McKissock Offers Considerations for Licensed Professionals Seeking Continuing Education

Land Surveyors, Home Inspectors and Engineers Weigh In on Important Criteria

Warren, PA, December 17, 2012 - McKissock, a leader in continuing education, has compiled the top criteria that land surveying, home inspection and engineer professionals consider when selecting continuing education courses required by states and industry associations.

“We invite everyone to use these criteria to scrutinize their education choices,” says Annie Creek, Market Research and Compliance Specialist at McKissock. “The licensed professionals we work with are required to take courses, but have the freedom to select their education partners. Hopefully we can help shed some light on how continuing education can be enjoyable.”

According to ongoing research among licensed professionals, the following criteria top the list.

1. Price – The cost of courses is clearly a top priority. Take the time to compare courses, look into discounted course packages and ask about price matching.

2. Relevance – Review home inspection, engineering and land surveying courses with a lens of relevancy. In addition to what’s required, select courses that will make your job easier or better. Education providers should strive to offer classes, webinars and resources that apply directly to your daily tasks.

3. Acceptance – Most of the time, professionals seeking continuing education need to meet strict requirements for their state or industry associations. It’s critical to ensure that the courses you take meet their standards and requirements.

4. Access – Busy professionals require extra coursework to be quick and easy to find and complete. Consider courses that can be taken on-the-fly at any time.

5. Expertise – Don’t be afraid to ask about instructors’ and course authors’ experience in their respective industries. The best courses are almost always written and taught by subject matter experts who have real-world experience.

McKissock is a trusted resource for state-specific, state-approved home inspector, engineer and land surveying courses, regulation information and compliance.

McKissock also serves as a resource to stay on top of license renewals. To help remove the potential of license lapse or expiration, McKissock offers a free reminder service that will notify you when your license renewal date is pending. Visit http://reminder.mckedu.com to sign up.

Visit www.mckissock.com and select a state for information on approved land surveying, engineering and home inspection courses. McKissock offers customizable packages, individual courses and affordable webinars.

About McKissock:
McKissock is an education company that educates, empowers and enriches professionals in real estate, appraisal, home inspection, land surveying and engineering. McKissock gives specialists a place to go to access relevant, easy-to-use and high-quality courses that provide the hours and information necessary to meet state compliance and regulation requirements. Founded in 1990, McKissock offers more than 100 courses and serves thousands of professionals daily. The company is focused on providing a superior customer experience that will help professionals move their career forward. To learn more, visit www.mckissock.com.

Contact:
Alicia Hassinger
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
720-933-8119
ahassinger@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Ecotech Institute Case Studies Included in National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program

Comprehensive Online Database Outlines How Campuses Showcase Sustainability

Denver, Colorado, December 20, 2012 – The National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF’s) Campus Ecology program recently released 112 new case studies featuring the best green projects of 2012. These innovative efforts, from renewable energy systems to campus organic farms, can now be seen in a single online resource from NWF. The comprehensive database of case studies outlines how colleges and universities around the country, including Ecotech Institute, are making a substantial investment in the sustainability of their campuses, communities and curriculum. Ecotech Institute now has three sustainability case studies included in NWF Campus Ecology’s resources.

The NWF Campus Ecology sustainability case study database, the only resource of its kind, is available online now at thanks in part to the support of The Kendeda Fund. More than one hundred new case studies highlight efforts to dramatically reduce pollution, waste, and costs, including recycling, energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy installations and green jobs training programs.

Published each year since 1989, NWF’s Campus Ecology sustainability case study database has become an indispensable resource for students, faculty, administrators, community leaders and others interested in the role of colleges and universities in protecting the health of our planet. The database is searchable by topic, year, school, and state and includes information on each institution’s project goals, successes, challenges, funding strategies and project leaders.

“This resource helps colleges and universities learn how campuses are tackling their energy and water consumption challenges, and about their strategies to protect and restore green space. The database also gives campuses an opportunity to share their successes nationwide while receiving recognition for their commitment and hard work,” says Kristy Jones, Sr. Manager of Campus Ecology Programs, National Wildlife Federation.

NWF’s Campus Ecology program works with several hundred campuses nationwide each year on efforts to advance student leadership, reduce carbon pollution and support career education.

Since its inception in 1989, National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology program has gained respect as a national leader in campus sustainability and the climate action movement. The program has long recognized the opportunities for higher education to lead society to a clean, just, and economically sound energy future. By providing tools, training and expertise, NWF has empowered students and inspired conservation stewardship on hundreds of campuses nationwide. Schools wanting to learn more about NWF’s Campus Ecology program can go to www.CampusEcology.org.

About Ecotech Institute
Ecotech Institute is the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainability and is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges. Launched in April 2010 in Denver, Colorado, it offers six highly practical renewable energy degree programs that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative renewable energy employers. Classes start once per quarter and applications are always accepted. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify. Ecotech Institute is a division of Education Corporation of America. For more information about Ecotech Institute, visit ecotechinstitute.com or call 877-326-5576.

Contact:
Alicia Hassinger
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
720-933-8119
ahassinger@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Reports that Green investment is Increasingly Attractive are Welcomed by AAA

AAA is backing a recent feature by Market Watch, which claims investments in green asset classes will increase alongside general interest among the US population.

Boston, MA, December 21, 2012 - Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA) is backing a recent feature by Market Watch, which claims investments in green asset classes, such as timberland, agriculture and sustainable energy will increase alongside general interest in these issues among the US population.

A crisis such as Superstorm Sandy can really make the threat of climate change hit home to people in the US, who don’t generally have to worry about the impact of climate change in their day-to-day lives. Experiencing some of the weather phenomena that blight other areas of the world can make Americans sit up and take notice of the issues and want to help through their investment choices.

This is according to AAA, an alternative asset analysis group, which endorses green investment. It is keen to underline the claims made in the Market Watch article, which talks about how climate change is increasingly an issue in the public consciousness. It stated that people who are taking green issues seriously can make a difference through impact investing. It said, ‘Globally, the environment has been woven into impact investing through programs and products that address water, waste and energy.’

The article adds that things like an upcoming program about climate change that is due to air on the Showtime Network in 2013 and the recent climate talks in Doha being covered on the news all help to inform people about the threats.

Those who then go on to discover how green investments can help to reduce the impact of climate change, while helping investors to see generous returns, often decide to take the plunge and try alternative investments and impact investing.

AAA supports forestry investment through businesses like Greenwood Management, which runs sustainably managed plantations in Brazil and Canada. AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, explained, “Investing in trees can help to reduce carbon in the atmosphere, providing timberland is managed sustainable.”

Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

FRA supports Prediction of Increased Lumber Exports to China

FRA has endorsed a report from a forestry market analyst claiming that Chinese demand for Canadian timber will increase in 2013.

Bainbridge Island, WA, December 21, 2012 - Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has endorsed a report from a forestry market analyst claiming that Chinese demand for Canadian timber will increase in 2013.

British Columbia, one of the main timber growing regions in Canada, exported a total of 5.4 million cubic metres of softwood lumber in the first nine months of the year. Although this was a slight decline on the exports in the same period of 2011, Mark Kennedy of CIBC World Markets claims this is all to change.

Kennedy said that the small decline is actually quite a good result in light of the slight weakening of the Chinese real estate industry. The timber imported into China from Canada is generally used to reinforce concrete in apartment buildings and also for door and window frames. This means that imports will always be strongest when the country is building lots of homes.

FRA, a research and analysis consultancy, backs Mr Kennedy’s claims that social housing support and other stimulus moves announced by the Chinese government could mean more timber imports. He claims that between 2013 and 2015, timber imports could increase by as much as 20 per cent. Canada, in turn, supplies more than 80 per cent of all the lumber exported from the US.

In terms of China’s demand for new homes, some two million homes that were previously demolished need to be rebuilt and, even without this, China plans is to build some 10.75 million new homes every year for the coming 15 years.

FRA’s analysis partner Peter Collins, said, “With this kind of real estate development happening, we are confident that demand for sustainable timber will increase over the coming years. In fact, evidence suggests that demand will outstrip supply by some margin, which will also lead to rising prices.”

FRA claims that this all means strong returns for those who invest in sustainable forestry projects in Canada, through firms like Greenwood Management.

Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394
info@forestry-research.com
http://www.forestry-research.com