Things to Consider when Choosing a Vocational or Trade School

As June is the month most 17-18 year-olds graduate from high school, it is likely they have experienced at least one "Career Day" or are deciding whether or not to continue their education. A percentage of those may realize that a four-year university may not be for them and others may have been forewarned that job stability means more than a degree in today's economy. Then you have adults who made the leap from high school straight to the working world. After a while they become bored with their current job, are laid off with no prospects or just found their paycheck is no longer able to stretch wide enough to meet everyday necessities.

So you're watching television, surfing online or reading the classified section of the newspaper and notice a seemingly pragmatic, specialized training that may be the ticket out of your predicament. These ads stress first how new skills can be achieved in a matter of months and not years. They even use regular people as former "students" for testimonials that sometimes include social issues that hit home such as teen pregnancy, a less than desirable home life, or lack thereof. Though you may be convinced that these are actors who probably know nothing personally of what they portray in television, you call the toll-free number or go online to get more information and possibly set up an appointment with a counselor for a "tour" of the school.

From this point, you are hit with a sales pitch, brochures which include statistical figures that can be made to sound pretty rough and possibly a little bit of pressure to sign on immediately because your future may depend on you making a change at that very moment. Some counselors go as far as to get really friendly and find a way to weave applicable factors (sad job market, your children, high cost of living) into their tactics to get you in as soon as possible.

I'm not saying that all vocational schools do not teach their students or act like shysters to get your dollars so they can remain in business. In fact, depending on your individual situation, a vocational school may be better than a 2-year college in fields such as cosmetology or automotive training where skills matter first and not pre-requisite classes such as English 101. What I am saying is that one should check their options thoroughly before signing on for financial aid and also take these few things into consideration.

1. Find out of the hours of instruction meet or exceed the minimum requirements to get a job (or state-approved certification, if this is the main criteria needed to get a job). This especially holds true in the allied health field. While a two-year degree is not always necessary, it does give a prospective employee a leg up in the job market as well as help in advancement within a company or organization. Medical billing is a good example of this. While many institutions (especially online) offer training in the shortest amount of time, flexible payment plans and almost no minimum requirements to be accepted into program, actual job placement statistics (or even leads) may not be so readily available. Do they offer externships or have a relationship with companies that accept new graduates? The facts are that most employers want for employees to have at least one year of experience and an unpaid externship can be substituted for that year. Just because a learning institution has proper credentials (a Better Business Bureau, or BBB logo does not take the place of state accreditation, though it would not hurt to check and see if anyone has complained and the response to the complaint, if any), instructors who actually teach and a friendly staff, make sure that once you complete the program you will qualify for at least 70% of the jobs in your chosen field and that a degree is not preferred for most of them.

2. Make sure they are current with industry standards. If you are applying to a computer school and during your tour, you see that the PC's or laptops have internal floppy drives or use a dot-matrix printer, it pretty certain that they are way out of date. A lot of times, the signs are not that noticeable so this is where research comes in. The more you do, the more money you will save in the long run. Places to start would be your local state (or non-profit) employment office where you can get unbiased information about local learning institutions. If you are currently receiving unemployment insurance, you may qualify for free or reduced-cost training depending on the city in which you live. Recruiting specialists, or 'counselors' at private vocational school are actually salespeople first. Very few have actual knowledge of what they are selling you and the paperwork they present could actually be doctored up to make it look current and factual. Once again, this is not in all cases but getting information from neutral sources stands stronger than from someone with something to gain (like their commission and points toward their quota).

3. Get feedback from other sources. Besides accreditation and how current they are, one of the main things you want know is how good is the school overall and have they ever been involved in any lawsuits or do any former students have complaints. The best way is a Google search by typing in the name of the school followed by "legal". This will bring up past and pending lawsuits. California residents can check with the Bureau of Postsecondary and Public Vocational Education(BBPVE). Also, find out what other names do they operate under and if they constantly change names or change programs of study. This is not a good sign as could possibly be a way to evade lawsuits and/or public complaints. If a school has a long history in teaching certain trades or a school prides itself in one specialty, they deserve a point. Private vocational schools that one week offer A+ Certification (computer repair) one week, then offer nursing the next or worse, offer both bartending and veterinary assistant training should be given serious thought or most likely, avoided altogether. A solid history with a trade or vocation means access to resources (job prospects, advanced learning opportunities) as well as a staff that is knowledgeable enough to give students the real deal behind a particular industry besides the money. The newspaper as well as employment magazines like Working World can give more unbiased information that will be helpful in selecting a school. Look also for regional and industry changes - something in which I have first hand experience. A long time ago, after completing a Medical Assistant course (back then state certification was optional, now it is mandatory) I found that I did not qualify for a lot of jobs because I not only lacked an externship but I am not bilingual Spanish, which in Los Angeles county is becoming more and more common. More recent, I found that the need for website designers has decreased due to the ease of using MySpace and other blog programs that do not require knowledge of HTML (hypertext markup language) or JavaScript programming. Also, a good number of these jobs go to those with a B.A. in Information Technology or Multimedia Science.

4. Compare the price of tuition. Regional Occupational Centers/Programs (ROC/P) and adult schools offer similar courses to that of the private schools, usually at a small (5% or less) portion of the price and the completion time is about the same (even with holiday breaks). The only downside is that they rarely pre-screen prospective students and should a student either disrupt a class or is having a hard time keeping up, they are rarely asked to leave the course for good. Community colleges sometimes offer certificate programs and non-credit or extension courses that usually cost the same or a little more than ROCs but are still less than half the cost of a private institution. Think also about the profession you are entering and time it will take to pay back any loans you take out. If you take Business Administration/Office Assistant (basic office procedures utilizing Microsoft Office and possibly some basic accounting) at a ROC, the cost will be around $250 or less for one year; the same courses at a community college may be between $200-500 per year. With a private vocational school, look forward to parting with at least $4000 but can go as high as $8000 or more! That's not includingbooks or the interest incurred by financial aid.

5. Make sure this is what you want to do. I've fallen victim to "booming" employment trends as a way to secure job stability. They best way to find out is to take an assessment test by your high school or state employment counselor, talk to people you may know in a particular industry to see if it might be a fit for you. Do your homework, even if it takes months. The last thing you want to do is spend money on training that may not bring immediate income and it is not something that you at least appreciate.

If you find that getting a general education diploma (GED) is the first step towards success, check into your local adult school first. When I worked in the school system, I would talk to at least ten people every week who took an exam and found it was not recognized by their state. One day in particular, I met with three vocational nursing students who said that their school arranged a test , which they passed but the paper they were "awarded" was not recognized by the California Board of Nursing. Had they not made arrangements to take the exam, they would still be responsible tor any financial aid and their time and energy gone to waste.

Finally, if you think that a degree is in your future, sometimes an adult school or ROC may have a matriculation program where some of what you learned (or better received a decent grade in) can be transferred to your local college in the form of credit. While a lot of vocational schools now offer degrees, the credits are usually not transferable to your state university or junior college because they are nationally accredited and not by region or state. Click here to view feedback from former students about a well-recognized name in the franchise postsecondary education business.