Continuing School - Considering Going to a Vocational Trade School

A vocational school is a great place to begin your journey in a profession that speaks to you.

So what exactly is a vocational school? These are schools of trade, where hires are employed based on their skills and knowledge in technical, engineering, and other similar duties.

Some examples of trade expertise include:

    Blacksmiths
    Mechanics
    Beauty Technicians
    Welders
    Plumbers
    Electricians
    Carpenters

There are many careers from which to draw examples from, and many will have several institutions to acquire certification and on the job training. As an example, a medical transcriptionist is able to earn a degree from an online college, while also participating in an internship at a local medical facility.

Some key facts regarding vocational schools include:

These are sometimes available through community colleges, which feature tuition prices that are 50% less than traditional colleges.

Financial aid is furthermore available for vocational school programs, through Federal Grants and other forms of loans or scholarships.

Other names for vocational schools include, technical, career or trade schools.

The occupational profile for each trade varies, and this information can be obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There, researchers can find career forecasts, median salary, the amount of professionals currently employed in the field and more.

Many distance learning and on-campus schools allow students to earn licensing and certification in their fields in as little as two years. Compare this to getting a college online degree which may take up to four years, such as a grief counseling degree.

In addition, someone who graduates with an undergraduate degree may still be considered an entry level worker, due to the lack of on-the-job training. This however, may be a non-issue for working adults who may simply need the written qualifications to advance in their career. What's more is that many distance education colleges may provide accelerated programs to shorten the student's time for completion.

When choosing a career path, it's wise to go over all the perimeters of a profession.

Consider:

Fields you're most passionate about and write down a shortlist. Think about what career you could see yourself involved in for the long-term. Even though a career switch is certainly feasible in adulthood, it can take a lot of time and resources to accomplish this.

Examine the median salary from credible census statistics, and deem whether this salary is sufficient for your lifestyle and schedule.

Trying to Sell Vocational Trade School to a Video Game Player

My son is not a big fan of our fire pit. When he was a little kid, he used to love it. I would tell him all kinds of scary stories as the only noises to be heard were crickets and the crackling fire. Those crackles would make his skin jump at times. Now, something else makes his skin jump. Since he's just about to graduate high school, he knows he's going to be hearing - not listening - to a lot of advice from me. This is especially the case since I recently heard what he wants to do for a living. Believe it or not, he wants to be a video game player. No, this is not a joke. There are actually people who play video games for pay, to see what works and does not work in the game. They also rate how enjoyable and playable the game is. This might be a good gig for a few years, but since it pays by the hour - and not very much - it doesn't seem like a long-term option.

This is a difficult spot for me. As a kid, I told my father I wanted to be a writer. He said, "There goes your future," and later refused to pay my way for college. So, I had to go the Liberal Arts route. This ended up being an 11-year setback. I don't want to do the same thing to my kid. I want him to do what he loves. It's possible that being a video game player/tester can lead to something else bigger and better. Or, maybe the pay for that 'profession' will increase.

These are all topics my son and I discussed around the fire pit a few nights ago. My argument was that he should look into a vocational trade school. I firmly believe that video games are popular because they offer instant gratification. That being the case, he would make more money and get the same type of satisfaction if he became an Information Technology (IT) professional. This is the point I tried to make several times as we passed a large jug of Gatorade back and forth while sitting close to the fire pit.

My son made his defense that passion and enjoyment were more important to him than level of income. This was an expected response, especially coming from someone without any kids. He also explained that he didn't even know what a vocational school was, only that he heard of them. I went on to explain that it was a school designed to focus on one trade, so you would become an expert at it in a short period of time.

The conversation eventually ended with my son throwing the rest of the Gatorade into the fire pit and storming away. On the surface, this might sound like a loss for me. But I know my son. When he knows I have a point, he gets irritated and reacts that way. The next day, or possibly even a few hours later, he will come to his senses and admit defeat. I just hope he makes the right decision. And there's no guarantee that my advice is correct.