After spending 10 years in the U.S. Navy, Kenric Scarbrough got a sobering start to his civilian career. He was laid off in January, just months after he found a job as a boiler technician — one of the victims of the worsening economy. But Scarbrough, 29, is trying to get back on track by doing much more than scanning employment boards and circling help-wanted ads. The Charleston, South Carolina, resident is working toward an online bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering technology, CNN reports. He’s hoping to more than double his previous salary of $32,000 once he graduates from Excelsior College. "I was doing nuclear engineering in the Navy," Scarbrough said. "It was something that I wanted to continue to do, and I wanted the degree to go with it." Schools offering online degrees or professional certifications are thriving as people who fear being laid off or have already lost a job look for a convenient way to beef up their resumes…

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