State of Professional Continuing Education 2025

Continuing education and the general updating of knowledge is necessary in dynamic environments that changes quickly. If you notice industry, AI, and our everyday lives are impacted by rapid change. Innovation and new technologies bring with it needs to update human capital in as real time as possible. Providing higher levels of professional education can go a long way in better ensuring a prepared workforce is ready to take open positions. 

This is an interesting report on continuing education. The ability to provide higher levels of knowledge generation among the working population helps to keep them 

Data and Insights from the State of Continuing Education 2025 Report

Judicial Corruption and Setting the Standard (Hypothetical Thought Experiment on Hate and Corruption)

Corruption has a negative impact on society economically, socially and institutionally. However, sometimes corruption exists within the social networks in which judges belong and at times the misperceptions that they hold. In our theoretically hypothetical thought experiment for learning purposes, it appears that corruption was ongoing for a long time and once it was discovered the judicial system turned a blind eye and shielded efforts to uncover and improve the local system. Victims had few rights of recourse and were intentionally dehumanized.

The thought experiment example goes someone like this, 

Someone utilized their employment and friendships to target others for financial gain. Aggression, manipulation, dishonesty, and other poor behaviors came forward. People were well aware of what was going on and good officials silenced. In this example, a judge knew these behaviors existed and rewarded the perpetrators financially by ruling against and retaliating against whistleblowers (later found to be correct). Justifications of harm against some members of society to reward others normalized. The smallest variance in life justified horrendous misbehaviors. Some of that is based in social connections, others of that in personal bias and political beliefs. People have complained of conflicts of interest, perferences and "above the law" standards for some social network members.

It is important to understand some of the reasons why such systems default and how they could have gone on so long without anyone standing for the central values as codified in our social contracts and artifacts. Deep seated hate and social-financial based corruption appear to exist in the same sphere. Racial, religious and political perspectives in our example may have influenced outcomes (not specific to any race, religion, or political position.). Since the decisions were made initially in bias the outcomes were also biased through false anchoring of perceptions, decisions and choices (garbage in and out).

What this piece below helps indicate is that judicial corruption occurs in developing countries (Many of the principles will apply to other places as well). Such corruption occurs because it has been allowed to occur and more victims came forward and they were similarly dismissed in a closed system. What we can learn is that it is possible to analyze corruption on a case outcome and procedural level to determine if there are preferences in justice. Keeping the system healthy helps the whole and raises trust and growth prospects. Intentionally injustices and lack of recourse or remorse for victims does the opposite and undermines the full functioning of the system.

The Causes of Judicial Corruption in Developing Countries

If we are going to set the standard, we should do it around the values we promote in society. Supporting institutions and good officials means having some checks and balances when misbehaviors are clear, repeated, and the effects ongoing. If we are to profess loyalty to certain oaths and beliefs, we should make the effort to live by them and ensure those who went went awry are brought back into the fold. These shared values and social and economic implications in the long run even if we don't make the connection (science has actually made that connection.)

*This is a hypothetical, philosophical, theoretical thought learning example so take with a grain of salt and feel free to disagree. We can write the ending so it will be related to system adaptation and resilience around shared social values. It is also in honor of the victims of hate and corruption anywhere it may occur.

The Personality of Coffee and Nature: Coffee Cups of Ocean Beach Pier and Blooms

People who enjoy nature, hike, bike and do other outdoor things seem to be a little more grounded with life. They appreciate the natural world around our beginnings. As a person who enjoys art and dabbles in it from time to time, I put together two mugs you may enjoy that show nature. One is of flowers and the other of Ocean Beach Pier (btw the pier I believe is to be torn down.). Below you also find a study on the personality of nature lovers and one on coffee drinkers. 

According to this study people who like nature are more likely to feel connected to humanity. It makes sense because if you spend enough time in nature you learn how dependent we all are to it and it to each other. Connectedness to Nature and to Humanity: their association and personality correlates

The smell of freshly ground coffee, sitting in Ocean Beach on on the boardwalk, watching the surfers get swallowed by the waves. The mornings are the best while the is still low. It is a time to contemplate and enjoy the ocean air.

Interestingly according to this study there doesn't appear to be a personality association with coffee drinking. However, impulsive extroverts may enjoy caffeine benefits of cognitive performance, reduced sadness, and higher mood. Chapter 30 - Personality Traits and Coffee Intake

If your a nature lover you might be interested in the Ocean Beach Estuary Enhancement Project. While I have nothing to do with this project I have been to that area many times. So if people are actively trying to improve the waterway then I support them. Sadly, people still keep throwing stuff in the water and lots of run off. 

Ocean Beach Coffee Mug @$18.10 (date of posting)

Euro Escape Mug  @$18.10 (date of posting)

The Causes and Effects of Corruption (Hypothetical Thought Experiment)

Corruption has a corrosive effect on nearly anything it touches because it is based on dishonesty and misuse of trust for self/group gain. From the economic and business side corruption slows down transactions and in turn warps normal business patterns so resources are misused and misallocated for an in-group. Trust can be impacted if normal human exchange patterns are disrupted. Having a strong ethical/moral code along with appropriate checks and balances can help protect the whole system from poor actors (One should distinguish between the majority who do what is right and the minority who warp the system for their in-group. We make the assumption that corruption and hate are not desirable.). 

I have been using a hypothetical thought experiment to philosophically explore hate and corruption at its worst where it warped the functioning of an institution. Falsely spread hate rumors, close connection of corrupted officials, coaching perpetrators how to exploit, and decision-making preferences led to a default. No checks and balances, whistleblowers retaliated against, perpetrators financially encouraged, cleansing type behaviors, and laws were tools without their purpose (i.e. not anchored in their root social artifacts and accepted value systems).

In our ethical learning example extortion, aggression, civil/human rights, resource misuse, in-group membership, etc. came into play in one form or another. It helps highlight that while the majority of people are good and honest there are a percentage of people within any society that will do anything to get what they want. Give them a group of uncritical followers and you have a problem. Our systems are built for those who have not internalized acceptable values. It struggles in closed systems where decisions makers give preference to their friend/in-group networks in a way that put others in harm’s way. and undermines trust.

The story is used to explore, and we will eventually write in a narrative of resilience and system adaptation where the people/community become again more important than the small but powerful in-group. Around the same time, the community (...and officials serving the public) challenged corruption, their economic prospects increased, and they created a 'sense of community' that brought a higher sense of collective purpose (Something the corrupted embedded network didn't understand nor did they expect.). Justice was intentionally suppressed as patterned behavior but The People strove for the next rung and reached it.

In our learning example the specific race, religion, social network, politic etc. doesn't matter as the presence of corruption should be enough to prompt actions to improve. In a highly diverse world clear misuse of authority to further one's ideologies and beliefs about others (i.e. the dehumanization process) should not be encouraged or tolerated by those who seek to uphold our root values, beliefs and oaths. It is these examples that help cut the wheat from the chaff on who should and who should not have authority. (This is a learning story to understand and encourage what strengthes the economic and social underpinnings of society so as to improve the whole.)

Causes and Effects of Corruption: What has Past Decade's Empirical Research Taught us? A Survey

-Inefficiency can cause corruption. (Misuse of resources)

-Freedom of press minimizes corruption. (Using intimidation to silence legitimate well thought out opinions)

-Corruption slows economic growth. (Low growth over a few decades that reversed when corruption was challenged)

-In-group preference that encourages corruption. (Open complaints and conversations on corruption and preference within the system)

-Level of democratic principles reduce corruption in governance size. (Lack of respect for oaths, values, pledges and social contracts related to a strong democracy.)

-Decentralization reduces corruption. (Closed network with coordinated unhelpful behaviors)

-Legal systems with common law reduce corruption. (Subjective application of law. Coaching on how to harm and immunization of poor behaviors)

-Diverse political engagement reduced corruption (Indications of extremism and violence present)

-Lower levels of property rights increase corruption. (Open financial exploitation of others. Putting youth and elderly at risks to financially reward oneself.)

-Better pay for officials will reduce corruption. (The vast majority are good officials who deserve higher pay. Notice in our example I have been saying this for a while. It is part of the process of developing high functioning systems. Encourage good officials to stay and corrupted ones to leave.)

-Corruption more common in less urban areas. (Close social connections 'good old boy' allowed corruption to go on for years due to close proximity.)

Dimant, Eugen & Tosato, Guglielmo. (2017). Causes and Effects of Corruption: What has Past Decade's Empirical Research Taught us? A Survey. Journal of Economic Surveys. 32. 10.1111/joes.12198. 

*This is a hypothetical philosophical thought experiment for learning purposes so take with a grain of salt. Since it is a discussion feel free to leave a comment. Stay tuned as it is a series and we have learned how such systems work, what checks are needed, and about the impact of hate and corruption on society.  

Human Capital and Predictive Analysis Podcast

Developing human capital is helpful as we implement new technologies and equipment in the business world. Whether one is projecting skilled trades or professional positions, understanding what your organization needs, how it will meet market changes, and its current resources are helpful in forecasting. 

 (An episode of a podcast I created to test out how to create one and use. Yes, I know I would give it a C- but I'm learning. 😬 I'm building an arts/actor’s CV. I used to do a lot of theater in the past and still do a few things here and there but am thinking about engaging in a little more acting, theater and other stuff for fun. I have been in and out of arts type stuff on the side so activities should be organized somewhere. I thought I would share this one that I found.)

Better Managing Interior Firefighting Risks (Volunteer Firefighting)

I'm writing on another site that raises awareness of firefighters and their needs. If you didn't know I'm a volunteer/PT firefighter when I'm in the Escanaba area. I try to find resources, grants, and other things when I'm not around and unable to take any calls. As I come across resources I put them on the site I built just for firgherfighters (btw it also helps me to keep learning so a double benefit. For example, after reading the study I now have a good idea how to systematically risk rank buildings. There really isn't much on the site and I have to link the domain so I will share at some other point.). Collecting newer research and then posting that for other firefighters.

If you like volunteering to help your community join one of these organizations because they are down nationally and resources are becoming more limited (Our does pretty well in terms of recruitment and we support multiple other departments). On the flip side, if your a business and want to donate to a great department let me know in the message to the right and I will point you to a great fire department. Tax deductible donation.

Better Managing Interior Firefighting Risks [Research Study]

Saving lives also means ensuring that firefighters are not taking undo risks when they are not necessary or at times not even helpful. Structure fires create specific risks when teams must do interior work. Proximity to fire, confined spaces, create dynamic environments where many things can go wrong. The study below helps bring forward a few ideas on how to better manage such risks. 

• Develop strong standard operating procedures (SOP and guidelines (SOGs) for risk management related to fire structures with abandoned, vacant and unoccupied structures. 
• Risk analysis prior to decision making on undertaking interior actions. 
• Interior attacks should be done when resources are available such as water, ventilation, lighting, rapid intervention teams, and accountability resources. 
• Use standard systems for identifying and marking vacant buildings based on risk factors.

Fire Service Fatalities in Interior Structure Firefighting

Campbell, R (2025). Fire Service Fatalities in Interior Structure Firefighting.NFPA Reseach. https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/research/nfpa-research/fire-statistical-reports/fire-service-fatalities-in-interior-structure-firefighting

Network Density, Patents and Innovative Development (Cluster Theoretical Model)

Industry innovation helps push companies to adapt quickly as they seek to find global footing. In our theoretical model we are creating a rapid innovation system that can be designed to speed innovation in some arenas as well as and/or create hedged resilience for local communities in other arenas against market shifts. The general conceptions of both types are similar so at times the two can be focused into a single flexible system (a balance between impact and longevity). The manner of development of either focused or organic cluster development of particular interest.

(We are dealing with theoretical models so there are no guarantees but overall the principles of developing a cluster will give administrators an opportunity to better formalize the interconnected nature of local economies and how that understanding can lead to greater coordination for positive economic and social outcomes. In other words, the simple ability to see systematically the components of economic development offers more insights on how choices lead to greater outcomes. Theoretically anyway. 🤔)

This study helps highlight how relational and structural embeddings across inter-industry collaboration leads to higher levels of innovative performance (Shi & Xiao, 2024). The use of patents is one way in which we can measure advancements. It also indicates that network density impacts innovative capacity. For my own research purposes, one would think of the total network capacity on multiple levels. I would think the principles of knowledge sharing and collaboration could happen online, on ground, or socially. One might take a broader perception of network (At least that was the way it was in the initial model and still seems to make sense now.)

Research on the Impact of Inter-Industry Innovation Networks on Collaborative Innovation Performance: A Case Study of Strategic Emerging Industries.

Keep in mind that cluster development requires social and economic transactions that foster innovation cross-industry and potentially out of cluster to regional stakeholders (Vine concept in initial model 16 years ago). Thus, designing a cluster with proper network density, anchor business that can hedge cluster similarities, and working toward mutual goals may have an impact on speeding patents as representation of innovation (Patents being one common measurement of innovation. There are others.)

Shi, J., & Xiao, Z. (2024). Research on the Impact of Inter-Industry Innovation Networks on Collaborative Innovation Performance: A Case Study of Strategic Emerging Industries. Systems, 12(6), 211. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12060211