SCRANTON, Pa., Jan. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Timed to coincide with the possibilities of the New Year, Penn Foster, a leading middle skilled education and skills training provider, today unveiled a new student success advocacy program for 2018 designed to encourage current and prospective students to follow their passion to careers they will love. Entitled “JUMP into the New Year,” this program ties into the highly anticipated new book When to Jump: If the Job You Have Isn’t the Life You Want, by Mike Lewis, and challenges people to dare to live the life they’ve dreamed of building.

A cornerstone of Penn Foster’s “JUMP into the New Year” student success advocacy program is a new webinar, “Make Your Jump,” taking place on Tuesday, January 16, from 1:00-2:00pm EST. Mike Lewis will kick off the webinar, relating his personal “JUMP” story, from a 9-to-5 job in Boston to entering the world of professional sports. This difficult but ultimately freeing decision has sparked a global movement of people who decided to leave their routine lives to follow their passion. The webinar will also highlight the stories of three individuals who used their Penn Foster educations as stepping stones to pursue their dream careers and will encourage participants to ask them more about how they did it.

“I’m flattered that Penn Foster chose my book and philosophy as a launchpad for encouraging individuals to follow their hearts when it comes to what they will do with the rest of their lives,” said Lewis. “I look forward to telling webinar participants more about what ‘jumping’ could look like to each person, whether it’s getting their high school diploma, investing in a college degree or ‘pivoting’ from one life course to a completely different one. There are a world of possibilities for all of us in 2018.”

Penn Foster has been in the business of helping people “jump” into first, second and third careers for many decades, with an expansive portfolio including individual courses, high school diploma, career diplomas and certificates, and college degree programs. More than 150,000 students enroll in Penn Foster each year, choosing among its accredited programs in business, health care, legal, skilled trades and veterinary medicine, among its vast array of career options.

“The new year represents more than just a ‘new you,’ and we embrace Mike Lewis’ philosophy of considering what kind of career will make you truly happy versus what you think you should be doing, or what might offer the most money,” said Frank Britt, CEO, Penn Foster. “We enthusiastically embrace this ‘jump’ movement as one that will spread far and wide among every demographic--and we can’t wait to see how people respond to our ‘JUMP into the New Year’ challenge.”

Individuals interested in attending the January 16 webinar may register here.

About Penn Foster
Students, employers and partner organizations rely on Penn Foster to build the skills and knowledge to power the 21st century workforce. For over 125 years, Penn Foster has been dedicated to helping people lead more meaningful and productive lives and to improving social outcomes through education. Penn Foster provides career pathways for opportunity youth and adult learners through diverse and affordable online diploma, certificate and degree programs, offered via its high school, career school and college. With more than 30,000 graduates each year, Penn Foster's online and blended learning programs are delivered in a self-paced, competency-based model wrapped by comprehensive academic, professional and personal support and coaching. For more information, visit https://www.pennfoster.edu/ or our partners site at https://partners.pennfoster.edu/.