Now is an opportune time for people to consider returning to school to upgrade their skills or transfer their existing skills to industries which experience growth, no matter what the economic climate. "Recession-proof industries," as they are dubbed, are not as dependent upon consumer demand as other industries are, meaning that what they produce is essential enough to have little to no fluctuation in consumer spending.

Education, energy, health care, international business, the environment sector, and security are the five top ranking industries which experience little to no impact of a slowdown of the economy. In comparison to other industries, such as retail and banking, these €œtop five€ experience growth and a continued need to recruit talent.

If researching a new field or considering an industry to transition into, consider the following:

• Studies conducted over the past few years indicate that the environment sector is poised for massive growth, with a rise of more €œGreen Collar€ jobs in the years to come. This broad category defines anyone working in fields as diverse as geo-science engineering to solar panel installation to environmental consulting. A United Nations report showed that the environment industry created 5.3 million jobs in 2005. This number is expected to increase as more and more companies adopt "green" policies and switch to "green" technology. In addition, CNN reported earlier this year that with more workers expecting to retire within the next decade, jobs related to oil and gas, alternative and renewable energy, and even nuclear energy will become available.

• Within the next eight years, there will be a need for 3.2 million teachers in the United States. This is according to projections by economist William Hussar at the National Center for Education Statistics and was reported in Time Magazine last year.

• The Defense and Homeland Security departments need to fill an estimated 83,000 jobs over the next two years according to a 2007 report of the Partnership for Public Service. As written in an Intelligence Brief by the U.S Homeland Security Research Group: €œTo cope with DHS workforce demand, U.S. colleges and universities are churning out homeland-security related degrees and certificate programs. Since 9/11 about 400 colleges offer homeland security or emergency management programs.

• The U.S market research organization IBISWorld released a list this month of what it called the €œ10 fastest employment growth industries.€ The list covers a broad range of occupations, including construction workers, internet service providers dealing with rapid expansion and competition on the web, and performing artists who are taking advantage of the internet as a distribution tool. According to IBISWorld, what it calls the top ten €œrecession busters€ are:

• Voice Over Internet Protocol Providers • Discount Retailers • Performing Artists • Community College Educators • Sports Coaches • Video Games Developers • Public Transportation Staff • Online industries • Hospital Staff • Road Construction Workers

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor compiled a list in 2008 of industries or occupations which grew during the 1990, 2001, and 2007 recessions. Among a list of the top 50 industries 20 were in the health care sector, each averaging a 5 to 7% growth rate in 1990, 2001 and 2007. Industries included in this list were: Ambulatory Health Care Services, Medical Equipment, Hospitals, Medicinal Products, Physicians, Specialty Therapists, Health Practitioners, Outpatient Care, Emergency Medical Centers, and Medical Laboratories.

Source: www.galtglobalreview.com