5 career training options to help boost next year's W-2

Several important things happened earlier in the year. You read articles about new job skills for 2011 while making mental notes, you forgot about those articles, you received your rather dissatisfying W-2 and the unemployment rate in the U.S. dropped almost half a point to 9 percent. Some events in January were definitely more memorable than others.

With your W-2 fresh on your mind and the tax deadline around the corner, now is the time to take a look at what's happening with the economy and what career training you might want to pursue between now and next year's W-2.

Some industries are hiring, some aren't

In a press release from February 2, 2011, Simply Hired C.E.O. Gautam Godhwani shared good news: "The positive growth across almost all metros in January, just one month later, indicates that the job market is actually recovering quite steadily."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported these industries added jobs in January 2011:

1. Motor vehicles and parts manufacturing, 20,000 jobs
2. Clothing store retail, 15,000 jobs
3. Fabricated metal products, 13,000 jobs
4. Health care occupations, 11,000 jobs
5. Machinery manufacturing, 10,000 jobs

Manufacturing and automotive jobs have been on the rebound since December, according to a January interview with Godhwani in the New York Times: "Mr. Godhwani was surprised to see a huge rebound in postings for manufacturing jobs--up 94 percent in December 2010 over December 2009. Automotive job postings, which Simply Hired breaks out separately from manufacturing ones, were up even more--137 percent--as automakers got back on their feet. Transportation-related jobs (involving the shipping of cargo, for example) rose by a staggering 337 percent."

The article also mentioned that the greatest number of job openings in December 2010, compared to a year earlier, were for accountants; financial specialists; office and administrative workers; retail staff; and lawyers, judges and legal support workers.

Though a February 2011 report from Forrester Research revealed that businesses are investing in IT instead of employees, some businesses are hiring IT employees. Namely, they're hiring employees with HTML 5 and mobile device development skills, specifically for the Android, reported the Wall Street Journal at the end of January. According to reports from Indeed.com, online job listings with "HTML5," "Mobile app" and "Android" have skyrocketed.

How trends convert to career training

The best job skills in 2011, which you'll most likely remember from those articles you read, could give you 5 great career training options for 2011:

1. Project management
2. Internet marketing
3. Computer security
4. Computer networking
5. Program and application development

Your golden ticket is to find areas where these skills are required in industries that are hiring while leveraging the skills and experience you already have. For example, most jobs in most industries benefit from people with solid project management skills. Regardless of your prior education, you can enroll in a project management online certification program at a number of reputable online schools and put your career training to use in an industry that's hiring, like manufacturing, transportation or health care.

More retail businesses are turning to the online marketplace to supplement store sales. Having an Internet marketing online certification could bolster your chances of a getting hired into a better position in an industry that is hiring.

With businesses investing 11 percent more in IT in 2010 per Forrester Research, IT professionals will most likely be needed to sustain and maintain those initial investments. If you're an IT professional, now is the time to boost your skills. A ComputerWorld survey showed that 38 percent of employers who were hiring were looking for employees with networking skills.

Computer and IT-related online certifications are abundant. Whether you want to supplement your current career with a bit of tech know-how or want to ride the Android wave and develop mobile applications, online certifications are a quick way for you to get the career training you'll need to slip into a new or better paying job.

As you probably know, industries tend to be localized and hiring trends can quickly change. Before you invest in career training or enroll in an online certification program, check local resources to see what industries in your area are performing best. If the news isn't an encouraging as national trends, perhaps it's time to work relocation into your career plan for the sake of your W-2.

• 6 sexy secrets to courting international employers
• Top starting salaries: Make $40k your first year
• Six months to $60,000: Isn't it time you got that promotion?
• Get Paid! The 5 Top-Earning Bachelor's Degrees
• Educational Attainment vs. Salary: It Makes a Difference
• Too Big to Fire: Upping Your Education to Avoid the Layoff
• Top 20 Business Twitter Feeds for Students and Professionals
• The Five Best Penny-Pinching Jobs
• Six Steps to a Six Figure Job with a Four-Year Degree
• Working Parents Can Make An Online Bachelor's Degree Pay Off in These Six Fast-Growth Occupations

• Top 17 Degrees for Making Money
• Gross or Great? Five Nasty Jobs that Pay Well and Don't Require a 4-Year Degree
• Six Steps to a Six Figure Job with a Four-Year Degree
• Five $70k Careers You Can Fetch with a Bachelor's Degree
• The Top 4 $75k Salary Secrets
• Working Parents Can Make An Online Bachelor's Degree Pay Off in These Six Fast-Growth Occupations