Living Large—Personal and Professional Education in Southern Nevada

As the new year approaches, almost all of us think about personal and even professional growth. This includes developing or improving a personal skill, such as cooking, dancing, overall exercise, or even learning a musical instrument. We may need to brush up on certain professional skills for our current job, most commonly involving a computer.

Or we may be looking into an entire new career that requires particular education requirements and certification.

Las Vegas is fortunate in that it does offer a variety of choices and unlike other places in the country, classes are rarely canceled due to weather. But a little research into local education options, especially beyond the well-advertised, can save considerable time and especially money.

In last week’s mail came a copy of “Outreach,” UNLV’s continuing-education catalog, for the spring 2020 term. It provides a long list of classes, from improving basic cooking skills (nine one-nighters starting at $49 each) to full-blown certification programs. To be certified as a paralegal, for example, requires 30 three-hour classes running from mid-February through mid-June at a cost of $6,549.

Almost 20 years ago, I took a couple of courses at UNLV in website design with the goal of just learning the terminology I needed to locate and connect with a web designer. The classes were good and the instructors recommended a recent graduate, Jill Maturino, who has been my website right-hand through the creation and maintenance of cdcgamingreports.com. While my limited personal experience is positive, I would still recommend research into other alternatives before signing up for a UNLV program.

First stop is the nearest branch of the Clark County Public Library. I have touted this underused resource before (and plan to devote next week’s blog to an update), but the simple possession of a library card opens up a whole array of free, online, educational resources that are especially helpful for someone wanting to update computer or financial skills.

For exercise and other personal-growth classes, I would check out local gyms (which offer them free with a low-cost membership) or programs through the more than one-dozen Clark Country Community Centers located throughout the valley.

The College of Southern Nevada (CSN) also offers a variety of courses, though (like all things CSN) it does take considerable website searching to find anything.

Finally, before beginning a major career-changing certification program anywhere, take two steps. First, schedule an appointment with the HR departments of possible employers and get their opinion on both the overall job market and educational options. One reason community colleges no longer offer Realtor classes is that private real estate training academies do the job much more quickly and cheaply. Second, contact a tax professional to see if you (and your expenditure) qualify for either an American Opportunity Credit or a Lifetime Learning Credit on your federal income taxes. As these are tax credits, not deductions, one or the other could save you thousands of dollars in your quest for advancement.