A Solution to Job Hunting Struggles?
Millions of young Americans, even those who have completed their four-year college education, are still struggling to land jobs. The solution to this may not always lie in office jobs or startup companies. What people need to do is look beyond the usual courses and job opportunities. Vocational colleges such as manufacturing trade schools are, for now, hitting the big time.
Issues in Conventional College Education
Sure, you want to earn a degree from a traditional college or university to boost your career and income potential, but there’s also the reality of skyrocketing tuition fees. Many people end up paying off student loan debts for the rest of their lives, so it’s only logical that some may choose to avoid such a burden.
Others choose not to pursue college for different reasons. Aside from financial difficulties, some people still have their obligations to their families or want to get a full-time job after high school in order to start out in the real world as soon as possible. Economic recession is one major reason why many young people look for employment rather than a traditional further education after high-school graduation.
Trade/Vocational School Programs With a High Earnings Potential
Manufacturing is in a boom these days, and firms have a need for personnel as engineers and mechanics. Due to the soaring tuition fees and perhaps people’s aversion to a protracted number of years and unnecessary minor subjects in college, many turn to trade schools or vocational schools. If you’ve got a certain career in mind, trade schools are the best choice for the hands-on training and skills you need. This will give you the ability to start earning straight off the bat and be “armed” for the real world.
Based on our findings, here are the top trade school/vocational schools programs in the United States – these are the programs that have a high potential for future earnings. The career choices in this list are very high in demand as well, so you’ll be well equipped no matter which one you end up choosing:
1. Health Care
The US Department of Labor lists careers related to health care as one of the fastest-growing in recent years. Careers in nursing, medical therapy, and assistants are in great demand, so young people can reasonably look into making up the supply.
There are several vocational programs for licensed vocational nurses (LVN) and licensed practical nurses (LPN). These programs would last for about a year, which isn’t a long period of time as compared to the standard four years of college.
There are associate programs as well, for those who want to be registered nurses (RN). For this career, though, a license is also required in addition to a basic degree. Educational programs for aspiring medical therapists and assistants offer both vocational training certificates and associate degrees. These programs typically last from six months to about a year. Assisting careers will land graduates a proper job in many fields such as occupational therapy, medical records, and dentistry.
2. Legal
Programs for legal careers offer associate degrees or certificates. This applies to all the three top positions – paralegal, legal secretaries, and legal assistants. Depending on the program, students can be trained in any of those positions in six months to two years the most. Legal careers are highly in demand, and these vocational options are ideal for those who want to study law but don’t have a great financial back-up at the moment.
3. Business
You don’t have to complete an MBA or attend a prestigious business school in order to learn how to run your own startup. These choices are traditional and might be lucrative in the long run, but such schools have high fees and take up at least two more years of your life.
On the other hand, short vocational courses related to business having varying durations, depending on the program you choose. Many firms require potential employees to possess at least an associate degree or a training certificate.
If you’re already pursuing a business career, you can also enroll in any of the business-related programs to enhance your knowledge in other areas of business. These include accounting, business administration, human resources, and so on. This way, you can carry on with your own business while simultaneously training yourself to be a better entrepreneur. Other careers that are within the business sphere include loan officers, insurance appraisers, purchasing agents and many others.
4. Engineering/Mechanics/Electronics
Again, the duration of vocational courses on electronic, engineering, and mechanics would vary according to the kind of program you choose. Such programs can lead you into positions of electrical and electronics engineer technicians, subway and streetcar operators, electrical power-line installers and repairers, aerospace engineering and operations technicians, air conditioning mechanics, audio and video technicians…the list goes on. Like many other programs in different fields, engineering/mechanical programs also offer training certificates or associate degrees. You can also consider getting a ms in engineering management as well.
5. Personal Care
The top careers in this field are cosmetologists, barbers/hairdressers, and skin care specialists. Programs that are geared towards personal care careers mostly offer vocational certificates. This will be helpful later on while launching your own business in personal care, or at least assure a better position if you’re seeking a job in an established company.
6. Application Software Development
We’re currently living in what some people call the digital age, where software is in great demand. Many companies are on the lookout for good software developers no matter what industry they’re in. By taking a few courses in software development, one can quickly learn to modify existing software, make improvements in its performance, determine the needs of the user, and work with programmers to design the best software system for any job.
The average income and hourly rate for an application software developer is quite high, but this is also a job that requires a bachelor’s degree in most cases. If you’re stumped for jobs after graduating from college, you might want to take a few courses in this field and set yourself up that way. The investment of time and effort will be worth it, as the expected income could be more than $100,000 every year, while the job growth rates are about 25%. This means that there are more than 85,000 jobs in this industry available per year.
Conclusion
When it comes to earning a living, vocational school and trade school programs are probably a more practical idea than getting a college experience. While the value of higher education is certainly indisputable, it’s not something that everyone must have in order to gain success. Many of the most famous inventors, pioneers, and leaders didn’t have much of a college experience. If you’re having trouble with the financial side of school or just want to get out into the real world as quickly as possible, start looking into trade school prams. It might be the best decision of your life!