Workers have taken greater responsibility for honing their professional skills. The Miami Herald reports that "three years after companies cut training to the bone, they are beginning to invest in workers again. But if there's one thing employees have learned from the recession it is not to rely on the bosses to keep our skills sharp."

Indeed, more and more American professionals have returned to college -- albeit as nontraditional students who must carefully balance their work and personal lives with their academic life. Distance education programs are aiding them in their endeavor.

The article goes on to state that earning the right online degree could accelerate professionals' ascent up the corporate ladder. What's more, the article continues, "colleges reported the highest-ever annual increase in online enrollment in 2010: more than 21 percent."

Career experts suggest workers read job listings at such sites as Monster and Yahoo! HotJobs in order to discover the degree -- or degrees -- required for the position they'd like to fill. This represents a strategic first step toward increasing their professional skill set in a fiercely competitive labor market.

The Miami Herald article also offers a useful tip for those who remain unsure whether an online degree program suits them:

There also are lots of free online college courses. Imagine a great lecture to help build your skills but with no tests, papers or deadlines. UC Berkeley Webcasts, (http:webcast.berkeley.edu) offers a mix of video and audio lectures as do others.

Many professionals may already be familiar with online modes of instructional delivery. More and more companies are using webinars and online training to keep their employees up-to-date with the latest developments in their fields.

Professionals must accommodate themselves to online education, because it represents an enduring trend that will only gain further momentum as more and more workers realize they have to regularly re-jigger their skill sets in order to stay competitive in the global employment market.