Education Industry
Lisa
Barfield-McCarty
MGT330:
Management for Organizations
February 24, 2011
Education
Industry
The
education industry encompasses a wide degree of services in a variety of
sectors and is one of the most important and valued resources that can be made
available to any citizenry. Indeed, this is one industry that will affect every
person within a society in some form or fashion during their life and will
continue to have some type of influence throughout their life. In the United
States, until around the age of sixteen, education is compulsory or mandatory
for every child in every state. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009) In this day and age,
even if a student drops out of high school before graduating they will still
need to seek out some type of high school equivalency program through which to
obtain a general education diploma (G.E.D.) before they will be able to find
decent employment or seek further education aims. Therefore, education presents
the most common thread among all the people growing up in and being a part of
this society.
Education
is life-long and to keep the industry strong and working effectively there must
be some form of concentration within every stage of life and within every field
of learning. It is the one industry that intertwines and connects every other
industry. After all, to be a part of any industry, one must first advance
through levels within the education industry. Not only does this industry seek
to provide general knowledge to children through a certain age, but also
specialized knowledge through various types of higher learning institutions.
Among the long list of post-secondary school options there are universities and
colleges that focus on different types of degree programs, vocational studies,
certificate programs, and specialized interests. Many companies within other
industries offer education options to employees to better their skills or
knowledge in a particular area of focus, such as computer technology or new
business advancements or specialized medical training.
If
one wishes to work within the education industry, there are many opportunities
for employment. The most obvious types of employment within this industry are
of course teachers, and the number of specialized focuses is pretty much
limitless. Teacher’s positions range from general elementary instruction to
university professors and everything in between including special education and
vocational instruction. Administration positions are among the more obvious
education field opportunities as well and they include everything from school
board superintendents to principles to university deans and departmental heads.
Other opportunities within this industry include various school counseling
positions whether it is geared toward helping students set and reach academic
goals or providing them with financial guidance or general help for a variety
of needs. Also, school facilities must be cared for through maintenance and
janitorial type services. Other employment options in this industry include
transportation services, security services, and secretarial services. There are
even opportunities available for medical personnel and legal professionals as
well as many other service agents within other fields.
More
than just the wide range of direct service opportunities mentioned, many business
options exist to support the education industry through product invention,
production, and supply. Writers and publishers of textbooks, school facilities
furniture supply, teaching aid supplies, website facilitators, educational
product supply, and computer technology equipment are all areas of production
and sales which contribute to the ongoing advancement of this industry. Within
each of these company sectors there is need for innovators and inventors,
managers and sales committees, production workers and analysts, and general
sales agents as well as local and national distribution teams. All of these
lines of employment opportunities touching and contributing to the education
industry represent individual market segments which add greatly to the overall
economic growth and success of our society. As advancements are made within
other fields, the educational service industry must grow to fit with those
advancements in particular areas of management. And, as the education industry
expands to encompass more advanced technology and innovative modes of
instruction (such as through distance education options), other fields of
employment are able to exist and expand offering new or improved opportunities
for employment. Therefore, continued growth of this industry is expected to be
the norm in the upcoming years as it has been for quite a while and this can be
seen as beneficial for many supporting industries. (EIA, 2006)
One
example of how this industry has seen much growth over the past several years
is through the widespread use of the internet and the expansion of distance
education opportunities. As technology has advanced, more portable web enabled
devices have become widely available. Wireless internet availability has
expanded over many public areas making access to the internet much more
universal than it once was. Online school blackboard environments have
continued to be improved, making online school studies and interaction much
easier to utilize and more capable of handling the necessary amount of
simultaneous usage. Due to these changes in our overall environment, many more
people are taking advantage of higher educational opportunities whereas before
they may have avoided college for reasons involving in-person attendance
requirements or even area availability for particular fields of study. In other
words, the process of entering college has become more streamlined and
accessible to a greater number of people. More education options exist for people
who once were limited by things such as age, disability, location, finances,
and general areas of interest. Higher education is only one aspect of
educational options that has increased through the widespread use of the
internet. More options also exist for young students still in elementary,
middle, and high school. Not only are there many types of online private school
options for kids nowadays, but many states offer online public school options
as well. The wide array of specialty instruction courses that are available to
people of all ages through internet schooling options are nearly limitless and
the possibilities continue to grow.
Working
in a team for the advancement of any private school seeking expansion into the
distance learning model with a focus on internet classroom activity, there
would be several areas of concentration that would need to be at the forefront
of developmental focus. Firstly, information would need to be gathered
pertaining to any state laws or local requirements for the type of education
being provided so that everything being developed would be sure to be in
compliance. Specific course materials would need to be determined per
departmental focus, therefore a group effort toward this aim would need to be
devised to ensure said materials were relevant to each course of study, up to
date, and in line with any additional requirements. A web development team
would need to be formed to create an online classroom environment suitable for
the type of instruction being provided. Advertising campaign strategies would
need to be developed and implemented and sales professionals would need to be
hired for a variety of functions including call back services. Online
instructors and advisors would need to be hired as well as clerical workers. A
finance committee would need to be set in place to handle matters of expense as
well as any funding issues. Much would be involved in such an expansion, but
generally speaking the effort and funds put into such a venture would prove
worthwhile if the appropriate steps were taken and competency among team
members is high. If the proper elements were set into place and concentration
was set and focus aimed at the appropriate target market of students then there
would be a great financial payoff through those efforts.
In
conclusion, the educational service industry is one that is unlike any other in
the way that it has the ability to impact such a wide array of professional
pursuits. With the expansion of technologies in many various industries, education
will continue to grow in its availability and its subject matter. The
possibilities that exist within this industry are limited only by a society’s
willingness to embrace new technologies and supportive educational measures.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2009, December 17). Bureau
of Labor Statistics. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from United States
Department of Labor: http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs034.htm
EIA. (2006, August). Career Opportunities in the
Education Industry. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from Education Industry
Association:
http://www.educationindustry.org/assets/EIA%20Career%20Guide%20%28August%20Update%29.pdf
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