Moms Under 30 Want to Go Back to School and Change Careers

ATLANTA, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Mothers spend a lot of time making sure they're satisfied with their children's education, but a new survey finds that four out of every five young mothers say they need higher levels of education and better career skills.

The national survey of more than 1,000 mothers with children up to 16 years of age, reveals that three-fourths of them want to earn a bachelor's or a graduate-level degree. More than half of the women surveyed favor a career change and recognize that acquiring additional education serves as the key to achieving that goal.

"This is especially true for mothers who are 18 to 29 years old and for moms who have some college education," says Dr. George Miller, chief executive officer of American InterContinental University. "For mothers of all ages, the chief motivation to acquire further education is a desire to increase their financial contribution to the household, especially for the sake of their children."

Stay-at-home moms, the survey suggests, are more likely to favor returning to school than those who work part-time. And mothers who head back to school are most likely to enroll in education and health care programs. None of the surveyed mothers currently work full-time.

Employers Favor More Education

This survey reflects the trend of employers to seek and to hire job candidates who have earned college degrees. According to a 2006 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the pursuit of further college education or career training is imperative as mothers explore re-entering the workforce.

The survey also finds that the majority of mothers interested in furthering their education look for more flexible programs such as "blended-classes" -- a hybrid of online and traditional classroom learning. These classes offer moms more convenience and flexibility at the time when many are juggling family and work duties.

In addition, mothers just returning to school find the blended environment a more-approachable format. Moms beginning their college careers can be apprehensive about competitive academic environments and are more likely to prefer online classes than are mothers with more education.

"With the rapid growth of online learning and blended learning options, it's easier for mothers to pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree, even with the demands of busy lives," says AIU's Dr. Miller. "AIU prides itself on offering accessible education options and a learning format that reflects the real world. Our goals are to help people improve their lives and achieve success in the workplace as it exists today."

                            Other Survey Findings

    --  Two-thirds of moms favor getting additional career training.
    --  Accelerated-degree programs and the quality of instructors are more
        likely to entice mothers with higher education levels.
    --  Mothers in the Midwest and South are the most likely to be interested
        in returning to school in order to make a career change.
    --  Single moms are more likely to prefer traditional in-person classes
        over online learning than are married mothers.
    --  Single mothers are more likely to desire additional education in order
        to facilitate a career change than are married mothers.
    --  Financial considerations and a limited availability of time are the
        main reasons why moms hesitate in returning to school.

As for the personal benefits of furthering their education, mothers cite the likelihood of more career opportunities and greater flexibility in their job choices. Mothers with less education are more likely to think they will increase their confidence levels by returning to school. "By pursuing more education, today's moms understand that they are increasing their employment opportunities and improving their ability to provide a better life for their children," says Miller.

Methodology

From August 29 to September 4, 2007, American InterContinental University commissioned an online survey of mothers in order to gauge the level of satisfaction they have with their place in the workforce. The survey reached 1,024 moms with children ranging in age from 0 to 16 years who are not employed or work no more than 30 hours per week. The margin of error at the 95% confidence interval on a sample of 1,024 is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

About American InterContinental University and AIU Online

American InterContinental University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate, Bachelor's, and Master's degrees. This umbrella accreditation includes the following branch campuses of the University: AIU Los Angeles, AIU Buckhead; AIU Dunwoody; AIU South Florida; AIU London; AIU Houston; AIU Online (originating in Illinois); and the American University in Dubai. For more information, please visit http://www.aiuniv.edu. American InterContinental University Online (AIU Online) is the web-based virtual campus of American InterContinental University. For more information, please visit http://www.aiuonline.edu.

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     Michael Foley
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