Thursday, January 5, 2012

A College Education Is A Necessity In Today's Job Market

College programs have transformed amazingly in the last 50 years, and much of that has to do with our economy morphing into more and more of a service industry. Students who went away to college a generation ago could expect to come away from college with a degree that would allow them to go into business, become a teacher, or an architect, engineer, or enter some other profession. Today, limited college programs are a long thing of the past.
College programs have exploded into literally hundreds of different career fields and degree and certificate types. Students have many more choices regarding the career fields that they want to go into, and even careers that seemed one-dimensional 20 years ago have changed into programs with depth and choices that weren't thought possible before. Much of this development is due to the tremendous growth in the technology sector.
As technology becomes ingrained in every facet of our lives, the workplace continues to grow and change too. Jobs that used to be considered vocational careers that required little or no training are now dependent on new technology, training, and education. A good example of this is in automotive technology. In years past, people who wanted to work in auto repair and maintenance received on-the-job training in a local gas station or car dealership. Today, they go to school to get a degree.
Once a student completes high school, he or she has two choices: go to work, or go to school. Unfortunately, work without some kind of post-secondary education generally results in low-paying, manual labor jobs that have little to no growth or chance to upward mobility. Today, students who want to get ahead in just about any career need additional education.
The first level of education after high school is vocational training. Vocational programs teach people a skill or a trade that can lead quickly to work once the program is completed. Many colleges offer vocational training for students; often, these programs have job placement services that help students find work once they complete their training.
There are varying levels of vocational programs for students to choose from. The first level of vocational training is a certification program. Certification programs can take anywhere from several weeks and up to a year to complete. Many vocational careers require their practitioners to carry a state certification in the field; for example, most states require that childcare workers be certified by the state.
If a student wants a higher level of training, he or she may want to think about seeking an Associate's degree in a vocational career. This degree is a two-year course of study that is comprehensive in nature, giving students a level of training and education that will readily prepare them to enter professional vocational career fields, like a plumber or an electrician. It is very common for these vocational careers to also require a period of training on-the-job following graduation. These vocational apprenticeships can take several years to complete, depending on the career.

No comments:

Post a Comment