Why Vocational Schools Are Worth It
Unfortunately, a high school diploma simply does not carry quite the same weight that it used to.
While successful completion of high school signals to potential employers that you can buckle down, study, and earn your keep through hard work, it also symbolizes a lack of a specific skill. For this reason, secondary education has become a nearly essential component to finding work in many professional industries.
Students today are faced with plenty of options to further their education after high school, but the most common choices are between four-year universities and vocational (or trade) schools.
There are many things to factor into your decision, including the amount of money you can spend on tuition, how much time you can spend going to school, and even where you live. For instance, the high cost of living in NYC makes a career training program seem especially attractive, especially for people living in the city that need a well-paying job right away.
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Is a University Right for You?
Students that attend a university would ideally enroll and earn a Bachelor’s degree on the subject of their choosing over the course of four years. Unfortunately, high tuition costs at institutions across the country have made this a lofty dream for some, and the idea of attending school full time for four years is simply not doable for students who need to enter the workforce as soon as possible.
Universities also often require a certain number of “general education” credits, intended to give students a well-rounded education. While the gesture is well-meaning, this often results in students wasting hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars on courses that they don’t want, need, or care about. Inflating a student schedule in this way often leads to high levels of stress and apathy across the student body, which contributes to the 40% dropout rate nationwide.
There’s no doubt that the university route is right for some, but for many others it just doesn’t make financial sense.
The Many Benefits of Vocational Schools
For those that already know which industry they want to work in, finding a good trade or vocational school can save you a lot of time and money that would have otherwise been wasted on unnecessary classes and inflated tuition. If you’re taking out an expensive student loan in order to invest in your education, this should be priority number one.
Apart from that, vocational schools can often offer many beneficial student services that larger universities simply are not equipped to allow.
- Vocational schools offer smaller class sizes than most universities, resulting in more 1:1 time with instructors.
- Students at vocational schools are given specific, hands-on training with industry applicable equipment and tools in order to gain a practical understanding of the job.
- It’s quite common for vocational schools to offer direct job placement for students, and almost all of them offer resume and work assistance programs.
- Many vocational schools even offer on-site state licensing exams, making certification testing even easier.
Career Training Programs in NYC
Vocational schools in high population, high-rent areas like New York City have seen enrollment numbers explode in the past several years as tuition costs at four-year universities have continued to climb. Students looking for training in medicine, home health, or even bartending can all benefit by learning about what vocational schools in their area can offer.
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