WASHINGTON COUNTY — More than half of Washington County Public Schools’ 2009 graduates said they planned to further their education through traditional channels, a move that higher education officials say will pay off in the long run.

According to the 2009 Maryland Report Card on the state Department of Education’s website at www.mdreportcard.org, 31.4 percent of the county’s 2009 graduates said they planned to attend a four-year college, 19.4 planned to attend a two-year college and 1.7 planned to attend a specialized training school.

Others said they planned to attend school while working either full time or part time

“In the current job market, anything you can do to improve your skills or expand your skills and offer employers something that others don’t have is helpful,” said Erin Harman, director of advancement and outreach for the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown.

Kevin Crawford, recruitment coordinator for Hagerstown Community College, agreed.

“I’ve always said, ‘You don’t pay the price for going to college. You pay the price for not going to college,’” he said.

“I go to high school students and try to convince them to come to college,” he said. “It is tough to get a job, but if you want to stand out, having that degree helps.”

Getting an edge

In today’s economy, finding a job can be difficult. Crawford said he believes having higher education will give students an edge over other job candidates.

“When the job market looks up, I foresee employers hiring those who are educated,” Crawford said.

“Employers tell us that there are very few jobs that a person can come into without any kind of post-secondary training,” said W. Christopher Motz, president of Kaplan University’s Hagerstown campus.

Mark Vernarelli, director of public information for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, said taking college courses can be helpful to obtaining a job in the prison system.

However, applicants seeking correctional officer jobs must meet certain criteria regardless of the amount of education they might have.

“Experience and a criminal justice background would be wonderful, but all applicants must pass the test first,” Vernarelli said. “Whether you have a degree or not, you must pass the background interview and investigation.”

Vernarelli said a correctional officer I may be promoted to correctional officer II sooner if he or she has taken some classes.

“A CO I with some college credits, if progressing satisfactorily and if approved by supervising authorities, may be promoted to CO II in six months, rather than the typical one-year probationary period,” Vernarelli said.

‘Education is the key’

Brad Kretzer of Hagerstown, an incoming junior at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, said he is furthering his education so he can be competitive when looking for a job.

“With the economy being down, it is important to have a degree so you can be more competitive,” he said.

Kretzer said he believes hospital industry employers are looking not only for education, but for experience.

“I was talking to certain people in my field and they told me that a lot of people have bachelor’s degrees, but you need experience,” Kretzer said. “A lot of people are looking for that.”

Brian Lautenslager, an outside sales representative for Federated Auto Parts in Hagerstown, said he believes education is important no matter what field a person decides to enter.

“Education is the key,” he said. “It will not hurt you in any way. Furthering your education in management would help you in any field.”

Harman said she believes these days, jobs that once went to those with high school educations now are going to students who have furthered their education.

“I think that there are people with college degrees applying for jobs that high school graduates typically held, and if the employer has the option of hiring someone with higher education, they will probably give the job to the person with more education,” Harman said.

‘Education is a groove’

Education is essential to obtaining a good job, Motz said.

“I think we live in a day and age where it’s almost become essential for a person to have some type of post-secondary education to compete for almost any job in any job market, even entry-level jobs,” Motz said.

Motz said he encourages students who do not want to further their education to consider the option of a two-year degree or a certificate program.

Otherwise, he said, “It really is going to be very difficult for them to find a career. They may find a job, but that job is going to be low-level, probably minimum wage.”

Crawford expressed concern for students who decide against continuing their education.

“The worst advice ever given to a high school student is to take a year off,” Crawford said. “When students do that, they never go back.”

“Education is a groove,” he said. “My advice is to continue your education, maybe part time, and keep the part-time job. That way, you get the best of both worlds.”

Bernie Kohn, spokesman for the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation, said that continuing education, no matter the medium, is crucial to landing a job.

“There is a need for those seeking jobs to look at furthering their job skills,” Kohn said. “It can be through community college, private programs, state programs or other training programs. Maryland is blessed with a huge variety of opportunities like these.”

Employers are requiring that applicants come in with more training, Motz said.

“I think if you look at some of the fastest growing positions that are considered entry level, you will see that even those jobs require some training,” he said.

Job programs

Kohn said job seekers should further their skills, and to do that they can look to places such as the One-Stop Career Centers throughout Maryland.

According to Kohn, all One-Stop Career Centers are fully equipped with information and the employees are willing to help with the job search.

“We provide guidance, along with fliers and information about a variety of skill building opportunities that are available to (job seekers),” Kohn said.

Motz said he believes the Washington County area has schools that can provide that training to those who are interested.

“We have options now that provide just that kind of training. We have options at the associate levels and bachelor levels,” Motz said. “There are a lot more opportunities.”

There has been a statewide effort to get Maryland residents to further their job skills through programs such as “Skills2Compete,” Kohn said.

“One of the key goals of that program is that we really want to encourage and to make it possible for every Marylander to get two years of training beyond high school,” Kohn said. “It could be a school, an apprenticeship, an industry certification of some sort, anything like that to just expand the job skills.”

Students have varying approaches to higher education

Educators and others say they believe that continuing education after high school is important, and students have their own opinions on the subject.

Julie Holsinger, 19, of Hagerstown, said she believes that continuing education after high school opens doors to new careers and jobs.

“I think it’s very important,” said Holsinger, who is studying psychology at Hagerstown Community College. “I think it gives you a lot of opportunities that you wouldn’t have otherwise.”

“It shows when people have a college education,” said Holsinger, who is putting her education to work as a student worker in the human resources department at HCC.

Brett Rowland, 20, of Hagerstown, who is in HCC’s general studies program and focusing on simulation design entertainment, said he believes that furthering one’s education depends on the desired career.

“In my area, you can get a job right out of high school,” he said. “If you want to have a higher pay, you have to get some experience so you don’t go in too young.”

Matt Vich, 21, of Hagerstown, who is studying computer science at HCC, said he believes that college is important, but is not for everyone.

“I think it depends on the person,” Vich said. “A lot of people never went to college and they are millionaires and billionaires. A lot of them found their success right out of high school or in college.”

So why is Vich furthering his education?

“I think it gives you the information to get started on your goals and aspirations,” he said. “But like I said, it’s not for everybody.”

Sometimes, finding the right college can make all the difference. According to Rowland and Becca Lake, 19, of Hagerstown, the chosen college can make or break the experience.

Rowland attended a different college before switching to HCC, saying the first school wasn’t for him.

“I went to a college that wasn’t suited for me,” he said. “That’s the biggest contribution to a good education. You have to find the right college.”

Lake, who is in the general studies program, said she feels HCC is the right fit for her.

Lake said she believes education is a necessity for getting that “dream job.”

“I think it’s more important to get your dream job than to just get a job,” Lake said. “You need further education in order to do that.”

She said the tight job market means people have to compete for jobs.

“There are a lot of people who have been laid off because of the economy,” Lake said. “Now, they, and graduating students, are competing for the same jobs.”

So if experienced workers are competing with students for the same job, what is going to set them apart?

Holsinger said she believes having a college degree will provide students with the training they need to get those jobs.

Employers “can now look for someone with higher qualifications and a higher education. When you have that higher education and you’re more qualified, you have a better chance,” Holsinger said.

Lake said a job in a student’s desired field, volunteering and involvement in the community are examples of other avenues that can be taken to improve the odds of getting the right job.

“Bottom line, just be involved,” she said.

When asked if she feels she would get a job over a person with only a high school degree, Holsinger replied affirmatively.

“I think it depends on the job and what they are looking for, but for the most part, yes,” she said.

Education information

The following is tuition costs and contact information for schools and contact information for the Washington County Job Center.

Hagerstown Community College

11400 Robinwood Drive, Hagerstown

Tuition per credit hour:

In-county — $100

Out-of-county — $156

Out-of-state — $206

Financial aid is available.

For more information, call 301-790-2800 or go to www.hagerstowncc.edu.

University System of Maryland at Hagerstown

32 W. Washington St., Hagerstown

Students will face some fees, but they will not be the same amount as at the home institutions.

Tuition per semester, full time:

• Salisbury University

In-state — $2,480

Out-of-state — $6,728

• Frostburg State University

In-state — $2,575

Out-of-state — $7,598

• Towson University

In-state — $2,668

Out-of-state — $8,397

• University of Maryland-University College

In-state — $2,844

Out-of-state — $5,988

• University of Maryland-College Park

No undergraduate programs offered. Graduate programs offered in engineering and education.

Financial aid is available.

For more information, call 240-527-2060 or go to www.hagerstown.usmd.edu.

Kaplan University-Hagerstown

18618 Crestwood Drive, Hagerstown

Tuition averages of full program:

Bachelor’s degrees: $64,260

Associate degrees: $32,130 to $32,844

Certificate programs (varies depending on program length): $16,065 to $22,134

All prices reflect total cost of tuition, which includes books, lab fees, technology fees and other fees associated with obtaining a degree or certificate.

Financial aid is available.

For more information, call 301-739-2670 or go to www.kaplanuniversity.edu.

Washington County Job Center

14 N. Potomac St., Suite 100, Hagerstown

For more information, call 301-393-8200 or go to www.dllr.state.md.us/county/wash.

Coming Monday

• Education experts agree that high school graduates who further their education have a brighter employment future than those who don’t. But a traditional college is not their only option.

• Continuing education has expanded to include online degrees. How do employers view online degrees when wading through applications?