Are you planning to go on a vacation overseas for a little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city life? If your answer is yes, you’d most probably want to read on as the following explains a collection of useful travel tips which might come in handy for you, especially when you are in a foreign country without close friends and family available to help you out.Before you take a trip, remember to plan things properly. Always ensure that you have a valid and signed passport and visa, wherever applicable. It is also best to fill in the page which states the emergency information in your passport.Furthermore, inform you families and friends regarding the whereabouts and plans for your trip so as to have them come over to your house regularly and have a check on it. It’s always wise to be safe than sorry, a little more security won’t hurt. Also, another thing which should not be excluded from your list of travel tips would be to leave copies of your passport and visa’s date page with your family or close friends. The same thing goes to your itinerary. This is important so that you can be reached if there were to be an emergency.Besides, check up on the coverage of your overseas medical insurance as you do not want to be stranded in a foreign place without health coverage. Make inquiries regarding your policy and whether if it’s applied for overseas travelling. One of the important tips would be to familiarize yourself with the local conditions or custom. You wouldn’t want to be caught doing something which the locals might take as an offensive act.
In a nutshell, going around the world is a type of pleasure and should be taken advantage of whenever time permits. Nevertheless, certain factors have to be taken into consideration before you plunge into your travelling plans.
Travel Tips For a Romantic Trip
House Price Trend in Italy’s Top Resorts
The surveys conducted by Nomisma and F.I.M.A.A. (the largest Italian Realtors association) show that Italy’s tourist property market maintains a substantial stability in last two years, following a significant growth in the period 2001 to 2008.Comparing the historical series of house average prices for main Italy’s sea and mountain resorts, we notice a smoother trend for the sea resorts, with an overall increase of 62% in years 2000 to 2008 and values of growth between a minimum of 2% in 2008 and a maximum of 9% in 2003. In the same period (2000 to 2008) the curve for non-sea resorts is more nervous: it shows an overall growth in the house average price of 51%, with a pick of 9.8% in 2004 and a minimum of 2.1% in 2008. After 2008, prices begin a slight decrease, more pronounced for sea resorts (-06% for sea resorts, -0,1% for non-sea resorts). We can say then that Italian tourist property market prices hold up the impact of the world crisis, as well as the national property market.The F.I.M.A.A. surveys rank the ten sea and mountain resorts with the highest prices for best houses: i.e. they consider the average of highest sale prices observed (of course, the maximum prices can be considerably higher than the average). There are some interesting divergences between the group of top sea resorts and the top mountain resorts.The group of the best sea resorts shows a low mobility, featuring a list of only twelve localities which appear in the top ten ranking during years 2006 to 2010. Santa Margherita Ligure and Porto Cervo are competing for the supremacy, with two first positions each, while Campania resorts (Capri and Positano) boast the strongest price growth (round 14 % and 11%): Capri gains first place in 2010, with 13,100 Euros/SQM. The resort of Fregene, a favourite with Romans VIPs, is declining, leaving the top ten ranking in 2009 and 2010. Tuscany resorts (Forte dei Marmi and Viareggio) are ascending instead. Notice that the price variation refers to the price of the most expensive houses: i.e. the average of the highest prices observed.The low increases (in some cases decreases) are indicative of the market tendency to reduce the excessive prices achieved. Take Porto Cervo as an example: the average price of best houses was 13,500 Euros/SQM in 2007 (when Porto Cervo was number one), while in 2010 we find a price of 12,000 Euros/SQM. Really, the average of the twelve sea resorts has not substantially changed in 2010 (10,325) with respect to 2006 (10,225). The list of the twelve resorts is reported below, with the average position referred to the whole period 2006-2010 and the average price observed in 2010 for the best houses. Portofino, probably because of the very few property transactions, is not among the localities monitored by F.I.M.A.A.Top sea resorts (2006 to 2010).
Santa Margherita Ligure (Liguria): 1.8 – 12,500 Euros/SQM
Porto Cervo (Sardinia): 2.4 – 12,000 Euros/SQM
Forte dei Marmi (Tuscany): 2.6 – 13,000 Euros/SQM
Capri (Campania): 3.2 – 13,100 Euros/SQM
Alassio (Liguria): 5.6 – 9,200 Euros/SQM
Positano (Campania): 6.8 – 10,300 Euros/SQM
Porto Rotondo (Sardinia): 8 – 8,700 Euros/SQM
Viareggio(Tuscany): 8 – 9,500 Euros/SQM
Sestri Levante (Liguria): 9.2 – 9,000 Euros/SQM
Anacapri (Campania): 9.2 – 9,400 Euros/SQM
Fregene (Lazio): 10 – 8,200 Euros/SQM
Cinque Terre (Liguria): 10.4 – 9,000 Euros/SQMThe group of mountain resorts appears to be more dynamic. In fact, we find 17 localities which enter at least once in the yearly top ten ranking. Really, the top of the ranking remains well stable, showing constantly the same resorts at the first three positions: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Madonna di Campiglio and Courmayeur. Cortina d’Ampezzo is by far the winner, resulting every year the locality with maximum house price among both the sea and mountains resorts, featuring a price of 19,000 Euros/SQM in 2010. But in the lower part of ranking, things go differently. In fact, we see the strong decline of Piedmont resorts Sestriere and Bardonecchia, which had probably benefited from the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games. They shift from 5th and 7th place in 2006 to 18th and 17th in 2010, with a decrease in the best house price of 27.55% and 11.44% respectively.The performance of Cervinia is similar: it exits the top ten ranking in 2009 and 2010, moving from 6,030 Euros /SQM to 5,000 Euros in 2010. San Martino di Castrozza, Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Canazei and Moena are the ascending resorts: all these were out of top ten ranking in 2006 and have entered the top ten only in 2009 or 2010. Gressoney-Saint-Jean achieved a price increase of 27.95%, bringing on a par with the twin village Gressoney La-Trinite’. Ortisei, San Martino di Castrozza and Moena achieve the best performance, with a price increase greater than 40%, and confirm the great attraction of Dolomites. Overall, the average price of best houses in the mountain resorts group is lower than in the sea resorts group (8,015 Euros/SQM vs. 10,325), but the increase 2006 to 2010 is far higher (17.68% vs. 0.97%).Top mountain resorts (2006 to 2010).
Cortina d’Ampezzo (Trentino Alto Adige): 1 – 19,000 Euros/SQM
Madonna di Campiglio (Trentino Alto Adige): 2 – 13,000 Euros/SQM
Courmayeur (Valle d’Aosta): 3 – 10,800 Euros/SQM
Corvara (Trentino Alto Adige): 4.6 – 9,000 Euros/SQM
Madesimo (Lombardia): 6.6 – 7,070 Euros/SQM
Gressoney L.T. (Valle d’Aosta): 8.6 – 6,500 Euros/SQM
Ortisei (Trentino Alto Adige): 9.2 – 9,000 Euros/SQM
Sestriere (Piedmont): 9.4 – 5,000 Euros/SQM
Bardonecchia (Piedmont): 11 – 5,500 Euros/SQM
Selva di Val Gardena (Trentino Alto Adige): 11.2 – 6,269 Euros/SQM
Champoluc (Valle d’Aosta): 11.4 – 6,000 Euros/SQM
San Martino di Castrozza (Trentino Alto Adige): 11.8 – 8,000 Euros/SQM
Cervinia (Valle d’Aosta): 12 – 5,000 Euros/SQM
Bormio (Lombardia): 12.2 – 6,130 Euros/SQM
Gressoney S.G. (Valle d’Aosta): 13.2 – 6,500 Euros/SQM
Canazei (Valle d’Aosta): 13.2 – 7,000 Euros/SQM
Moena (Trentino Alto Adige): 16.2 – 6,500 Euros/SQMBehind the top resorts, one of the best performances among the sea localities, is realized by Punta Marina, the small town in the Municipality of Ravenna, which achieved an increase of nearly 28% in the price of the best houses, following the similar growth already realized by Marina di Ravenna. These resorts are considered not only for holidays, but also as an alternative residence to the near town of Ravenna.
How To Make Your Videos Go Viral
This is the final bit of this webinar before we get into the question and answer session. A lot of people have asked me about this, you know, “How do you actually make your videos go viral?” Trust me, there’s been a lot of studies on this and books have been written on this.
In fact, if you’ve ever heard of The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, it’s an amazing book. It talks about the science behind stuff going viral. I really recommend you read that, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
The Definition Of Going Viral
Let’s just look at the definition of going viral. All it basically means is it’s like a virus that duplicates itself with everything it gets in contact with. Think about how this relates to your videos online. Now this is the key thing, every new contact then becomes a host and starts the process all over again. That creates that viral effect.
It’s the same sort of thing with the pyramid schemes. You have one person tell two of their friends and each of those two people tell two of their friends and before you know it, you’ve got a viral effect. That’s what it means to go viral.
So you need those things. You need the virus that duplicates itself and that new contact becomes the host to start the process again. Those are the requirements for something to go viral. It’s word of mouse on YouTube, not word of mouth. Word of mouse.
If you look at studies done, I mentioned this before, one of the most popular ways for people to get to YouTube is through referrals and having their friends tell them about a video. They’ll send an email to them at work and say, “Hey, check out this funny video.” Those are the key ways of getting people to your videos is word of mouse – recommendations, the most important vehicle for making your stuff go viral online.
The Tipping Point By Malcolm Gladwell
I mentioned The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. He talks about three factors or three things that are needed for something to go viral.
The Law Of The Few
The law of the few, and this points to like the big guns, people with big lists or people with big influence – like for example those people with a lot of subscribers on YouTube. There are not many of them. There are only a few of them.
Stickiness Factor
There’s the stickiness factor. In other words, what’s going to encourage people to spread it and why would this message stick?
The Context
Then there’s the context. What is the context of the video? In our case it’s YouTube and the niche that you’re operating in.
The question is why would people want to promote it, what’s in it for them? Why would people want to spread the word about your video? I really recommend you read The Tipping Point. That’ll give you incredible insight into how to make your videos go viral. It’s a great book.
Of course, it’s difficult to engineer videos to go viral and sometimes they’ll just go viral without you even planning it. Sometimes you can engineer it. If you can, it can be very, very successful.
I’ve got a couple of methods here that I want to talk about. One I’ve tested and I’ve been able to get some good results, but I need to test it more. I’ll show you what I did.
The Viral Competition Method
The first one is what I’m calling the Viral Competition Method. This is basically use of competitions. There are six requirements that you need for this.
• First, you need a WIIFM factor, or What’s In It For Me factor – for example, a prize. People can win a prize if they enter into this thing.
• There’s the viral hub page. That’s your original host. This is often the YouTube video page. I’ll show you how this works in a second.
• There’s the opt-in catch. That’s the opt-in page where you give people the free report, or your squeeze page.
• You’ll need viral annotations, and these are the annotations where you link people back to your viral hub page. I’ll show you how this works in a second.
• You need a viral beachhead. This is the big guns. The viral beachhead, someone with a big list, someone with a big subscriber base, you need someone like that on board for this to work.
Let’s see how this works in action. We did a competition awhile ago for FreeMagicLive, me and JayJay. We created a video where we told people about a competition to win a Flip camera, but to be able to enter they had to do a few things. They had to go to our website, at www. StreetMagicMastery. com over here, and they had to perform a trick and submit their own video as a video response over there. For each of these videos, one of the requirements to enter is that they had to create this annotation here, this video annotation. Now what this annotation does is basically it links back to this video here. That’s what it does. Everybody that creates a video response has this annotation inside the video.
That means all their subscribers, all these people here – sorry, these videos are all the same, but it just represents all the subscribers of this channel here – they will see this video and they’ll click on it. They’ll watch our video, download our report, and then they’ll go ahead and multiply and do the same thing over and over. This is the theory behind this.
Now let’s look at some results. Let’s look at our competition video, See All. Now I’m not sure if it really went viral, but we certainly got a lot of views. We got 9,558 views. If you want to see this in action, I recommend you go to our channel and check out the video that says, “Want to win a brand new Flip video camera? It’s real easy to enter.” Check it out and see how we did it. Look at the elements.
Now that one was a little bit complicated, but I’m sure you can simplify it to get the same sort of effect. The important thing here is that you think about this viral concept. What are you using to make this thing go viral?
In our case, it’s this annotation theme that we get people to go back to this video, and also the requirement to click on our link and to download our report. That is the requirement of this competition. Everybody had to do that.
That’s the viral competition method. It’s pretty straight forward. It’s not that hard to do and it’s fun. It’s heaps of fun. We had 74 responses for our video, so it’s not as huge as that other guy, but our channel’s only seven or eight months old. We’re getting better as we go.
The Forced Referral Method
The second one is one that I still want to try. I’m going to explain it to you, because I really think this could work very, very well. This is called the forced referral method. For this there are six requirements.
• First, you need the viral beachhead. This is someone with a big list, either on YouTube or someone with an email list.
• You need the opt-in catch, which is your squeeze page.
• You need the multiplier factor. This is a tell-a-friend script, so that’s what’s going to help you multiply the number of people who sign up to your newsletter.
• You also need a viral video.
The first step is to have the viral beachhead. This is basically just someone with a massive email list or a YouTube user with a massive following, and you get them involved to basically send traffic to your squeeze page. That’s the next step.
Once people get into your squeeze page they’ll get a free resource, and before they can get access to this free resource, they’ll get sent to a page with a tell-a-friend script. This basically says, “If you want to get access to this free resource, first you need to tell three of your friends about it, then you’ll get your free resource.”
Once they’ve told their three friends, it’ll be like a simple form. It will send all their friends to this YouTube video. So you need this initial impetus from the viral beachhead to make this work.
You may be able to do that with your own list if you have one or you can find someone else, if you can think about a way to make it worthwhile for these people.
This is the key thing. Inside your YouTube video, you want to drive people back to the squeeze page. So that continues this process and it goes round and round in circles.
Every time people go through the tell-a-friend script batch, it gets three or five or however many people to visit your YouTube video. That’s how it goes viral. I haven’t tested this one. I’ve seen this used very effectively in other internet marketing situations – not with YouTube yet, but just with normal websites. It’s definitely something to test and check out. It’ll just help you make stuff go viral.
The Need For Work Experience
Companies are not just looking for good grades and extra-curricular activity, but a sufficient amount of work experience. They want to know that you’ve worked somewhere else, have done a great job, and have good references. This is how they figure out if you really are as bright and talented as your resume suggest and there really is no litmus test like real world experience for an employee.Finding a job will take much less time if your references are actual professionals in your field that you have personally worked for than if your references are your grandma and your best friend. Work experience is really the only way to get this. It will also help you qualify for more positions with your level of education and get you into an interview faster. Experience impresses human resource managers because it shows that graduates have a passion for their line of work and have already been broken in by another company.Work experience will also set you up to make a higher salary or hourly wage for your first job. Many places will ask for so many years of education or applicable work experience. This means that you may qualify for that sales job without an associate in business if you’ve spent several years in a sales position and have proven your worth at your previous company. You will find that there are industries where work experience means more than education ever could even though your parents may have told you that college was the only way to get anywhere in any industry. This could actually save you money as tuition costs are rising well beyond affordable levels and with state budget deficits, it is likely that state-funded schools will keep up this trend.Students do have the option of internships. Many schools will work directly with you and a company to help you find the best internship possible. Some internships will pay a wage to their students but some highly-demanded internships are volunteer and will pay you nothing. If you do not have the funds to live in a new location and work for free, you might have to sacrifice that dream internship with one that pays well but isn’t exactly what you wanted.Volunteer service is another option if you do not have the option of doing an internship and you are having a hard time finding a job. This will help you give back to your community, and if you have found a fitting volunteer position for your field, you will have applicable experience and good references.Work experience should not just be considered a way to get your foot in the door but an opportunity to grow as an employee. You will find that in your next job, you will be able to get on your feet faster and make a bigger impact on the company. New college graduates will learn how to work in different environment and your next employer will be impressed. Work experience can not only help you get the job, but it can also set you in line to receive pay raises and promotions faster than your co-workers that just started their work experience at their current job.
It’s Never Too Late to Get Back into Health and Fitness
Hello people,At this time of the year many of you go on holiday, or have the children at home, and adding to this the warm evenings, barbeques, and enticing beer gardens, many people find that they are slipping out of their good habits, and starting to feel sluggish. It is an often repeated scenario that effects many of you, including myself, that just when you seem to be getting somewhere, improving fitness levels, and losing unwanted weight, life takes over, holidays loom, work tires you out, babies are born, and suddenly it seems as if you are back to square one. Many people feel that when they have taken time out from their exercise routine, or when social engagements and holidays have sabotaged their healthy eating habits, that they have to start from scratch again. This can seem daunting and unfair, and often is enough to put you off altogether. We feel that all the hard work is useless if you can loose it all so easily, and that it is easier not to bother, and that we have failed. This may lead us back to bad habits and spiraling low-self esteem, where it becomes harder and harder to get back into fitness and health.It is never too late to get back into health and fitness.I think that we should take a leaf out of the government’s book and replace the word FAILURE with DEFFERRED SUCCESS. Slipping out of your health and fitness routines is merely a normal part of the journey towards changing your lifestyle for the better for ever (no that is not an excuse for deliberately slipping out and buying that chocolate gateau). We should view these little excursions from out healthy routine as minor blips. Do not allow them to continue, don’t think about having to start again, just think about continuing with your good work. Try to see the bad times as an exception to the rule, and the good times as normal life, rather that the other way round.Last week I was talking to my dad and he explained that they have had lots of visitors staying and provided them with lots of lovely (and naughty) food, and that next week they were having a dinner party and so he would be dropping out of his healthy routine yet again. He told me that he would start again after the dinner party, but I reminded him that he could continue to eat well until the dinner party, and then just take a day off. I think that this illustrates the way that many of us think about our healthy lifestyles, often it seems something that we can put off until later, but sometimes later becomes a lot later and sometimes it never happens. I am afraid that we have to be a little strict with ourselves, pick ourselves off the sofa, turn off that TV and get out there, book a badminton court, turn up to a class or go for a walk.Summer is such a great time to take a look at your exercise routine and what you eat and make some more effort. If you go on holiday do not see it as a time to do all of the things you would never dream of doing at home, look at it as an opportunity to try some new pursuits such as fitness walking, sea swimming, pony trekking, skiing etc Take in the scenery whilst being active, visit markets to sample local fruit and vegetables, and if you are close to the sea, go to seafood restaurants and eat loads of fresh fish. If you are at home with kids, try some active pursuits with them, get down the farmers market and get them to choose some interesting seasonal fruits and vegetables. Go out into the garden and do some gardening, use the better weather to stay active, and then when the Autumn comes and most people are feeling remorse for the damage that they have done to themselves over the Summer, you will know that you calmly carried on living well and healthily.If you find that you are struggling to fit everything in, then write down the way you feel when you are eating well and exercising regularly; more energy, sleeping better, feeling confident, feeling less stressed, having a more positive body image, feeling physically strong, feeling proud of yourself. Remind yourself of these things, and then continue with this healthy happy path. Forget the period of relapse, don’t feel bad about it, don’t let it put you off making the effort to get back into health, just calmly take the steps needed to get you back on track. Clear the rubbish out the fridge, telephone a squash partner, pick up a timetable from the gym, put a note in your diary and make an appointment with yourself to get fitter and feel better.Health and fitness is about progression not perfection, don’t look back at where you went wrong, look forward and think about the things that you can do today to progress.Nag over, cheerio until next time, and have a healthy happy week.
Vikki.Do you have any friends and family who could benefit from getting fitter and feeling better? If you do, then treat them to free copy of this newsletter, forward it to them, and get them to e-mail me with a request. E-mail [email protected] subject: newsletter request. Would you like to bring health into the workplace? Getfitter now offers a corporate package, including yoga classes/courses, Massage, Nutrition and Stress Management seminars, team-building events, conference breaks, Company Wellness days and Healthy Friday a monthly wellness event. Please visit www.corporatechill.com or ring Vikki on 0117 3300655.
Click Your Way to a Photography Diploma with an Online Course
With a City & Guilds Diploma in Photography you can learn the skills and techniques of the professionals and take your interest in photography on to the next level.Using today’s modern cameras anyone can produce impressive results with relative ease, but if you want to go one step further and really learn how to get the most out of photography, a City & Guilds Photography Diploma is the ideal way to begin. City & Guilds courses are comprehensive and inexpensive, and lead to qualifications that are recognised throughout the industry, making them ideal if you’re looking to begin a career in photography.City & Guilds Diploma in PhotographyThere are two main City & Guilds Diplomas in Photography available:
City and Guilds Basic Photography
City and Guilds Black and White Photography
Each one can be studied through an online course, allowing you to work through your studies in whatever way suits you best, taking as long as you like to gain your diploma.An online course gives you a degree of freedom in your studies that traditional teaching methods simply cannot match. With no need for lectures or classes you can pick and choose where and when you work, fitting the online course around your existing lifestyle.Many City & Guilds Photography Diploma course providers offer extensive online support for their students, with the very best providing forums, tutor support and online learning resources.Photography Diploma – Subjects CoveredAll City & Guilds Photography Diplomas provide extensive instruction in photographic equipment, professional techniques and the principles of composition. Some of the areas you’ll learn about include:
Camera and lenses
Film, light and techniques
Composition, picture design and presentation
Final portfolio techniques
Taking a City & Guilds Diploma in Photography enables you to capitalise on your interest and develop a set of professional skills built on real practical knowledge. Whether you want to pursue a rewarding career in photography or just want to learn how to get the most from your hobby, gaining a City & Guilds Photography Diploma through an online course lets you fulfil your ambitions with the minimum of inconvenience and expense.
California Health Insurance – Independent Health Life Agent Verses Insurance Company In House Agent
You have just completed an online form requesting a free health insurance quote and moments later you are being inundated with phone calls from insurance agents hoping to get your business. Try not to become overwhelmed or annoyed by these “pesky sales people” because they are really not telemarketers. Most of them are well-trained state licensed professionals who can really help you make a good decision regarding which health plan is best and most affordable for your individual or group coverage needs.You may be under the misconception that if you buy your health plan directly from the insurance company, and cut out the “middle person”, you will save money. This is absolutely not the case. In fact, insurance companies rely on agents for most of their business and that’s why they pay them commissions for bringing in customers. It does not cost a consumer one penny more to use a licensed California health insurance agent to obtain their insurance coverage.There are many differences between California health insurance and other states including how it is applied for.For example, while Blue Cross and Blue Shield are one company in other states, here in California, each is separate and applied to individually as Anthem Blue Cross of California and Blue Shield of California.California health insurance law AB 1672 is an improvement over the federal HIPAA law that covers all states in that it includes the following with regard to California group coverage:1. Individuals with pre-existing medical conditions may change over to a new group health plan without an exclusionary period.2. It allows small businesses and professional organizations to have access to health plans providing they have between 2 and 50 full time employees.3. It keeps insurance rates from climbing after a claim is filed.4. Employees who have health problems may change jobs or health plans without being rated higher for having pre-existing conditions.That said, the very best health insurance agent for your individual and business needs is an “Independent Agent.” Why? Because they represent multiple insurance carriers, not just one. An independent agent can help you select the most appropriate cost-effective plan offering the most benefits for your dollar as available from the major carriers, rather than feeding you just one company’s line of health plans which may not suit your particular needs. Many people are too complacent and settle for what their current insurance company has to offer. They could use a good independent agent to sort through the many plans available from multiple insurance carriers to find and provide the best choice of options.Another misunderstanding you may have is that insurance agents set the premium rates for the health insurance plans they sell. Thinking if you shop around you may get a better price for the same plan. Premium rates are based on your age, zip code or county in which you reside and are controlled completely by the insurance companies. Every agent uses the exact same rate guides set by the insurance companies. The condition of your health may affect your premium, which may be rated up after the insurance company’s underwriting department has reviewed your medical records. Again, the insurance company, not the agent, determines that outcome.Now, let’s talk about the benefits of having a good insurance agent representing you. Most consumers neither know nor understand the benefits of a health plan being offered and need the expertise of an agent to explain the benefits to them in full. For example, do you know what the difference is between an “out-of-pocket maximum” and an “annual deductible?”An out of pocket maximum is the most you will have to pay in a given year for deductible and coinsurance for covered benefits before your insurance starts to pay 100% of most expenses until the year ends.An annual deductible is usually the amount you pay each year before your health plan starts paying anything for covered services. Generally, the higher the deductible, the lower the premium. Certain services such as prescription drugs carry separate deductibles. Plans may vary and sometimes benefits will kick in before you have to meet the deductible.A knowledgeable health insurance agent can be a guide through the maze and help you choose the right plan to meet your needs and budget while obtaining the most benefits for your dollars spent. An agent will also make clear how the benefits for a generic prescription may differ from the benefits for a brand prescription on a particular plan.After you have a health plan in place, a good, caring agent will remind you to pay your premium on time so the insurance company doesn’t cancel you. Your agent can also be an enormous resource for assistance if you run into a problem with a health insurance claim. Instead of waiting on hold at the insurance company’s 800 number for thirty to forty- five minutes, call your agent and explain your problem and if you have chosen the right agent, you will get help and may save yourself lots of time and frustration, maybe even some money by having an expert in your corner where your best interests come first.So next time you or someone you know, fills out one of those on-line forms for a health insurance quote and you get several phone calls from health insurance agents wanting your business, be grateful that a professional wants to help you for free to choose the right plan and you’ll have an important friend for life.
Automotive and Diesel Career Training Options
Gaining the education necessary to work with a variety of automotives can be done by enrolling in an accredited educational automotive and diesel training program. Students can receive the training they need by pursuing an accredited education from a number of available technical or trade schools. Automotive and diesel career training programs allow students to learn to be a variety of automotive professionals. Students can earn certificates or a variety of degrees ranging from an associate to a masters level. There are a number of things to learn prior to enrolling in an accredited technical school.1) There are numerous educational opportunities for those seeking a career in the automotive industry. Students can train for careers in:
auto body
automotive service management
NASCAR…and much more. With an accredited educational automotive and diesel training program students can for employment as:motorcycle mechanics
diesel mechanics
automotive service technicians
auto body workers
automotive service managers…and many other exciting positions. Educational training programs can help students prepare for careers in a number of industries.2) Coursework will vary by program but may include the study of various subjects like:
welding
brakes
transmissions
physics
drive systems
body painting
engines…and much more. Studies will also depend on each individual students desired level of education and career. Specific areas of study may consist of subjects like:
refinishing
steering
electronics
customer service
climate control…and many other related courses. By studying these subjects students can learn all the necessary skills and knowledge needed to enter into the workforce prepared.3) Students can train to work with a variety of automotives with an accredited education in the field. Learning will allow students to be able to work on:
stock cars
dirt bikes
buses
motorcycles
cranes
mopeds
tractor trailers…and much more. Educational career programs provide students with the training needed to pursue employment in:
auto body shops
dealerships
manufacturers
trucking companies
maintenance shops…and much more. With an accredited degree students can enter the workforce prepared to succeed in their desired position.Continuing education certificates are available to those looking to further their education in a specific area of the field. Students who choose to earn an accredited education in this field can do so by enrolling in a variety of trade schools. Accreditation is a programs proof that students will receive the quality education they need to succeed in their desired career. Agencies like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (http://www.asscs.org/) and others are approved to fully accredit various educational programs. Students can learn more about the degree or certificate of their choice by researching available automotive and diesel training programs. By enrolling today students can start the path to an exciting new career. Learn more by requesting information regarding the career of your choice.DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.Copyright 2010 – All rights reserved by PETAP.org.
Importance of a Complementary Educational Agenda for DR-CAFTA
LAYING THE GROUNDWORKIn September 2000, the member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the Millennium Declaration. That document served as the launching pad for the public declaration of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which include everything from goal one of halving extreme poverty to goal two of providing universal primary education; all to be accomplished before the year 2015. Progress towards the first seven goals are dependent upon the success of goal eight – which emphasizes the need for rich countries to commit to assisting with the development of “an open, rule-based trading and financial system, more generous aid to countries committed to poverty reduction, and relief for the debt problems of developing countries.”1At first glance, the recent actions of Central American countries and the United States to liberalize trade seem to support, at least partially, successful realization of MDG Eight. However, upon closer examination, the picture blurs and the outcome seems uncertain.Following only a year of negotiations, the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) or DR-CAFTA (as a result of its recent inclusion of the Dominican Republic), was signed by the governments of Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the United States in 2004. The agreement, committing each country to reduce its trade barriers with the other DR-CAFTA countries, was ratified by the United States Congress on July 28, 2005.2Rather than attempting to analyze all of the specific economic and social intricacies associated with liberalizing trade in Central America, this brief aims solely to cast light upon the overlap between countries’ efforts to implement the Millennium Development Goal Two/Education for All and their need to implement a complementary CAFTA agenda.Specifically, this document highlights the importance of educational priorities if economic development efforts are to be successful. The premise of the argument elaborated here is that without sufficient prioritized emphasis by Central American countries, multilateral organizations and targeted donor countries on a complementary agenda that directs resources towards education infrastructure, CAFTA will never succeed in assisting these countries in reaching an ever elusive state of “economic prosperity.” In fact, it may deter them from fully accomplishing the MDGs as well.CURRENT STATE OF EDUCATIONWith the need for collaboration between economic and educational efforts in mind, let us examine the current status of MDG Two implementation and broader educational reform in Central America:Over the past fifteen years, most Central American countries have implemented at least basic forms of educational reform. As a result, more children are entering school and spending more days and years enrolled than ever before. On an aggregate level, the larger Latin American and Caribbean region has made considerable progress toward the goal of universal primary education enrollment and according to the most recent UN Millennium Development Goals report, “Net enrollment rates at the primary level rose from 86 percent in 1990 to 93 percent in 2001. The region’s pace of progress in this indicator has been faster than the developing world average (which rose from 80 percent to 83 percent between 1990 and 2001). Net enrollment rates in 23 countries of the region (12 in Latin America and 11 in the Caribbean) surpass 90 percent.” 3 The reality is that, large scale disaster or other unforeseen event aside, all six countries are on target to reach the MDG enrollment targets.Unfortunately, progress towards the target of completing five years of primary education has been slower and few countries in the region can boast success in this arena. The lack of progress towards completion of this target is most directly related to inefficiencies in the education system and the socioeconomic conditions of poor children – both situations that result in high repetition and desertion rates and both situations that must be ameliorated if CAFTA is to succeed. Furthermore, while the number of children initially enrolling in school has increased, the poor quality of education throughout Central America is also certainly a factor in children’s failure to complete their primary education. Quality must therefore also be taken into account when considering educational infrastructure needs.While not necessarily relevant to MDG Two but quite possibly relevant from the CAFTA perspective of needing a skilled workforce, Central America’s educational woes most definitely extend beyond the primary school environment. In response to the recent Millennium Development Goals Report 2005, an Inter-American Development Bank representative wrote “It is difficult to avoid the impression that the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are falling behind with regard to secondary education. Although this is not included in the MDGs, it is the single most important educational indicator separating upper and lower income groups in the region.” 4
When less than one third of a country’s urban workforce has completed the twelve years of schooling that your or I take for granted, how can they hope to compete in today’s technology-dense free trade environment?HISTORY LESSON -HAPPENING AGAIN?Upon an examination of the Mexico of today as compared to pre-North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) times, a rise in the Mexican poverty rate over the last decade or so is apparent. Rather than being directly due to the implementation of NAFTA, it is more likely that this increase in the poverty rate is attributable to Mexico’s failure to simultaneously implement a complementary agenda; specifically, the inability of Mexico’s poorer southern States to improve their poorly trained workforce, infrastructural deficiencies and weak institutions in order to participate meaningfully in a liberalized trade environment. Rather than gain, the southern Mexican states lost even as the northern states benefited from the liberalized trade environment created by NAFTA.Dr. Daniel Lederman, co-author of the World Bank report entitled “NAFTA is Not Enough” (and issued ten years after NAFTA was originally enacted) explained in an National Public Radio (NPR) interview in 2003 that Mexico’s financial crisis in the 1990s was bound to deepen poverty there with or without NAFTA. Dr. Lederman said:Mexican income dropped in one year, 1995, by six percent. Wages across the board for all Mexican workers, on average, fell by 25 percent in less than a year…Still, NAFTA helped Mexico limit the damage, lifting per capita income at least 4 percentage points above where it would have been otherwise. The bottom line is, Mexico would be poorer without NAFTA today. Clearly trade alone won’t alleviate poverty. But if Mexico makes the right investments, especially in education, the next decade should be better. 5POTENTIAL FOR ECONOMIC SUCCESSAs was the case in Mexico, it is likely that the majority of households in Central American countries stand to ultimately gain from the price changes associated with removing trade barriers for sensitive agricultural commodities and other goods. However, in order for this to happen, as Dr. Lederman suggests above, each country must now make appropriate investments in development efforts (most especially in education) in order to guarantee an equitable distribution of the benefits of these efforts in the future.Simultaneously, it is of critical importance that each country provides for the needs of their most at-risk citizens. In order to guarantee that the children of these families are given the opportunity to be counted among those in school, countries must identify resources, both internally and externally, to provide incentives for families “to invest in the human capital of their children.” 6Examples of such incentives have been implemented through funding from the Inter-American Development Bank and several other organizations in Costa Rica (Superemonos), the Dominican Republic (Tarjeta de Asistencia Escolar), Honduras (PRAF), and Nicaragua (Red de Protección Social). Most immediately, these incentives (often in the form of conditional cash transfers) serve to increase food consumption, school attendance and use of preventive health care among the extremely poor. In the long run they are intended to assist with poverty and malnutrition reduction and to improve schooling completion rates. As reported by the IDB, “results are proving that it is possible to increase a family’s accumulation of human capital (measured by increased educational attainment and reduced mortality and morbidity) and, as a result, also raise potential labor market returns for the beneficiaries, as well as overall productivity. The programs have had a substantial positive long-term impact on the education, nutrition and health of its beneficiaries, especially children.” 7In the World Bank’s expansive document analyzing CAFTA’s potential impact on Central America, entitled “DR-CAFTA – Challenges and Opportunities for Central America” the authors repeatedly reference technology and emphasize the importance of a complementary educational agenda that is tied to each country’s stage of development and innovation. For example, “for those countries farthest away from the technological frontier -such as Honduras and Nicaragua– the best technology policy is likely to be simply sound education policy… in the more advanced settings of Costa Rica and El Salvador, where adaptation and creation of new technologies is more important, issues of education quality and completion of secondary schooling are more important.” 8 In fact, without ever making specific reference to the MDGs, the authors recommend that the former countries focus on the goal of achieving universal primary education while the latter countries focus their energy on expanding and improving secondary level education. Failing to do so is choosing failure in the open market.Ultimately, rather than seeing CAFTA as a first class ticket to a better economic end – with no strings attached, countries must acknowledge the critical importance of first implementing MDG Two – target three. This target, which says “by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling” 9 is a critically important step towards guaranteeing the emergence of a workforce that can respond to increased marketplace demand and evolving technologies. Without immediate investment in that future workforce via the education system, CAFTA will surely flounder and drag MDG Two along with it.Furthermore, as mentioned above, educational infrastructure must be put into place now that will not only guarantee a higher quality education but will also be made accessible and desirable to Central America’s most at-risk citizens. After all, based on Mexico’s experience, the likelihood of a positive outcome for both CAFTA and MPG Two is slim. Yet the possibility of economic success does exist if we agree to truly choose “Education For All.”CITATIONS1) Millennium Development Goals, Goal Eight, http://www.un.org2) At the time this brief was written (Dec 2005), the agreement still hadn’t been ratified by the Parliaments of Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.3) The Millennium Development Goals Report 2005, http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mi/pdf/MDG%20Book.pdf4) The Millennium Development Goals in Latin America and the Caribbean: Progress, Priorities, and IDB Support for their Implementation, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC, Aug 05, http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=5910885) National Public Radio, All Things Considered, Interview with Daniel Lederman, Monday, December 8, 2003 http://web.lexis-nexis.com/6) The Millennium Development Goals in Latin America and the Caribbean: Progress, Priorities, and IDB Support for their Implementation, ibid7) The Millennium Development Goals in Latin America and the Caribbean: Progress, Priorities, and IDB Support for their Implementation, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC, August 2005, p. 568) DR-CAFTA – Challenges and Opportunities for Central America, Chapter VII: Obtaining the Pay-off From DR-CAFTA, p199.9) Millennium Development Goals, Goal Two, http://www.un.org