The survey, which is in its 10th year, found that of the 500 students polled, this year saw the highest percentage (55 percent) say they are thinking about technical schools and career schools in the same way they look at traditional universities.

This is good news for technical schools (most notably transportation technology and repair), that to date have had trouble attracting students through their doors.

“There is more computer code in today’s cars than there was used to put a man on the moon,” says Jennifer Maher, chief executive officer of the TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports students through their education into successful careers as professional technicians. “These are skilled, well-paying, technical jobs.”

To put this into perspective, according to Motor Authority, a Ford GT has more than 10 millon lines of code and the new Ford F150 pickup has more than 150 million lines of code. Compare that to the shuttle’s primary flight software, which contains approximately 400,000 lines of code, and it becomes easy to see the necessity of skilled technicians and the job security the industry represents.

According to data from the 2020 AutoCare FactBook, the auto care industry added approximately 41,500 jobs in 2018, and automotive repair and maintenance showed the greatest increase in average hourly wages among technician jobs from 2009 to 2018.

More good news: The demand for skilled technicians continues to rise as older technicians retire. Additionally, those numbers increase as technicians move into other industries, and new positions open up. To this point, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the replacement rate plus the growth rate will translate to 78,200 per year from 2016 to 2026.

TechForce’s publicity campaign, “Because I’m a Tech,” encourages technicians to share their stories about how they have succeeded in skilled technician careers. Some of their comments: “I bought my first house at age 27;” “I get to do something I love every day;” “I have a good work/life balance and have time for my hobbies.”

To that end, you can check out Tech Force’s “Get Hands On” video contest that is part of its current campaign.

To see how beneficial a technical career can be, click here.

Technician jobs can be an ideal alternative for many nontraditional learners who can think outside the box, and who enjoy working with their hands and solving problems. Plus, there’s the fact that technicians can learn their skills as soon as two years after high school and put them to use right away without the time and expense of a traditional, four-year college degree.

TechForce’s FutureTech Roadmap to the transportation technology career highlights some of the traits that make for well-paid, successful technicians and how parents and students can identify these valuable skills.

Middle School: Sixth graders to eighth graders who like to tinker; those who fix the wobbly bike wheel or design the winning car in the scouts’ soapbox derby, may benefit from a technical school rather than a traditional college education.

High School: The high schooler who helps design and build the sets for the school play may be the next great technician. Also, students with diagnoses of ADHD who learn best with hands-on lessons and struggle with lengthy, desk-bound assignments are ideally suited to many technician careers.

Post-Secondary School: High school graduates with a strong interest in science and technology can launch fulfilling careers with training at an ASE-certified program. The more certifications and degrees earned, the higher the tech’s earning potential from future employers.

For more information about pathways to rewarding careers as transportation technicians, visit Techforce.org.

Seaweed farming is one of the most environmentally friendly types of aquaculture. Tropical carrageenan cultivation utilizes no chemical treatments, such as fertilizers. Seaweed farms help to preserve coral reefs by providing a sheltered habitat for local species of fish and invertebrates, which increases diversity where the seaweed is grown. Further, seaweed farming does not cause major physical landscape or seascape changes and can serve to mediate green house gas emissions and excess nitrogen in the water that causes harmful algae blooms.

Carrageenan is extracted from red seaweed with minimal processing. It is included in recipes for shelf-stable beverages, dairy desserts, baked goods and many other foods enjoyed across the world — foods that taste delicious with less fat and sugar, foods that are vegan, kosher and halal.

With 7 billion people in the world to feed, it is essential to have products that can travel distances safely and arrive to needful communities intact and nutritious. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, millions of people around the world suffer from protein malnutrition. When used in protein-enriched beverages, carrageenan aids in the extension and protection of the nutritional value of protein while improving the creaminess that is affected by processing. Carrageenan is used to stabilize liquid nutritional supplements for infants and young children, ensuring safe access to nutrition for children, particularly in regions with unreliable water quality where malnutrition is prevalent.

Beyond enhancing nutrition, carrageenan also contributes to the reduction of food waste. More than 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted globally each year. When used in packaged food and beverages, carrageenan enables processes and recipes that extend shelf life, making them more widely available and less prone to waste.

Carrageenan is a valuable food additive that helps to ensure the health, safety and reach of the global food supply. The product of seaweed harvested by hand by farmers across the globe provides a sustainable foundation for the creation of a food system that can feed the world.

To learn more, visit fmccarrageenan.com.

Vascular surgeon David H. Stone, M.D., encourages arm chair enthusiasts to get into the game. “Find your favorite summertime sports pastime, and give your vascular system a great workout.”

As a member of the Society for Vascular Surgery, Dr. Stone encourages physical activity that can pump up blood while lowering blood pressure. “More than diet, exercise helps keep your weight down and provides positive health benefits,” said Dr. Stone.

After a one-hour workout, the Mayo Clinic states that a 200-pound person will have burned the following calories:

* Baseball — 455

* Bicycling, 10 mph — 364

* Golfing, carrying clubs — 391

* Rope jumping — 1,074

* Swimming laps — 528

* Tennis, singles — 728

To remain “in the game,” Dr. Stone recommends:

* 30 minutes of exercise daily.

This may reduce the risk of stroke, the fourth leading cause of death in America according to the United States Centers forDisease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2010 NationalVital Statistics Report. In 2010,137,000 Americans died ofstroke.

* a healthy diet

* not smoking

* maintaining a healthy body weight

The lack of regular physical activity results in 250,000 deaths annually, according to a 2003 report in the medical journal Circulation. The least physically fit persons have a mortality risk 4.5 times higher than physically fit persons.

Lifestyle choices affect blood flow and blood pressure. The 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics indicate that one in every three Americans more than 20 years old has high blood pressure.

To detect vascular disease, non-invasive screening tests are available. To treat vascular disease, medications and preventive surgical procedures are available.

For free print and electronic vascular health information, visit: VascularWeb.org.

Christmas in the Caribbean means a stress-free change of scenery with warm weather and a serene setting.

Calabash Cove, a secluded boutique resort on the island of Saint Lucia, welcomes adults of all ages, such as empty-nesters who want to relax and reconnect, young adults looking to establish their own holiday travel traditions, or anyone looking for a unique Christmas vacation.

Visitors to Calabash Cove at Christmas can enjoy discounts of up to 53 percent, and the longer you stay, the more you save. A stay of seven paid nights or longer includes a complimentary car service to meet you at the airport in Saint Lucia. The resort’s unconditional all-inclusive package covers all meals including room service, and all beverages including premium liquors and a variety of wines from an extensive wine list.

An all-inclusive holiday package at Calabash Cove includes Christmas dinner with ham or turkey, a New Year’s Eve gala dinner, and complimentary champagne. New Year’s at Calabash Cove features a stunning fireworks display that can be seen from the resort’s restaurant or bar, or from the private balconies of the elegant guest rooms.

Other reasons to consider visiting the Caribbean for Christmas:

– Romance: The holidays are prime time for proposals, and what better place to pop the question than a tropical island? Planning a holiday wedding? A Caribbean destination is an ideal option, and resorts such as Calabash Cove work with couples to plan the ideal ceremony and other events. And wedding guests feel pampered, too. Holiday honeymoon? The intimate setting of Calabash Cove lends itself to honeymoons and anniversary trips.

– Restoration. A boutique resort offers the ultimate setting to recharge your batteries and prepare for the new year. Calabash Cove’s Ti Spa treatments, including massage, facials, and mani/pedis, are a popular way for guests to relax. Meanwhile, those who want to burn off stress with exercise can take advantage of the infinity pool and cardiovascular fitness center with inspiring ocean views. In addition, Calabash Cove staff can help arrange off-site activities, including kayaking, horseback riding, hiking, and diving.

For more information, visit https://calabashcove.com/news-usa/ to discover how you can make the most of a Caribbean Christmas that you’ll never forget.

A prototype of Google’s new self-driving car — a two-passenger electric vehicle with buttons to turn the vehicle on and off, but no steering wheel, accelerator pedal or brake pedal — was unveiled in May. Without a driver at the wheel, the car is instead guided by a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) rotating sensor on the vehicle’s roof that scan the vehicle’s surroundings to determine its driving route as well as to identify such obstacles as pedestrians, bicyclists and other cars.

While Google is widely considered a front-runner in the development of such advanced automation technology, the major automakers are also getting into the race. Albeit at a more conservative pace, they’re introducing automated features that perform specific tasks — such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and collision-avoidance braking — to their new car models.

According to a recent report by Lux Research, cars with these so-called “Level 2” features are expected to account for 92 percent of a worldwide $87 billion-per-year autonomous car market by 2030. Only 8 percent of the market will go to “Level 3” cars, which would be primarily driven autonomously, but would allow drivers to regain control of the vehicle in an emergency.

In addition, the research firm doesn’t expect any fully automated vehicles on the road by 2030. “We consider that ultimate level, Level 4, to be full autonomy, where you just get in and you don’t interact with the car at all,” explained Cosmin Laslau, lead analyst at Lux Research. “And we don’t think that’s coming by 2030. The biggest opportunity that we see will be actually from the Level 2 features, which are the more conventional advances that we’re already starting to see come onto the market from higher-end developers.”

Hermann Winner, director and professor of automotive engineering at Germany’s Technische Universit?t Darmstadt, agreed. “We will start with a partially automated car, then a highly automated one,” he said, adding that he doesn’t expect a completely autonomous car — one with no specific limitations with respect to traffic environment or driving speed — on the market for the next 40 years. “The big challenge to total automation is getting safety approval. Even if you assume the system is ready by 2020, approval is going to be problematic.”

Winner is scheduled to address the challenges facing the development of the driverless car during the panel session “IT Meets the Automobile: Interactive Advanced Vehicle Technologies and Self-Driving Cars” at the ASME Advanced Design and Manufacturing Impact Forum in Buffalo, New York. Visit www.asme.org for more information.