As a new generation of trade schools emerges offering training in professions once exclusively affiliated with four-year colleges, old stereotypes about vocational schooling are being torn down.While vocational schools still offer quality education to people interested in nursing, culinary arts, graphic design, automotive repair and other standard vocational trades, in addition they now offer degree and certification programs for future web developers, alternative energy specialists, biotechnologists, forensics specialists and a host of other high-tech professions.No matter what kind of career you want to pursue, the odds are in your favor that you can get top-notch training for it at a vocational college near you.
Are There Different Kinds of Vocational Schools?
It is quite ordinary to hear the names career colleges, trade schools and vocational schools applied to different institutions.While these names seem to suggest different kinds of schools, the fact of the matter is that they are typical synonyms for vocational school programs.That doesn't mean, however, that all vocational schools are the same.
Vocational schools, technical colleges, or whatever other name you want to give them, generally come in a couple of formats - small, trade-specific schools (e.g. a local bartending college) or national, multi-trade colleges (e.g. University of Phoenix).While the former generally set ups its curriculum, campus and faculty entirely around preparing students for a specific occupation, the latter concentrates on offering an array of different study options in one location (or online, as is often the case).
What Is The Biggest Difference Between Them?
The biggest distinction between small trade schools and their larger, nationally-focused rivals is usually the prestige of any acquired certification or degree, and tuition costs.There are actually going to be other differences depending on the specific schools involved (e.g. convenience of scheduling classes, etc.) as well, however these are usually the largest points of differentiation for most students.
The prestige of a degree or certification earned at a local school may be a concern for those working in some fields, because certain employers won't value them as much as those earned from a larger, well-known school.This may be especially true if you ever opt to relocate and pick up your career in another city or state.
With greater prestige frequently comes a higher cost of tuition, however.A degree or professional certification earned at ITT Tech or University of Phoenix may certainly carry more importance with prospective employers, but it will cost you more.Needless to say, with this higher price comes the advantage of not only a nationally-recognized certification or degree, but also (in most instances) a higher amount of assistance from the school in job placement.
What Else Do I Need To Know?
With the number of options available to choose from, it is sometimes a bit frustrating for students to identify a favorite on their list of possible vocational schools.However, so long as you stay focused on the kind of training you would like, and the type of learning environment that is ideal for you, it doesn't have to be a laborious task.Whether you opt for a big school or a small one, what's important is that it satisfies your vocational training needs.