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(NAPSA)—For U.S. workers,holding a series of jobs with multi-ple employers is replacing the tra-ditional, decades-long career witha single company—and that canbe good news for you. To win thesepositions in a global market,workers must embrace new tech-nology and skills and become life-long learners.A new book by the vice presi-

dent and managing director ofApollo Research Institute de-scribes the shifting nature of workand careers in America. In “Soci-ety 3.0: How Technology IsReshaping Education, Work andSociety,” Dr. Tracey Wilen-Dau-genti explains how the interna-tional business environment willtransform old ideas of hiring,worker skill requirements andcareer planning, while inspiringsolo entrepreneurs to innovate inprofitable new ways.“Globalization now affects all

workers and businesses,” says Dr.Wilen-Daugenti. A former SiliconValley executive, she notes thatvideoconferences, virtual teamsand other technology-based collabo-ration tools will improve efficiencyand cut costs. Cultural competenceand the ability to build trust inthese new environments will beprime traits for leaders of interna-tional work groups.Another new global workforce

reality: American employees faceoverseas competition. “Significantgaps exist between the skillsworkers offer and those employ-ers require,” says Dr. Wilen-Dau-genti. If this deficit persists, U.S.companies risk losing business—and American jobs—to foreignfirms with better-educated staff.Workers must make continuingskill renewal and education a pri-

ority to master an evolving jobmarket.As an alternative to serial

employment, more people will gosolo or launch small businesses.Self-employment has been ris-ing—even during the recent down-turn—as baby boomers choosefreelancing or business ownershipover traditional retirement.“America’s smallest firms andstartups create the most jobs dur-ing recessions, provide half thenation’s nonfarm GDP and haveprovided many of its brightesttechnology success stories,” notesDr. Wilen-Daugenti.Education fuels the entrepre-

neurial mind-set; 95 percent ofsurveyed company founders heldbachelor’s degrees and just underhalf held master’s degrees. “Bystarting or resuming their highereducation, workers can keep theirskill sets competitive or exploreindependent careers,” says Dr.Wilen-Daugenti. “Whether theywork for themselves or not, theywill be better able to innovate anddevelop their potential while seiz-ing opportunities in tomorrow’sglobal economy.”For more information about

Society 3.0, visit www.apolloresearchinstitute.org.

HowThe Global EconomyWill TransformWorking And Learning

Despite the recession, smallbusinesses and solo workershave seized new opportunities.

(NAPSA)—Birds and butter-flies add color and excitement to agarden that can’t be found fromany other source. And their contri-butions are much more thanaesthetic: Birds help controlinsects and slugs; while butterfliesare important pollinators. Almostanywhere a plant grows will getan occasional visit from theseattractive and beneficial creatures.Making your yard a welcomingoasis for them can be as simple aschoosing the right plants.

Inviting ButterfliesButterflies and hummingbirds

feed primarily on nectar, a sugaryliquid produced inside flowers.Certain plants are exceptionalsources of nectar, such as theaptly named butterfly bush (Bud-dleia), which is a favorite of hum-mingbirds as well.Though these shrubs have long

been popular, newly introducedvarieties offer major improve-ments. For example, a Miss Mollybutterfly bush has intense darkmagenta flowers on a compact 4˜–5’ (1.2–1.5m) plant. If space is anissue, you may care to try the Loand Behold series of butterflybushes. These shrubs pack all theflower power and attractive silverfoliage of their larger kin but in aneat, compact package: Blue Chipis just 24–30” (60–72cm) tall.White butterfly bushes, such as

Ice Chip, make an excellent choicefor busy people who can only enjoytheir gardens at night. The light-col-ored flowers appear to shine in thedark and at just 18–24” (45–60 cm)tall, it can be planted in a large potor as an edging around a deck or patio.

Attracting SongbirdsNumerous species of much-loved

songbirds, such as cardinals, cedarwaxwings and bluebirds, rely onberries for food. Fortunately, sev-

eral easy-to-grow landscape plantsprovide fruit for the birds and beautyfor the gardener.Winterberry holly, a native

shrub, is an especially nice choice.Unlike other hollies, it loses itsleaves in autumn, making theberry-laden stems extra showy.Some varieties are especially fruit-ful, such as Berry Heavy, whileothers are selected for exception-ally bright color, such as BerryNice. Birds prefer the fruit of win-terberry holly when it’s ripe andsoft; consequently, the ornamentaldisplay remains until mid-winter.

Birds, Butterfliesand Lady Bugs

Certain plants are veritablebird- and butterfly-attractingpowerhouses, providing both nec-tar-rich flowers and edible berries.Black Lace elderberry, for exam-ple, blooms in early summer withlarge clusters of pink flowersfavored by a host of beneficialinsects including lacewings andladybugs. Once they have polli-nated the plant, the resultingfruit is relished by a number ofbird species; human garden visi-tors are equally fond of this shrubwith its lacy dark purple leaves

and attractive habit. It adaptsreadily to growing in a container,making it especially suitable fornature lovers with limited space.Viburnum is another excellent

option that provides nectar and fruit.There are many varieties available,but for maximum wildlife benefit,select one that bears abundant cropsof fruit, such as the BlueMuffin withits dark blue berries, or CardinalCandy with clusters of shiny redberries.Shrubs provide excellent habitat

for birds, as their much-branchedinteriors make lots of perches forbuilding a nest and their foliageensures good coverage to hide frompredators. However, to keep thewelcome mat out year-round, it isimportant to include some ever-green plants in every garden.Varieties such as Soft Serve

false cypress add graceful structureand rich color while providing asafe resting spot for featheredvisitors, a service they’re sure toappreciate between the meals you’vethoughtfully laid out for them.For more information on the

variety of plants that attractbutterflies and songbirds to thegarden, visit provenwinners.com.

Beauty IsWaiting In TheWings: Attracting Birds And Butterflies

There are a variety of plants that could help attract songbirds,butterflies and ladybugs to your garden like Black Lace elderberry(left) and Cardinal Candy viburnum.

(NAPSA)—A challenging econ-omy has forced many Americansto consider a career change.Whether such a move is promptedby a desire for more money or ful-fillment or the need to find a jobin a changing economy, makingsuch a major change usuallyrequires some research.Here are three steps to help

you get started:•Think about what interests

you. Could you turn a currenthobby into a career? For example,if you love travel, you might wantto work for a travel agent. A loveof airplanes might inspire amechanic to train for airplanerepair.•Consider the skills you al-

ready have and how they might fitinto alternative career choices.Can your love of math be chan-neled into teaching math, financeor tax time preparation?•Look at which industries are

growing. Consider where the jobsare. For example, while manyhighly qualified unemployed andunderemployed business profes-sionals struggle to find job oppor-tunities, others are building newand fulfilling careers as financialrepresentatives in the insuranceindustry.Throughout the next year, The

Guardian Life Insurance Com-pany of America will hire over 800financial representatives by tar-geting and recruiting careerchangers as part of its distribu-tion force recruitment strategy.Even before the economic

downturn, many of the company’sfinancial representatives came toit after successful careers inother industries. Unlike employ-ers with a more traditional viewof the job market, the companywelcomes career changers and

experienced professionals whomay have recently experienced adownsizing or who are working inunfulfilling jobs where theirskills are undervalued.The company is one of several

insurance industry employers hir-ing during the economic down-turn, which may surprise some.The rise in demand for qualifiedsales reps is driven in part by arise in demand for more secureand reliable financial products notas adversely affected by the turbu-lent economy, such as whole lifeinsurance. The same economicissues causing problems in otherindustries make such secure, reli-able products an even more val-ued commodity.A mutual insurer founded in

1860, The Guardian Life Insur-ance Company of America and itssubsidiaries offer life insurance,disability income insurance, den-tal insurance products and fund-ing vehicles for 401(k) plans,annuities and other financialproducts.For more information, visit

www.GuardianLife.com.

Career-Changing Advice

Even in a down economy, insur-ance companies are hiring.

(NAPSA)—Don’t stress thedreaded standardized test: Someexperts suggest schools test lessand teach more.

The DilemmaAlthough gathering student

performance data is a critical partof education, “testing day” re-mains one of the most dreaded—and costly—events on the schoolcalendar. In a recent national sur-vey, educators indicated theyspend on average more than fourweeks a year testing readingskills. Furthermore, students ingrades pre-K through 5 spend anaverage of eight entire days tak-ing reading tests.

An AnswerTo spend less time testing and

more time teaching, many educa-tors are looking into a new ap-proach known as “AssessmentWithout Testing.”More than 13,000 schools are

using this innovation in educa-tional technology that providesteachers with student perfor-mance data without having tostop to give a test.

What it DoesThe software, called Lexia Read-

ing, combines individualizedstudent learning and targetedteaching strategies to help studentsimprove their reading ability. Thesystem lets students work at theirown pace, gathers student perfor-mance data without a test andsaves teachers’ time by prioritizingthe students who need the mosthelp and providing teaching strate-gies customized to each student’sindividual needs.Gathering meaningful student

performance data is critical to

guide classroom instructionalstrategies, educators say, but, theyadd, the best way to measure stu-dent progress is to observe theirabilities while they are learning.

How it WorksStudents using this system

work independently on activitiesthat build reading proficiency asthe software gathers performancedata in real time based on theirresponses to each question.In contrast, traditional testing

methods rely on a snapshot ofreading performance—takenwhen students are often nervousand not performing at their best—and can result in false high or lowscores based on how each studentreacts to the test on a given day.Districts are finding they can

reclaim weeks of instructional timeand thousands of dollars typicallyspent testing, while the resultingdata and the instructional strategieshelp improve student performanceand reduce stress.

Where to Learn MoreFor further information, teach-

ers, parents and others can visitwww.lexialearning.com or call(800) 435-3942.

Putting An EndTo “Overtesting”Students

Many schools have found a wayto teach more and test less.

Small-time gamblers who place asmall bet in order to prolong theexcitement of a game are called“dead fish” by game operatorsbecause the longer the playingtime, the greater the chances oflosing.

In 1690, the Massachusetts BayColony became the first of thecolonies to issue paper money.