Feeling uncertain about the future is common for many high school graduates. For those who aren't ready to commit to a 4-year college—whether due to time, cost, or interest—technical schools provide a smart, practical alternative. These programs focus on teaching the specific skills you need to succeed in specific career fields, offering a direct path to a fulfilling and productive career without the lengthy investment of traditional college.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of people holding occupational licenses has significantly increased in the past 50 years. In 2018, 43 million workers (around 17% of the civilian population) held certificates or licenses. This suggests that the trend of American workers acquiring expertise in specific fields through licenses, rather than college degrees, will continue to rise.
As of 2023, there are over 7,000 trade and technical school businesses in America, representing an increase of more than one percent from 2022. These schools aim to teach young people, especially teens and young adults, skilled trades that can lead to immediate gainful employment.
Going to Trade School
A trade school is a school that provides students the opportunity to learn a particular trade very quickly by offering highly-focused training programs specifically designed to prepare students for a job in the skilled trades. Also known as vocational schools, they focus on developing students' technical abilities in certain technical or mechanical trades. The list of fields that are available for study is massive and includes but is not limited to the following:
- Automotive technology
- IT
- Cybersecurity
- Welding
- Culinary
- Pharmacy
Is a Trade School a Good Alternative to College?
For some, college is the likely next step after high school. These folks might have a career path that demands a degree. This undergraduate degree will consist of coursework related to a candidate's major and minor fields of study, as well as general education classes that the institution offers.
For others, college doesn't make sense at all. There are three big benefits to choosing a trade school over the traditional college experience. Namely, because there is only coursework designed to develop your knowledge in one specific field, your time spent matriculating is drastically reduced. This means that while you become uber-knowledgeable about something, you're paying a lot less money to do it.
How Long Do Trade School Programs Take to Complete?
Trade school programs typically last between one to four years depending on the subject matter, although some are far shorter. Welding programs, for instance, generally take between seven months and two years of hands-on instruction, depending on the program that you choose. In just the field of welding alone, there are various schools that you could attend, including flat position welding, overhead welding and horizontal welding, to name a few.
Some, like the course to get a Commercial Driving License (CDL), take only three to six weeks to complete. It's worth mentioning that there is currently a national truck driver shortage in America. This highlights the ease by which a person can take this quick but effective course and then get a job that pays an average of just over $50,000 per year.
Dental assistant programs, like those for a dental hygienist, usually take between nine months and a year to complete. There are many online options for these kinds of programs. A home health aide can matriculate through a course in as little as three months and garner a job that pays an average of $29,000 per year.
What Are the Benefits of Trade School?
Attending trade school comes with loads of benefits. Trade schools prepare you for your first professional experiences and beyond by developing trade school programs that offer you authentic scenarios in which to ply your burgeoning trade. Hands-on experience isn't done in a vacuum. Rather, it is understanding how to employ theory in myriad common situations. Cosmology students are practicing on real people so that they'll understand what it feels like to perform their work in authentic conditions. Automotive mechanic students are working with real engines.
Besides hands-on training in labs that simulate real-life scenarios, trade schools also bring students together with instructors who boast real-world experience in their fields. There is generally one-to-one support from enrollment through graduation in trade schools because they are typically much smaller than college classes. Many trade schools offer their students job placements upon graduation, which is appealing to both the new young professional and the company with whom they are about to begin working.
How Expensive Are Trade Schools?
The national average cost to attend a four-year college is around $40,000. The national average cost of a trade school education ranges from about $5,000 - $15,000. This is largely due to the number of credits that students aren't responsible for garnering. They simply learn the curriculum that's been designed for precise preparation and speed, and into the professional world they go, carrying a highly-qualified status.
Of course, different trade schools have different costs, depending on the type of program, location and specialty. The cost of tuition for a CDL course is between $3,000 and $8,000. Medical assistant training courses, which take about a year to complete, can cost between $2,500 and $10,000. Welding schools typically cost between $5,000 and $15,000, according to the specifics.
What Sort of Recognition Do You Get Upon Graduation from a Trade School?
Today, whenever you're applying for a job, you usually must present your bona fides. This means that you need to show a potential employer that you've spent your time wisely and developed the skill or skills that they are seeking. The college degree indicates that you have done so, as does the graduate-level degree. Trade schools offer the same kinds of physical artifacts of your experience.
Upon completion of a trade school, you will be furnished with a certificate or diploma, indicating to the world at large that, according to the school or program, you've met your obligations. This is a step toward achieving certification in your particular field. An electrician's apprentice needs thousands of hours of experience in the field to go along with a trade school certificate before they can even apply to become a master electrician. However, the long road to successfully acing your state's electrical exam and obtaining your professional license begins with a trade school program.
Do You Get Hired Right Out of Trade School?
The short answer is yes. As mentioned, someone fresh out of CDL school is stepping into a wide-open market for hiring. Medical assistant programs, which can be completed in as few as eight weeks, are critical right now because the health industry is severely understaffed. The same is true for CNA and phlebotomist programs.
The longer answer is that as long as you carry mastery of a trade, you are employable. Plumbers, electricians and carpenters are constantly taking side work because these kinds of trade professionals are highly sought after. Just ask anyone who's ever had a backed-up sump pump how quickly they called an emergency HVAC service. Today, there are too many details about too many fields that can only be correctly perceived and diagnosed by one with the proper professional training; that's why trade schools are so important.
Who Is the Right Candidate for Trade School?
Anybody interested in developing their skill in a particular field of study, but who doesn't want to commit to the traditional four-year college experience should consider applying to a trade school. Anybody who knows that college will cost more than they want to spend when they can develop a skill that will lead to gainful employment in short order should consider trade school. Trade schools are like a superhighway to a career and there are scores of different careers to choose from.
