Are you asking yourself if you should go to a trade school or a traditional four-year college? Or maybe, you’re mid-career and want to pick up a new trade or skill. Whatever you’re pondering, it’s good that you’re asking the right questions and doing your research. For this post, I’m going to make the case that going to a trade school might be the better option for you.
Many believe that attending a four-year college is necessary for career success, but the reality is that many students are entering college after high school completely unprepared; academically, emotionally and financially. The same goes for people in their mid-career; they realize in their mid-30’s that they’ve chosen the wrong career because of peer pressure, societal pressure and social norms.
A trade school represents a good solution to all of these problems.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that middle-skill jobs (jobs that generally require some significant education and training beyond high school, but less than a bachelor’s degree) will make up approximately 45% of all job openings projected through 2014. We have heard from many major employers in the United States that they plan on moving many of their overseas operations back home; this includes companies such as Apple, Nissan, Ford, Caterpillar, Motorola and General Electric. These companies are the biggest names in their respective industries and landing a job with them will guarantee you a solid salary, benefits, 401(k) or pension plan and many other perks!
I’ve heard from many clients that I work with that trade schools only offer tough physical labor jobs. While for some schools this is very true, there are many other schools out there that offer less labor demanding jobs such as:
- Administrative Assistant/Computer Applications Specialist
- Electrical Technician
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Office Billing and Coding Specialist
- Patient Care Technician
- Pharmacy Technician
- Phlebotomy Technician
(side thought) Did you know that a Medical Records Coding Technician can earn up to $46K? That is the national average according to Salary.com!!
Whatever kind of job you are looking for there is a trade school out there that can help you get there. I personally recommend Tucson College and furthermore recommend Betsy Stuetze, Career Services Director of Tucson College.
What people credit and discredit trade schools for is that you can earn a degree or certificate quickly, but that it doesn’t guarantee you a job. Well first, there are no guarantee’s in life (yes, I’ve heard the death and taxes joke.) Second, don’t be so quick to blame the school here. I’ve seen and spoken to a lot of people who often don’t know what they want to do and hope that by gaining a certificate in “something” it will put them on the path to success. The problem is once the employer sees that you are unhappy in your job and your morale is low, they will let you go and opt for someone else who will enjoy doing that job.
The key here is to have a great counselor. Someone like Betsy can help you figure out what you want to do with your career and how best to achieve it with the various tools at her disposal along with her knowledge as a Career Services Director.
The point here is to find what you love and go for it. Trade schools are on the rise in America and we are seeing a shift in our labor force. No longer are the days of having one job with one company for the rest of your life. It’s time to diversify your skills and a trade school can offer just that.
