Determining Whether Vocational Schooling Is For You

by DanieVDM

Determining Whether Vocational Schooling Is For You

Article by Ayla Ward

Ever since the global economy began to slow down in 2008, vocational schooling has become extremely popular across the U.S. with vocational schools seeing an incredible 20% yearly increase in enrollment as a result. Vocational colleges are obviously a great choice for many people, but are they right for you? Prior to deciding this for yourself, you will first need to examine the disadvantages and advantages of using trade schools as your method of career training.

The following guide analyzes the benefits and drawbacks involved with trade schools, and looks at whether or not vocational schooling is the most effective way to enter your desired profession.

What are the Benefits of Vocational Schools?

In recent years, several notable researchers have examined the relative achievement enjoyed by trade school graduates in their jobs versus their industry rivals. Their results invariably concluded that vocationally-trained workers not only earned more than their university-schooled colleagues right after graduation, but went on to at the least equal them in both salary and position all through their careers. It must be mentioned that these findings were not applicable to each and every industry, but the general trend did indicate that vocational school graduates compared extremely favorably against their competition in the job market.

This section compares what the author views to be the most-important benefits that trade schools hold over traditional universities.

Focus on Skills Rather than Academics

If you are the type of person who never enjoyed sitting through lectures and memorizing theories, but enjoyed learning ways to "do" things, you are likely a good candidate for vocational schooling. The standard trade school class teaches students their skills by asking them to perform the activities that are necessary in their occupation, rather than asking them to read about them in a textbook.

Two Years of College - Not Four or More

Trade school programs are typically two years or less in length, which means that you will be working in your career and making a decent income in only half the time it would require if you went to a conventional university.

Help with Getting a Job

Because their primary selling point to future students is their job placement rate, the majority of trade schools go to great lengths to ensure that recent graduates find jobs. In a 2006 research project, the U.S. Department of Education determined that vocational schools' statements about their effectiveness at putting graduates in jobs (the majority of trade colleges state a 90% success rate or better) are not embellished.

In its conclusions, the department determined that somewhere around 97% of new trade school graduates were employed within six months of finishing their degree or certification, and over 80% of them were working in in their field of study. This success rate was not just a strong endorsement for vocational education on the whole, but revealed that it was more effective at putting graduates in relevant careers than were four-year universities.

Lower Academic Entrance Requirements

For those people who sometimes had trouble academically in school, or who never graduated at all, gaining admission to a vocational school is much easier than a traditional university. Although the majority of accredited schools do want applicants to have a high school degree, some will recognize related job experience, letters of recommendation from employers and the like instead.

The Drawbacks of Trade Schools

Every coin has two sides, and there are drawbacks to choosing vocational education rather than a traditional college degree. The following drawbacks are generally regarded as the most significant.

Cost of Tuition

Because the majority of vocational schools run on a "for-profit" basis, their tuition costs are often greater than those at four-year schools. The exact cost, of course, will change depending on the school involved, but training for certain professions may cost up to ,000 for two years of tuition. Luckily, the variety of scholarships and grants offered for vocational schooling has traditionally exceeded the number of recipients, so financial assistance is definitely available to those who qualify.

Competition with Classmates

Based on the amount of jobs offered in your field, there is a chance that you and your fellow graduates will saturate the local job market and wind up competing against one another upon graduation. Irrespective of whether or not this scenario relates to your field of study, it's something that any prospective trade school pupil should think about prior to getting into a vocational training program.

Level of Instruction

Although in reality it's likely an exception and not the rule, a handful of trade colleges have been accused of hiring teachers whose teaching skills are not up to expectations. The reason behind this belief is that many trade school instructors are hired for their experience and skill in a given trade - not for their ability to teach. It's worth repeating that this is a generalization that is occasionally made about vocational schools, and that fully-accredited institutions are required to only employ those teachers who are able to meet their state Department of Education's quality standards.

Narrowly Targeted Teaching

While some potential vocational school students look at it as a benefit that vocational education concentrates on teaching only those competencies that are relevant to your long-term career path, others see it as a drawback. The thinking behind this view is that, should you eventually choose to change vocations and move into a new industry, your vocational training and education will be so focused upon one area that you may be seen as unqualified to do anything else.

Is Vocational School Your Best Choice?

The aforementioned advantages and disadvantages of vocational education are just some of the issues that you should consider before enrolling in a vocational school. Equally important is looking into your personal career goal, and figuring out if getting a trade school certificate and degree is considered a viable method of gaining entry. You'll probably discover that, though many professional career paths prefer those with vocational school degrees, others are more welcoming to those who have paid their dues as an apprentice or earned a conventional four-year degree.

Regardless of what you personally decide for yourself, trade schools are still a proven way to successfully get into a wide range of professions for a lot of people. That said, figuring out if signing up for a vocational program is your best strategy for reaching your goals and objectives requires a defined view of where you're trying to go, and what it will take to get there.

Would you like more information on vocational training?, then visit Ayla Ward's web site on vocational schools in California. In addition to general information on trade school programs, you'll also find directories for local vocational schools, reviews and much, much more!

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