(NAPSI)—Even with the U.S. unemployment rate high, technicians and skilled trade workers top the list of the hardest jobs to fill, according to a Manpower Group talent shortage survey. This gap in today’s competitive job market can be a great opportunity for those who are considering attending a trade or technical school over a traditional college or university. Specifically targeting this high-skilled worker need, one organization has introduced a Career Education Grant Program to provide a one-time $1,000 grant to members and their eligible dependents toward enrollment and attendance at an accredited trade or technical school.

“Higher education provides a tremendous advantage toward success,” says Paul Pevsner, M.D., President of the Alliance for Affordable Services, “but the cost of postsecondary education continues to increase. That is why it is important for Alliance to offer members assistance in achieving their educational goals, regardless of the type of school they choose to attend.” The grant program is a welcome complement to the already successful Alliance Scholarship Program. Over $1.9 million in scholarship awards has helped more than 1,200 high school graduates and college students pursue undergraduate degrees since the scholarship program’s inception in 1996.

The Alliance is dedicated to helping its members live better and save more. It leverages its strength in numbers to provide access to valuable benefits and services to meet the personal, professional and health care needs of over 75,000 members nationwide.

Benefit availability is dependent on the package option chosen and the member’s place of residence and may be subject to change. For more information or to join, visit www.AffordableServices.org or call (800) 733-2242. The annual grant application deadline is June 30.

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)