Active-Duty Military Reservists Serving in Iraq and Abroad May Face Employment Hardships with Expired Licensing.

StateCE Offers Free Online Continuing Education for Soldiers in Remembrance of 9/11, Global War on Terror 

DALLAS -- Active-duty military reservists serving abroad could be returning home from duty only to discover their previous careers out of compliance. One Dallas company hopes to change that by giving soldiers serving abroad access to free online continuing-education (CE) courses, effective Sept. 8, 2008 through July 4, 2009 (Independence Day).

StateCE, a national provider of online CE based in Allen, Texas, a Dallas suburb, begins the free offer this week to honor America and its soldiers during this week of 9/11 remembrance and reflection.

"We chose to honor our soldiers by offering them free online courses to those serving abroad and in the professions/trades and states we offer courses in," said Steve Trussell, founder and president of StateCE. "It's the least we can do for those who fight for our freedom. The least we can do is to make sure these soldiers can access CE courses required to ensure their professional standing."

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the total number of active-duty reservists is 106,194, as of Aug. 20, 2008. Data also show 542 reservists from Texas, with 101 from north Texas communities, such as Wylie (3), Weatherford (1), Mesquite (1), Irving (1), Greenville (1), Grand Prairie (61), Fort Worth (11), Dallas (14), Arlington (2) and Denton (2).

Trussell says StateCE recently received a call from a reservist in Iraq who inquired about online CE courses. "He said he needed to keep his state license current and this would be the only way he could complete his state mandated CE while in Iraq," said Steve. "We wondered, 'How many reservists serving abroad have professional licenses and need CE?' We'd hate for them to return home to find they can't continue where they left off because their CE credits aren't current. StateCE can make sure they get the quality education in an online, self-study program, that will allow them to renew their license and stay in compliance."

To participate in the program, military reservists who are deployed may e-mail, fax or call StateCE to verify deployment abroad with a Department of Defense identification. Once this is verified, we will set up their courses and they can access them at www.statece.com. StateCE's phone number is 800-994-3040. Its facsimile number is 972-954-8022, and its e-mail address is [e-mail].

The overall CE market is extremely competitive and highly fragmented. CE may be offered by privately held or publicly held service providers, or by professional associations and educational institutions. Then there's state compliance, state departments and boards who regulate CE. Adding to the confusion are regulations and standards that vary by occupation and state, and pricing models that range from $30 to $200 per course.

"Continuing education, as a market, is dynamic and fluid, and seems to always be bullish--good economy or bad," said Trussell. "That's primarily because many states require individuals to complete CE to renew a license. It's a must-do, so there's a built-in base of customers."

Trussell points to online CE's market potential. For example, Texas alone has 155,316 insurance agents. Nationwide, the number is 1.9 million. For more data and insights, read the fact sheet located at www.statece.com and click on the "Press" link.

StateCE was started by Steve and Jeanne Trussell in June 2001, after spending almost 10 years in the continuing-education profession. By 2003, StateCE evolved from offering mostly printed CE curriculum for insurance professionals to more comprehensive Web-based CE for multiple professions. In November 2007, StateCE moved to the north Dallas suburb of Allen, Texas. Today, StateCE serves customers in 48 states, and has more than 70,000 customers. The privately held company has grown every year since 2001 and continues an aggressive expansion strategy to all states and internationally. For more information about StateCE, visit www.statece.com or send e-mail inquiries to [e-mail]. For media inquiries, contact Roy G. Miller at [phone], or via e-mail at [e-mail].