Pennsylvania’s improving job market is reflected in its unemployment rate, now 7.2 percent in central Pennsylvania, as more companies ramp up hiring. Central Pennsylvania residents who want to learn about job opportunities in this region are invited to attend the sixth annual Central Pennsylvania Regional Career Fair from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday, May 17, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in Innovation Park. More than 65 employers will be at the event.

A married couple in New Jersey, a State College resident and a civilian worker in Afghanistan will all receive degrees earned online through the World Campus during Penn State’s spring commencement May 3–5. Among the Penn State students graduating during University Park campus commencement are Tom Brown, a civilian worker in Afghanistan; Matthew and Diana Kirk of Riverside, N.J.; and Jamie Reep of State College.

Two-thirds of all college students receive some type of financial aid, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), but most aid is focused on full-time traditional-age students. Adult students — a population NCES expects will grow 20 percent by 2020 — have fewer financial aid options, because often they are enrolled part time. To help adult students achieve their education goal, Penn State is creating scholarships and other financial aid options for these students.

Adults living in the Juniata River Valley who are interested in going back to school to finish a college degree for career advancement or to prepare for a new career are invited to attend a free adult learner information session from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, at the Penn State Lewistown Center at 152 E. Market St., suite 100, Lewistown, Pa. This event will include a financial aid presentation at 6 p.m., with time for questions afterward.

Violence by intimate partners is a major public health problem in the United States. One in four women and one in seven men have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When victims arrive in the emergency room, it is crucial to have a forensic nurse available to collect and preserve evidence that may be needed for a legal case. Penn State’s new Nursing Forensics Certificate, delivered online through the World Campus, is designed to enable registered nurses to conveniently prepare for this growing nursing specialty.