in mind.

Delegate. Figure out what you can do well and what others can do better for you. There may be people in your workplace that are personally interested in a topic or looking to take on more responsibility. You don’t have to champion your project list alone. Effective leaders build supportive teams and look to protégés to develop into a successful next generation of leaders.

Just Say No. Decide which projects are non-essential and draw the line on what you can commit to successfully completing. Your time is your most valuable asset and you cannot get it back. As you communicate how projects fit within your goals and action plans, colleagues will respect your work and your time more. You’ll have more time to manage your projects with a goal-oriented vision, and by doing so, you’ll achieve more through your work.

“Chunk” your projects. You know the saying, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” It applies to your work as well as table manners. Avoid looking sloppy in your work. Break your projects into manageable tasks. For projects that you loathe, start with just 10 minutes a day and you’ll be surprised at how much you can achieve. You might even find yourself working through to finish it.

You may feel like you’re juggling multiple priorities in the workplace because with the current demands on business professionals, it’s likely that you are. By practicing these strategic behaviors and re-evaluating your current approach to work, you’ll achieve more and leave the office feel more satisfied with your professional accomplishments.

Practicing these five steps will empower you in your current work and help you to plan and direct future work projects so you can manage your time better, reduce your work-related stress, and increase your work performance

Bryant & Stratton College On Campus Childcare is a Gamechanger for Students

Tamara Porter was stuck.

She had moved to a new city with her 3-year-old son. There was no family nearby who could help watch him while she went back to school. Her son had speech impediments and needed to be in a daycare she could trust to work with his special needs.

And, there was little extra money to pay for daycare while she worked and attended classes.

When she applied to Bryant & Stratton College in Hampton, Va., the flexible schedule and personal service were not the only perk. Her campus also offered on campus childcare.

“My son loves it. He really loves it,” she said. “I can be at home and tell him to get ready and he won’t move. Then I say we are going to class and he jumps up.”

Porter earned her counseling associate degree and is now working at the child care center on campus helping other working parents achieve their goals.

“People come in the middle of the semester when their other childcare plans fall through,” she said. “People come and say, ‘if this wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be able to go to class. It’s a lifesaver.’”

It is a sentiment that the staff at the children centers on several Bryant & Stratton College campuses hear on a daily basis.

“I’ve heard quite a few of my parents say, ‘Thank God we have children’s college. We have nowhere for our children to go. This is a lifesaving place for a lot of people,” said Denisetrica Lankford, Children’s Center Coordinator at the Richmond, Va. campus.

The centers are not curriculum-based preschools but are more than simple babysitting. Lankford said children who attend in the morning do follow a schedule and work on pre-kindergarten skills. Children who attend in the afterschool and evening hours receive homework help and can play educational games on the center’s computers.

Many of the centers are open as late as 10:30 p.m. After dinner, children are treated to a movie and given time to wind down while they wait for their parents to finish class. The majority of the centers are open five days a week and available to part-time and full-time students. The stipulation is that parents must remain on campus while their child is in the center.

Cost is roughly $4 an hour, depending on the location; students can use their financial aid dollars to pay should they qualify. To find out more about using financial aid for childcare, visit your campus financial aid office or childcare center.

Lankford said she loves working at the center and making a better life possible for working parents and their children.

“They are learning and growing, that is the best part,” she said. “You know you made a difference in a child’s life.”

Want to go back to college but are struggling with how to manage daycare? Check out the degrees available at colleges with daycare like Bryant & Stratton College.

Ten Great Career Options for Business Degree Graduates

If you enjoy working with people, an online business degree will provide the education and skills you need to work in a variety of professional environments. From human resources and office management positions to factories, restaurants, or banks, your degree will prepare you for a job in virtually any field of interest.

What Jobs can I get with a Business Degree?

For anyone who has ever wondered about business degree career options, here are ten great career options. All job growth statistics are provided by O*Net Online.

General/Operations Manager: General and Operational managers oversee the operations of both public and private sector industries. They create policies, manage employees, and control the day-to-day operations.
Office Manager Office managers are responsible for creating schedules and tracking employee performance for regular reviews. They serve as the liaison between upper management and staff, and their responsibilities include creating/managing budgets, scheduling, and ordering supplies.
Assistant Manager You will work under your department’s manager to facilitate customer relations while ensuring your retail department is organized and employees are working efficiently.
Administrative Assistant An administrative assistant works directly under the office manager, or a direct supervisor, to keep the office running efficiently. This includes answering phones and typing tasks, to supply ordering, making copies, and managing electronic filing systems.
Office Clerk As an office clerk, you will work under your administrative assistant to facilitate its daily operations. You will greet clients, answer phones, make copies, and procure whatever items your supervisors’ request.
Human Resources Specialist Your online business degree is the ideal starting point for a career in human resources (HR). As an HR specialist, you will assist in the employee hiring process, and you will work actively to maintain the well-being of the company’s current employee and management relations. The job growth for HR specialists is faster than average.
First Line Supervisors for Food Preparation You will be responsible for the food preparation line, as well as the satisfaction of your establishment’s guests. You create schedules, oversee inventory, and ensure food preparation staff is working in accordance with current safety standards. The projected job growth is average.
Sales Representatives While you may have a particular area of interest, your greatest asset is your ability to learn about any product or service, and leverage your online business degree program training to show others how your company’s products/services provide a solution. The job growth projections are average.
Retail Sales In retail sales, you greet customers, listen to their concerns or needs, and educate them about how particular products or goods will meet those needs. Your customer service skills must be impeccable. The job growth outlook is average.
Bank Teller As a bank teller, your job is to accurately conduct monetary transactions for all levels of bank clientele, from large corporations and merchants to personal banking customers. It is the starting ground for many who go on to work in higher-level finance and loan officer positions.

Interested in beginning a successful business career? Contact the Admissions office at Bryant & Stratton College to learn more:: https://www.bryantstratton.edu/admissions

WHY A LITTLE PESSIMISM CAN BENEFIT YOU AS AN HR MANAGER

Seeing the silver lining can make your life easier in many ways. However, there are benefits of pessimism in the workplace. As an HR manager, having a little pessimism can go a long way in preventing workplace problems from getting out of hand.

No, you shouldn\’t be purposefully negative at work. But, a substantial part of any HR manager\’s job is to reduce a company\’s risk of lawsuits, government fines and excessive turnover. You\’ll be more successful in these areas if you anticipate how things can go wrong, rather than assuming they will always go right.

Take a look at two scenarios where a little pessimism leads to a more positive outcome.

The Sexual Harassment Complaint

Consider what an optimist and a pessimist would say if a female employee, Jane, came in and said, \”Bob told me my dress was nice. That\’s sexual harassment!\”

The Optimist: \”Jane, I\’m sure he didn\’t mean anything by it. It is a very nice dress.\” This could be the right call—if this is the first complaint you\’ve ever received about Bob, it\’s doubtful that this is a serious offense. One comment certainly doesn\’t rise to the level of pervasive or severe harassment. But consider the alternative.

The Pessimist: \”Jane, can you tell me a little bit more? Is there anything else that Bob has said or done that makes you feel uncomfortable?\” You may find out that Jane was overreacting and Bob didn\’t mean anything by his comment. But, you may instead find out that Bob has a habit of focusing on his female co-workers\’ looks rather than their performance, and several women in the department feel uncomfortable with it. You\’re lucky Jane came forward when she did, because now you can address this with Bob, keep a close eye on him and prevent this from becoming a lawsuit.

The Takeaway: Never let a complaint about something serious and/or illegal go with out investigation. This not only protects the company against lawsuits, but also assures your employees that you listen to their concerns and that the company doesn\’t tolerate bad behavior.

The Salary Discrepancy

Imagine you\’re looking at salary reports and notice that Helen and Heath have the same job title, but Heath\’s salary is $5000 higher. The Optimist: \”HR reviews and approves every salary offer, so I\’m sure there is a logical explanation for this difference.\”The pessimist: \”Even though HR reviews and approves every salary offer, this is a really large difference. I better find out what\’s going on here.\” This type of pessimism doesn\’t mean launching a full-fledged investigation into salary policies. After all, you know that salaries are scrutinized carefully before job offers are made. Still, this situation calls for some scrutiny.

The Takeaway: Do some digging into both employees\’ professional background. If you find out that Heath has a master\’s degree and five years of experience, while Helen has a bachelor\’s degree and three years of experience, then case closed. There\’s a logical and legal reason. Although, you may wish to change titles to reflect the differences in experience and education.

If, on the other hand, you find out that Helen has a master\’s degree and five years of experience, while Heath has less education and less years on the job or you determine that their experience and educational background are equal, you\’ve caught a problem before it can turn into a lawsuit.

Whatever you\’re dealing with, looking at the worst case scenario can help you identify potential problems before they explode into something serious. Pessimism can catch issues when they are small, while optimism encourages you to ignore them until they explode.

So, try to be an optimist who believes most people are good, but investigate like a pessimist. Every time.

Three Steps to Up your Accounting Job Prospects

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics accounting job outlook, employment of accountants and auditors is expected to grow 11 percent by 2024. Due to business globalization, many companies are experiencing mergers and acquisitions often leading to expansion – requiring accurate financial reporting and guidance. The recent financial crisis also resulted in an increased demand for accounting services. This marks a positive outlook for the accounting industry. Business woman using calculator

Unlike many other industries, the accounting job market has a very specific recruiting cycle. If you’re considering a career in accounting, it is best to familiarize yourself with this cycle and start preparing beforehand to help you stand out from other applicants. Take these three steps to make sure you’re ready for the upcoming recruiting cycle.

Step 1: Know your accounting firms

You may have heard a lot of talk about the “Big Four,” but do you know who they are? The “Big Four” are the four largest public accounting firms and include Ernst & Young, Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In 2013, PwC recruited around 20,000 graduates, making them one of the largest graduate recruiters in the world and they anticipated recruiting even more graduates in 2014.

While working for a Big Four or other large national firm will look great on your resume, they typically have more clients and the environment can be extremely fast-paced. Smaller local firms often offer more flexibility and can offer you the opportunity to work on more than one area of accounting, giving you a well-rounded experience.

What can you do to get your foot in the door? Start by taking some time to research each of the four firms and the smaller accounting firms in your area. Get familiar with the different work that they do and some of their largest clients. Think about what types of positions and work interests you. Both types of firms have their advantages and disadvantages, it is important to find out which is the best fit for you.

Step 2: Know the cycle

The accounting recruiting cycle typically runs from August to November. It is common for the Big Four to have completed their second round interviews by the beginning of November and have made offers to applicants around that time – with other firms typically following suit.

If you are just starting your education in accounting, take advantage of the summer leadership programs that are generally posted in the spring.

Step 3: Prepare your resume

Now that you know which type of firm interests you and the recruiting cycle, begin preparing your resume for the position that you are interested in. Have your resume reviewed by your school’s career services, an instructor or a professional resume service before you begin the application process.

Apart from having a solid resume, you should also start to consider if you are interested in taking the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination. Though a CPA is not required for a job in the accounting, you may be asked about it during the interview process.

Did you know that according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics research over 70% of all jobs are found through networking? The best way to stand out from other applicants is to constantly network with accounting employers. Attend employer events or job fairs in your community. Use the knowledge you have gained through research to engage recruiters, practice your elevator pitch, and discuss your past experiences. To make the most of networking with employers be sure to always have your resume on hand.

After following these three steps to prepare for the accounting recruiting cycle you are now ready to start your job search. If a career in accounting feels like a good fit for you, visit www.bryantstratton.edu or call 1.888.447.3528 to learn more about the Accounting degree programs at Bryant & Stratton College.

A Message From Ed Dennis, Military Relations Manager

On this Veterans Day, I can’t help but think of the family members like you that support modern day heroes, and all the sacrifices you endure. To honor all military spouses, Bryant & Stratton College is recognizing the spouses of those that serve by increasing the Salute to Spouses Scholarship Program to now include National Guard and Reserve spouses. The hardships they bear when their husband/wife deploys from their home community is just as difficult as the hardship experienced by spouses of active duty service members.

At Bryant & Stratton College we appreciate those sacrifices, and want to give back to those who give. We are proud to extend the scholarship to all spouses and hope that it will make a college education possible for more of you since the scholarship is for online programs, which can be completed from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. I would also like to take a moment and thank all of our military spouse students for the great work they have done over the past year. I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to teach several courses, and have had many spouses in my classes. They have been some of my best students because of the experiences, perspective, and effort that they put into their coursework. I hope that the expansion of the program to now include National Guard and Reserve spouses will increase the number of great students that we have at Bryant & Stratton College Online.

As a final thought, in celebration of Veterans Day today, and everyday, we offer the sincerest thanks to all who serve and their families. Thank you for all you do to make this nation and the world a safer place.

5 Strategies to Improve Work Performance

Five Stages of Multi-Level Planning in India

The concept of multi-level regional planning may be defined as ‘planning for a variety of regions which together form a system and subordinate systems’. In multi-level planning, the various levels of planning provide bases for higher level planning. Similarly, the higher level regional plans provide the basic framework for the lower level plans. In such plans, there is direct participation of the people in the planning process. In multi-level planning, every region/unit constitutes a system and hence, the planning process becomes more effective. In India following five stages of multi-level planning have been recognized. These include.

National Level Planning

At national level, Planning Commission is the nodal agency responsible for the countries planning. The Prime Minister is the Chairman of this Commission. It not only prepares Plans for the country but also coordinates the sectored development works of different ministries of the central government, states and union territories. The functions of the planning commission are supervised through the National Development Council.

The Planning Commission has been granted constitutional status through 52nd Amendment of the Constitution. No big plan can be executed without its prior approval by the Planning Commission. The Commission formulates three types of plans.

Perspective plans for 15-25 years
Five year plans
Annual plans within the framework of five year plan.

The planning commission is headed by Prime Minister of India, it has full time members who assist the Prime Minister in planning and provide advice and guidance for formulation of five year plan. The full time members consists of Deputy Chairman and includes experts from various fields like economics, industry, science and general administration. It also includes ministers from relevant portfolios like Finance, Agriculture, Home Ministry, Health, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Information Technology, Law, HRD and Minister of State for Planning.

Organization Structure & Functions

It has 11 main departments and 20 sub ordinate departments and that makes 31 divisions for which the planning commission concentrates on planning. It has two main divisions of function. They are General Planning Divisions and Programme Administration Divisions. The main function of the commission is planning. The other functions includes economic survey, human resources and capital assessment in the country. It also concerns with removing any factor impeding the growth of the country.

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission is the technical body for facilitating the planning process in our country. It was set up by the Government in March, 1950. Its functions are

To make an assessment of the material, capital and human resources of the country, including technical personnel and investigate the possibilities of augmenting such of these resources as are found to be deficient in relation to the nation’s requirements
To formulate a plan for the most effective and balanced utilization of the country’s resources
To determine priorities, define the stages in which the plan should be carried out and propose the allocation of resources for the due completion of each stage
To indicate the factors which tend to retard economic development and determine the conditions which, in view of the current social and political situation, should be created for the successful execution of the plan
To determine the nature of the machinery, which will be necessary for securing the successful implementation of each stage of the plan in all its aspects
To appraise, from time to time, the progress achieved in the execution of each stage of the plan and recommend the adjustments of policy and measures that such appraisal may show to be necessary
To make such interim or ancillary recommendations as appear to be appropriate either for facilitating the discharge of the duties assigned to it or, on a consideration of prevailing economic conditions, current policies, measures and development programmes or on an examination of such specific problems as may be referred to it for advice by the central and state governments.

Planning Commission renamed as ‘NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog’ in 1st January,2015,which is a policy think of the Government of India, established with the aim to achieve sustainable development goals and to enhance cooperative federalism by fostering the involvement of state governments of India in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach. Its initiatives include “15 year road map”, “7-year vision, strategy and action plan”, AMRUT, Digital India, Atal Innovation Mission, Medical Education Reform, Agriculture reforms (Model Land Leasing Law, Reforms of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act, Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index for ranking states), Indices Measuring State’s Performance in Health, Education and Water Management, Task Forces on Agriculture and Elimination of Poverty. Its functions are

To evolve a shared vision of national development priorities sectors and strategies with the active involvement of States in the light of national objectives.
To foster cooperative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the States on a continuous basis, recognizing that strong states make a strong nation.
To develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans at the village level and aggregate these progressively at higher levels of government.
To ensure, on areas that are specifically referred to it, that the interests of national security are incorporated in economic strategy and policy.
To pay special attention to the sections of our society that may be at risk of not benefiting adequately from economic progress.
To design strategic and long term policy and programme frameworks and initiatives, and monitor their progress and their efficacy. The lessons learnt through monitoring and feedback will be used for making innovative improvements, including necessary mid-course corrections.
To provide advice and encourage partnerships between key stakeholders and national and international like-minded Think tanks, as well as educational and policy research institutions.
To create a knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurial support system through a collaborative community of national and international experts, practitioners and other partners.
To offer a platform for resolution of inter sectoral and inter departmental issues in order to accelerate the implementation of the development agenda.
To maintain a state-of-the-art Resource Centre, be a repository of research on good governance and best practices in sustainable and equitable development as well as help their dissemination to stake-holders.
To actively monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and initiatives, including the identification of the needed resources so as to strengthen the probability of success and scope of delivery.
To focus on technology up gradation and capacity building for implementation of programmes and initiatives.
To undertake other activities as may be necessary in order to further the execution of the national development agenda, and the objectives mentioned above.

State Level Planning

At state level the mechanism of the planning is almost same of the national level. The state Planning Board acts like national planning commission and coordinates the development plans of different ministries and the districts. It also has the responsibility of the formulation, implementation and monitoring of state plan. It is in constant touch with Planning Commission regarding the formulation of plans and allocation of resources.

Under the federal set up of the country states enjoy autonomy in certain state subjects and play pivotal role in the implementation of planning programmes. It is at state level that all sorts of economic and social data are available and development plans could be formulated keeping regional interests and demands in mind. Hence, there is a need for more rigorous exercise of planning at state level. Those states which are conscious of their responsibility and are showing interest in plan formulation and implementation are displaying better performance in development programmes.

The Executive head of a state is the Governor, who is appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Prime Minister of India. As in the case of the Centre, the Governor does not directly exercise the powers that are vested in him. They are exercised through the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister. The advice of the Council of Ministers is binding on the Governor. The Council of Ministers works through the secretariat that is headed by a secretary. The main functions of the secretariat relate to assisting the ministers in policy making and in discharging their legislative responsibilities, co-ordination of policies and programmes, supervision and control of expenditure, efficient running of administration, etc. The Council of Ministers has a number of departments functioning under it which can be broadly classified into three categories:

1. Development departments (having the departments of agriculture and animal husbandry, rural development, public works and industries)

2. Social welfare departments (having the departments of education, health and social welfare)

3. Coordinating departments (having home, revenue, finance and planning departments)

The Central Government has the power to legislate on the subjects given in the Union List while the State governments have powers to legislate on the subjects given in the State List. As far as subjects contained in the Concurrent List are concerned, both central and state governments have powers to legislate on them, but in case of conflict, the central law prevails. Organised activities such as industries, minerals, railways and telecommunications come under the Centre’s responsibilities, while agriculture, collection of land revenue, irrigation, power, public health, education, local self-government, and several other important subjects come under the control of states.

District Level Planning

The concept of the district-level planning is based on the principle of local level planning. It also assumes that success of the planning needs greater mobilization and utilization of local resources. Below the state, district occupies a pivotal position in planning because of its location and administrative advantages.

Not only it has sufficient administrative and technical expertise and good source of data and information to carry out plan programmes but has well-knit system to involve people’s participation and make the gains of planning to reach to the grass root level. The district board consists of elected representatives who can play significant role in the process of planning. Hence, there is a sizeable group of scholars who consider district as an ideal and viable unit of micro level planning.

District Planning is the process of preparing an integrated plan for the local government sector in a district taking into account the resources (natural, human and financial) available and covering the sectoral activities and schemes assigned to the district level and below and those implemented through local governments in a state. District is the most suitable administrative unit for decentralized planning below the state level as it possesses the required heterogeneity and is small enough to undertake people in planning and implementation and to improve productivity; district planning is an important tool. Its contents will be as follows.

Agriculture and allied sectors
Availability and development of water sources
Industries – especially traditional, small industries including food processing
Infrastructure including power
Drinking water and sanitation
Literacy, school education
Health and medical facilities
Poverty reduction and basic needs
Gender and children
Social justice – SC / ST, Persons with disability

It is also argued that gram panchayat and development block are too small to act as the smallest unit of planning. Also there is complete lack of administrative framework and data collection system at these two levels. Hence, there would be a number of difficulties in the formulation and execution of plans at village and block levels.

Although the importance of district level planning was realized during the times of community development plans but the real breakthrough came with the Third Five Year Plan (1961-1966) in which emphasis was laid on the district -level planning to remove inter district and intra district disparities and make optimum utilization of natural and human resources at district level.

Its formulation and implementation are looked after by the District Planning Officer (DPO) or the District Magistrate. Despite this elaborate system, the task of preparing a reasonably sound district plan has not made much headway in the states due to following constraints.

Some lurking reluctance on the part of Governments and their sartorial heads to devolve sufficient authority (administrative and financial) to the planning bodies at the district level.
Lack of effective co-ordination at the district level between various agencies involved in the planning exercises.
Institutionalized arrangements, for seeking consultation with various participants in the planning process, were either not well established or not sufficiently encouraged and developed.
Lack of trained staff, both in terms of number as well as quality. The inadequacy of training was a serious constraint.
Lack of appropriate and reduced methodologies for planning, in tandem with the capabilities available at the local level. In this context, the non-availability of trained planning personnel posed a serious problem.
Planning without a clear and full understanding of the realities of resource constraints.
The database presented its own problems. Although a surfeit of data is available at the local level from numerous sources, appropriate methodologies for selecting the “critical minimum information” for local planning from this mass of data and using the same for some simple analysis for decision making, without going into highly sophisticated techniques, had not emerged,
Lack of people’s participation in planning.

Block Level Planning

Block is an important unit of micro level planning. These development blocks were created to supervise the implementation of development plans under the Community Development Programme initiated during the first five year plan. Each district was divided into a number of blocks and each block comprised about 100 villages, with a population of about 60,000.

The programme visualized mobilization of local resources, participation of the people in the decision making and implementation of the development schemes. Hence, a new unit of planning was created at block level under the leadership of a block development officer and a team of various specialists and village level workers (officers).The Fifth Five Year Plan) (1978-1983) opted for area planning with a preferment for block level planning for achieving employment objectives and emphasis on rural development.

The main objective of this planning was to absorb local labour surpluses and greater involvement of people in the formulation and implementation of development plans. Hence, by the end of 1983 adopt system of block level planning integrated into national system was available

It is an action oriented planning pertaining to the development of agriculture, irrigation (mainly minor irrigation), soil conservation, animal husbandry, pisciculture, forestry, minor processing of agricultural products, small and cottage industries, creation of local level infrastructure, and development of social services like water supply, health, education, shelter, sanitation, local transport, and welfare plans. The entire process of block level planning passes through seven stages. These include

Identification phase
Resource inventory phase
Plan formulation phase
Employment plan phase
Areal or layout plan phase
Credit plan phase
Integration and implementation phase

The main objectives of such planning include, creation of skill to promote self-employment and self-reliance, improvement in productivity and optimum utilization of local resources. Thus the main focus of such planning is the identification of target group, introduction of development plans to generate employment, popularization of minimum need programmes and implementation of special programmes for weaker section of the society.

Objectives of Block Level Planning

The objectives of block planning should, to the extent possible, be in harmony with national planning goals. The following are the key objectives of block level planning.

Increase in employment and income, particularly of the poor, through optimal growth in the area and through public employment programmes
Distribution of gains from development in a manner that they reach the weaker sections, i.e. marginal farmers, agricultural labourers etc.
Building social and economic infrastructure in the area
Increasing the availability and accessibility of social services through minimum need and other programmes and extending the reach of the public distribution system
Building institutions/organizations to protect the interests of the poor and the vulnerable in the area
Upgrading technology, increasing productivity and contributing to skill formation
Optimum utilization of the development potentials of the region
Solution to the problems of unemployment
Self-reliance
Removal of socio economic disparities

The following activities are planned at the block level.

Agriculture and allied activities
Minor irrigation
Soil conservation and water management
Animal husbandry and poultry
Fisheries
Forestry
Processing of agricultural produce
Organizing input supply, credit, and marketing
Cottage and small industries
Local infrastructure
Social services
Drinking water supply
Health and nutrition
Education
Housing
Sanitation
Local transport
Welfare programme
Training of local youth and updating of skills of local population

Panchayat Level Planning

The Panchayat Raj System involves a three tier structure: village level, block level and district level. The first tier at village level is commonly known as Gram Panchayat (village assembly), the second tier at block level as Panchayat Samiti and the third tier at district level as Zila Parishad.

According to the provisions of the Panchayats Act 1996 the election to the village Panchyat is held at an interval of 5 years. Through the Constitution Amendment Act 1992 the Panchayat (also called Gram Sabha) has been authorized to look after the preparation and implementation of plans for economic development and social justice. The respective state has been given discretionary powers to prescribe powers and functions to the Gram Sabha to act as an institution of self-government.

It has also been advised to constitute a District Planning Committee to consolidate the plans prepared by the Panchyats and Municipalities and prepare an integrated development plan for the district as a whole. It has also been directed to constitute a State Finance Commission (SFC) to review every five years, the financial position of Panchayats and to make recommendations about the principle governing the distribution of revenues between the state and the Panchyats, and determination of the grants in aid to the Panchayats from the consolidated funds of the state.

The implementation of the plan at the Panchayat level is the responsibility of the Village Development Officer (VDO) and the secretary and is supervised by the Gram Sabha. Under the existing provisions, funds for the Gram Sabha (Village Panchayat) are directly being allocated from the centre to execute rural development programmes like Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) and Jawahar Rozgar Yojna (JRY) etc.

The Panchayat has also been entrusted with the responsibility for the promotion of agriculture, rural industries, provision of medical relief, maternity, women and child welfare, maintaining common grazing grounds, village roads, tanks, wells, sanitation and execution of other socio-economic programmes. In some places, they are also authorized to supervise primary education and collect land revenue. Presently, Gram Panchayats are involved in the identification of beneficiaries in antipoverty programmes. There are about 2.20 lakh Gram Panchayats, 5,300 Panchayat Samitis and 400 Zila Parishads in the country.

It has been found that elected representatives of Panchayat Raj Institutions are largely unaware of the political and economic dimensions of development issues and lack planning and managerial skills.

Multi-level Planning opposed to centralized planning is an exercise where local institutions are actively involved not only at the implementation level but MLP is a more integrative effort that seeks to involve all hierarchies of administrative, geographical, political and regional levels in planning process. It seeks to involve active participation of the lower hierarchical levels in information generation, data collection, policy suggestion, plan implementation & monitoring of all developmental activities.

A planning process can be either single level or multi-level. In the single level planning, the formulation of plans and decision making are done at the national level; the process is centralized and the lower territorial levels come into the picture only at the implementation stage. On the other hand, in the multi-level planning process, the national territory is divided into small territorial units, their number depending upon the size of the country, the administrative, the geographical and cultural settings. The Panchayat has also been entrusted with the responsibility for the following.

· Promotion of agriculture

· Rural industries

· Provision of medical facilities

· Maternity, women and child welfare

· Maintaining common grazing grounds, village roads, tanks, wells

· Sanitation

· Execution of other socio-economic development programmes

Anti-poverty programmes

Promoting Dedication

Time flies when you’re having fun. It also flies when you’re balancing work, school and promotions as Brian Germann found out during his time at Bryant & Stratton College Online.

Germann has been working at DuPont’s Tonawanda, NY plant for over 20 years and took his first step towards advancing his career by pursuing an associate’s degree in IT-Networking. He completed that degree at Bryant & Stratton’s Southtowns campus in 2006 and almost immediately began to see the fruits of his labor.

It took less than two years for Germann to be promoted and even after seeing his first degree pay off his supervisors were recommending that he earn another degree. They recommended he consider a path in the business field, this time. Taking the time to carefully research the school he would choose for his bachelor’s degree, Germann considered a number of private schools in the Buffalo area before deciding that online education was the path he wished to follow.

“I liked the flexibility of being able to do my schoolwork on my own time,” Germann said.

After choosing to return to his alma mater as an online student, Germann received yet another promotion as he was working through his bachelor’s degree in General Management with a specialization in Project Management. He received his third promotion just last year and he officially graduated with his bachelor’s degree in April of 2014.

“I knew going back to school and getting a degree would open doors for me. And it did,” Germann said. “I was promoted immediately.”

With over 20 years of work experience already under his belt along with the strength of one Bryant & Stratton College degree on his resume, Germann was the elder statesman, of sorts, in his classes. In addition to receiving a great deal of feedback from his peers in many classes, Germann was also asked to write letters of recommendation for a few classmates. Noting his appreciation to his classmates, Germann also pointed out that the online setting allowed for so many connections that may have otherwise been overlooked in other settings.

“You don’t know [the other students] personally,” he said. “But if you’re a shy person it may actually be better for you.”

Coupled with the schedule that appealed to his work schedule, Germann remains quick to recommend Bryant & Stratton College to friends and acquaintances alike. He referred a co-worker to an online program recently as he is vocal about the success he experienced as a student here.

“I had gotten as far as I could without a degree,” Germann said. “I wasn’t looking to go to another company. I would highly recommend online education.”

Germann credits perseverance and time management for making him such a successful student in an online setting. He added that staying disciplined and managing your time is the best way to succeed. Due to his track record and strong educational background, Germann has made himself an invaluable part of the organizational structure at DuPont. He has the skills and education to continue growing and it’s likely just a matter of time until he is sharing news of another impressive promotion.

DEAR REWORKER: HOW DO I MANAGE A 100-PERSON COMPANY AS AN HR TEAM OF ONE?

Dear ReWorker,

I landed my first job in HR a year out of college at a company that grew quickly. During this exponential growth, the team never had time to develop an HR department. They hired me along with a part-time consultant to create an HR department from scratch. At the time, the company had just under 65 employees. After three months, they decided not to renew the consultant’s contract, and I’ve been heading HR as a department of one ever since.

I hit my one year work anniversary last month, and we now have 92 full-time employees! At this point, I’m doing full-cycle recruiting, managing benefits, on-boarding and off-boarding, payroll, timekeeping, annual performance evaluations, big-picture projects like updating our handbook, etc. I am constantly stressed out and overwhelmed! I’ve been begging my manager, who does not have a background in HR, to hire an HR Manager or Director, but he doesn’t think it’s necessary.

Am I just being a baby? Or is this job really asking too much of me? What do you think?

Sincerely,

Too Many Hats

Dear Too Many Hats,

You’re doing great. I think your company’s CEO doesn’t have a clue about HR. No offense towards you, but I would never hire someone straight out of college to head up an HR department. Not that you’re not brilliant, but you’re inexperienced, and your workload is over the top. This is bad for the business.

Why is it bad for the business? Because when you have an overworked and inexperienced head of HR, you’re going to miss something important that is either going to land you in court or cost the company money in high turnover rates, inaccurate salaries or any number of problems. This is not to say that you aren’t doing a good job. It’s just that no one in your situation could do an adequate job.

As a general rule, I advise companies to have a full-time, dedicated and experienced human resources person on board before they hit 50 people. Why 50? Because that’s when laws like FMLA kick in. By the time you’re at 100, you should probably have two.

Now, a stable company with 100 employees probably doesn’t need two full-time HR people, but one in rapid growth does. Companies experiencing rapid growth like to think they are hip and cool start-ups with a welcoming and trendy culture, except no one has time to mentor the new people and bring them into the culture. As a result, the thing that makes your company special starts to fade away and people become numbers.

So, what should you do, Too Many Hats? Well, you could find a new job and leave. Your resume would look awesome at this point! But as you’ve only been there a year, and it’s your first job out of college, I would stick it out. Here are some ideas on soliciting help from the rest of the company and the senior team, and convincing them you need another member.

1) Join the executive committee

If you’re not on it already, ask to be included. You can’t plan for company growth if you’re not privy to company info. You can’t act as a business partner if you aren’t involved in the company strategy. It works vice versa too: Executives should have a strong understand of their current talent pool, top performers and people strategy.

2) Prioritize your tasks, and assign the rest

There are things that should never leave your hands—like recruiting. However, other responsibilities can be shared: For example, managers can review resumes and select their own candidates for you to screen. Finance can take over healthcare benefits. Talk with the executive team about dividing some of your workload among the other teams.

3) List things that can be outsourced

Even with an experienced HR team, I would outsource things like the company handbook. Why? Because handbooks are actually legal documents that, if written wrong, can create havoc for a company. For instance, if your handbook language isn’t precise, you can accidentally create a contract with your employees that destroys employment-at-will. You’re not qualified to write a complete handbook, mainly because you’re not an employment lawyer. Payroll is another technical area that should be kicked to someone else with more expertise.

If you can start with these things, you can lessen your workload and provide better services to the company. That’s what you want to focus on when you pitch these ideas—how breaking up this workload will benefit the company overall, not just you. Ideally, they’ll hire a more experienced person to be the HR director to help and mentor you, but until then, outsourcing and dividing workloads is the way to go.

Bobcats Shine at USCAA National Invitational

The Bryant & Stratton College track & field team finished the 2016 season with an impressive performance at the USCAA National Invitational.

The Bobcats had 17 runners place in the top-10 of their respective events while four other Bobcats placed in the top-three. Tevin Coleman placed fourth and second in the 1500m and 800m, respectively, while Lavar Sealey, Fatemah El-Hindi and Nicole Pearson also picked up top-five finishes. Freshman Cole Clemons and Njamile Charles each grabbed respective top-three finishes in the shotput and javelin.However, all of those impressive performances were eclipsed by Levar Sealey’s victory in the men’s 400m dash, crowning him as the USCAA National Invitational Champion in the 400.

“The meet marked the end of a very successful season for the Bobcats. I am exceptionally proud of our athletes,” head coach Ryan Johnson said. “As our program continues to grow, I am confident that we will continue to build and see a great deal of success.”

The team and individual success enjoyed by the Bobcats at the USCAA National Invitational rounded out an impressive year that saw a number of promising athletes rise to the level set early on by Bobcats standout Tevin Coleman. Bryant & Stratton College enters the offseason with a tremendous foundation built for the future and their sights set on becoming an even greater driving force in the USCAA.

5 Tips to Help Women in Business with Career Management

Though there has been significant progress concerning gender equality in the workforce, women are still lagging behind men when it comes to executive positions in business. According to career information at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Center for Women in Business, women are particularly underrepresented in the C-suite and on corporate boards. The center’s data finds that women currently hold just 4.2% of CEO positions in Fortune 1000 companies.

Sheryl Sandburg, chief operating officer at Facebook and a high profile woman in business, recently asked women to “lean in” to their careers. Her book of the same title has sparked conversations across the country on how to empower women to reach their full potential.

Follow these five career management tips to help you stand out and assert yourself as woman in business.

Know your stuff

Before your next meeting, take some time to get up to speed about what will be discussed. Review the meeting agenda, if one is provided, or ask the individual who scheduled the meeting about what might be covered. Do background research on the topic so that you go into the meeting understanding the issue at hand and ready to discuss your thoughts.

Share your ideas

Coming to the meeting prepared is a great step towards taking charge of your career, but it is most effective if you share those thoughts and ideas with the group. It can be overwhelming to speak up in front of so many people, however if you’ve done your research beforehand you can be confident that what you have to share is well informed. Not every idea will be a success but sharing shows initiative and, with the group’s collaboration, might even spark something bigger and better.

Toot your own horn

Women often underplay their achievements at work for fear of sounding egotistical or self-centered. Men, on the other hand, see the value in sharing their successes because it presents them as capable and accomplished. Women should follow this lead and toot their own horn to share their wins with others. Try to also cheer others on and wish them well when they share successes with you to foster a supportive environment for all.

Admit when you need help

It isn’t always easy to admit when you’re stumped or need help. Remember, asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, but rather a sign that you are open to different ideas or perspectives. It also shows that you have realistic expectations for yourself. If you know you won’t be able to finish something by the deadline, asking for assistance can help progress the project so that it can be completed on time, which may benefit the whole team or company.

Seek mentorship

Many successful women often offer anecdotes about how their mentors helped them in their professional career. Seek out someone in your field whom you admire, whose career you would like to emulate and ask if they would serve as a mentor to you. A mentor can offer advice, guidance and assistance from their experience in the field, which can be helpful as you learn the ropes.

If you are interested in a career in business, consider enrolling in the Bryant & Stratton College Online business administration degree. You can learn more by calling 1.888.447.3528 and speaking with an admissions representative.

Redefining Progress in the Genuine Economy

A genuine economy creates more benefits than costs. Benefits are relatively easy to count. Just add up all the stuff that people buy and sell every day. But what do economists miss when they only count goods and services bought and sold in the marketplace? What’s missed when the only value of our time is what we get paid to work? What about the myriad of costs that never get charged, such as the costs from depleting and polluting the environment? And how are both costs and benefits from an economy distributed among its citizens? Enter: the Genuine Progress Indicator.

All growth is not created equal

Before the 1940s, there were no economy-wide indicators to help guide economic policy. Policy makers in the U.S. and around the world were flying blind during the Great Depression. The economic advisers to President Franklin Roosevelt literally counted freight cars to answer the question: Is the economy growing or shrinking? With nations gearing up for the second world war, they also needed an economic gauge to transition in and out of military production. The Gross Domestic Product was created to answer these basic questions about the size, transitions, ups and downs of an economy.

World leaders today are almost singularly obsessed with GDP as a gauge of standard of living. Is it growing? How fast? How much GDP is there per person? But more and more people are asking: What kind of growth, and for whom? Even one of the chief architects of the GDP, Nobel Prize–winning economist Simon Kuznets, warned in 1962: “Distinctions must be kept in mind between quantity and quality of growth, between its costs and return, and between the short and the long term. Goals for more growth should specify more growth of what and for what.”

In 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy popularized the critique and laid out a road map for new indicators. In a speech at the University of Kansas, he lamented that the GDP “does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.”

Towards a more genuine indicator of progress

Soon thereafter, in 1972, Yale economists William Nordhaus and James Tobin introduced the Measure of Economic Welfare to ask: If an economy grows by depleting assets, is that true growth? In the 1980s, World Bank–economist Herman Daly and theologian John Cobb developed the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare, a composite index that further expanded the scope of social and environmental factors, and broadened the question to: If the benefits of growth don’t outweigh the costs, is the economy delivering sustainable well-being? And through an interdisciplinary effort led by the think tank Redefining Progress in the 1990s, the Genuine Progress Indicator was born.

The GPI of today takes into account income inequality and non-market benefits such as spending time volunteering or parenting one’s kids. It also deducts negative effects, including depletion of natural assets such as forests and wetlands, and pollution of our air, land and water. While the GDP per person in the U.S. has grown many times over since Kuznet’s warning and Kennedy’s critique, the U.S. GPI peaked in the late 1970s and has been flat ever since.

US GPI Graph (from Redefining Progress)

States Lead the Way on GPI

The aftermath of the Great Recession has brought a renewed interest in alternative indicators of economic and broader well-being. While the U.S. and other nations have seen steady GDP growth since the financial crisis of 2007–2008, more and more people have been left behind. U.S. income inequality has hit levels not seen since the 1920s, and the growing costs of climate change, water pollution and fossil-fuel dependence have renewed Kennedy’s prophetic call for new metrics of progress.

While one can hope for congressional leadership on new metrics of progress, a growing number of states have decided not to wait. Maryland was the first state to adopt the GPI in 2010, when Governor Martin O’Malley launched an initiative to present the state’s GPI through an online tool. And in 2012, the State of Vermont passed GPI into law. In 2013 O’Malley hosted a GPI summit, which was attended by representatives from 20 states, and now Oregon and Washington are moving in this direction. In 2014, the University of Vermont held a practitioners’ summit, where analysts from across the country came to learn the best practices for measuring GPI.

And why stop with just dollars and cents? While the GPI was designed to put all values into economic terms and compare with the GDP, there are even broader indicators that address quality of life. The World Values Survey, for example, asks people more generally about their life satisfaction, and more specifically about their needs, wants and aspirations. What these metrics strive for in the broadest sense is to understand how the economy contributes to quality of life, and what trade-offs exist between material well-being and the interconnected health of our communities, societies and environment. These broader indicators of “happiness” also show a leveling off in recent decades, again, in spite of a growing economy.

American homes are bigger than ever, we have more luxuries and conveniences than any generation in history, we have witnessed the fullness of a consumer society. But who has been left behind? Has consumption translated to well-being? What would the future hold in a post-consumer society

Want a Career in Public Health? Northern New England is the Place for Public Health.

Some of the fastest growing public health careers in the United States include biostaticians and epidemiologists. Many of those careers are experiencing growth rates of up to 27 percent over the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Not bad, considering that overall employment is projected to increase by 14 percent.

But what about northern New England? If you want to live and work in Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine, what is the outlook for jobs in public health?

The health care and social assistance sector – which includes jobs in public health – is growing faster than other industries in northern New England, the BLS notes.

VermontSimilar to the rest of the region and the country, Vermont is expected to see a surge in health care jobs over the next decade. The health care and social assistance sector is expected to grow 15 percent, compared to 8.2 percent for all jobs in the Green Mountain State.

The job growth rate projected for public health careers includes:

Health educators, 21.3 percent
Health care social workers, 19.3 percent
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health, 11 percent
Social and community service managers, 10 percent
Medical and health services managers, 10 percent
Community and social service specialists, 9.3 percent
Statisticians, 5 percent
Occupational health and safety specialists, 3 percent

New HampshireThe Granite State is expected to see a 24 percent jump in the number of health care and social assistance jobs over the next decade, compared to 10.4 percent growth for total employment. Put into perspective: The health care industry will account for nearly 30 percent of all new jobs in New Hampshire over the next decade.

The field of public health will see tremendous job growth compared to other fields:

Health educators, 37.2 percent
Medical and public health social workers, 28.3 percent
Social and community service managers, 22.3 percent
Community and social service specialists, 20.1 percent
Medical and health services managers, 18.9 percent
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health, 17.9 percent
Statisticians, 9.4 percent
Occupational health and safety specialists, 8.2 percent

MaineAs Mainers age, the state will experience numerous job openings. The health and social assistance sector – where approximately a quarter of the workforce is over age 55 – faces the most retirements. Couple that with the fact that Maine is the “oldest” state in the nation – with numerous health care needs for its aging population – and you can understand why the state is concerned about finding more health care workers.

Jobs in the health and social assistance sector are expected to grow nearly 16 percent, the highest of any industry in the state. That compares to a 5.5 percent increase for total employment.

Most of the careers in public health will follow this growth trend. Among them:

Health educators, 24.2 percent
Medical and public health social workers, 18.5 percent
Medical and health services managers, 15.9 percent
Epidemiologists, 15.2 percent
Statisticians, 4.8 percent
Social and community service managers, 4.3 percent
Community and social service specialists, 3.6 percent
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health, 1.9 percent

If you are planning on working in Public Health, Northern New England is following the national trend of seeing an increase in jobs in health care and social assistance sector, which will create 28 percent of new jobs over the next decade in the United States

Embarking on a Journey

A Resourceful People

Exploring Higher Terrains

Cooperative Alliances

Environment: Key to Nepal Living

Coming Home from Traveling to Nepal

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The Sexual Harassment Complaint

The Salary Discrepancy

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Step 1: Know your accounting firms

Step 2: Know the cycle

Step 3: Prepare your resume

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National Level Planning

State Level Planning

District Level Planning

Block Level Planning

Panchayat Level Planning

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1) Join the executive committee

2) Prioritize your tasks, and assign the rest

3) List things that can be outsourced

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All growth is not created equal

Towards a more genuine indicator of progress

States Lead the Way on GPI

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