Technological advances have led to a variety of new career fields, including many alternatives to traditional college and university degrees. Many vocational and technical programs now offer a combination of classroom instruction along with on-the-job training. A common alternative to college or university degrees in a wide range of technical subjects is the CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) certification program. This is a great choice for skilled trades workers, who can immediately begin working in hospitals, assisted living facilities or nursing homes. For people that have finished high school or are in their early twenties, it is still possible to obtain an associate's degree or even a bachelor's degree in this field. Often, students will complete the required course work at a community college or vocational school, transfer in credits and attend classes part time at an existing campus.
One type of higher education that has gained popularity over the years is telework. Telework involves the transfer of several hours of paid work, often from related fields, into the hands of a single person. Typical teleworking careers require someone with a computer, high-speed Internet connection, telephone headsets, text messaging skills and the ability to work without supervision.
As more technical degrees become available via online courses, so do the opportunities to obtain hands-on experience. There are a variety of ways that individuals can get hands-on experience through trade schools, community colleges and vocational schools. Some of these experiences can lead to full or part-time employment, while others will provide individuals with the experience for advancement in specific careers. Often, those looking for entry level jobs in this field will pursue the associate's or bachelor's degree first, since these degrees will generally qualify one for entry level, blue-collar positions.
The same holds true for adults who have completed their high school education and want to continue their education. While some employers only hire people with bachelor's degrees, others are open to hiring people with lower levels of education. There is a growing trend of working adults with only a high school diploma or its equivalent working in the customer service, food service or administrative fields. These jobs typically pay lower wages than typical other job profiles, but the increased education most times leads to higher salaries.
Skilled trades careers also lead many into the professional world, as automobile mechanics, electrical contractors and plumbers often find employment in construction or manufacturing. In general, however, these types of careers usually do not involve traveling to far away places on a regular basis, which limits the options of college or university degree alternatives. If you are employed in these skilled trades, however, there are numerous college and university degree alternatives available to you. In particular, certificate programs in many of the more popular trades provide solid training in the skills you need to succeed.
A few of the common alternatives to college or university degrees include vocational or trade school programs, technical or trade school programs and even shorter programs like weekend seminars. Of course, there is always the option of taking a gap year between college and work, which almost always lead to an increased interest in pursuing a degree at some point. Another option many people choose is to pursue work in the field that best suits their interests and talents. Many jobs, after all, require the skills that were learned during the gap year, so these workers will likely not regret their decision to return to school.
The other common alternative to college or university degrees is community college. Community colleges typically offer lower cost alternatives to the more expensive bachelor's degree programs. While community college does not require the same rigid schedules as those institutions, the quality of the programs is generally quite similar. Most community college students participate in the liberal arts learning experience, which helps prepare them for life on their own. Because community college does not require a specific schedule to complete coursework, students can move through the coursework at their own pace.
Although community colleges offer the flexibility of completion at your own pace, they still require the completion of required credits. Grades are generally collected on a calendar year by semester, so a student may take a full year off between semesters. If a student moves ahead of schedule, however, he or she must start the class the following semester. Unlike university alternatives to college degrees, community colleges do not offer any transfer credits, so any work completed in community colleges will count towards a transfer GPA. In most cases, a graduate degree is required in order to pursue careers in skilled trades.
Dr Anil Khare - A Brilliant Entrepreneur and Educational Consultant (www.anilkhare.com) (anilkhare@anilkhare.com)
Owner cum founder of Amourion Training Institute, a KHDA accredited training institute licensed to provide comprehensive training services in Dubai.
Dr Anil Khare (www.anilkhare.com) is a well known name in the field of education and is known to be a brilliant entrepreneur who started his first educational institution (Amourion Training Institute) in Dubai-UAE the year 2001. He has managed to create various branches in the educational front and today has many branches spread all across Dubai-UAE. Apart, from that he is also associated with many educational consultancy companies that has helped him in expanding his reach in the field of education. Today his biggest claim to fame is being the Entrepreneur's Education Director at Amourion Training Institute where he is considered as the main driving force behind the company's achievement of rapid growth and development.