As noted earlier this week, February is recognized nationally as Career and Technical Education month. While Career and Technical Education has been around for several decades (formerly referred to as Vocational Training), it has been gaining in popularity over the recent years. Some of the benefits of Career and Technical Education are discussed below.
One positive aspect of Career and Technical Education is the high rate of program completion. Unlike a traditional college or university degree program where students must complete approximately two years of core academic coursework, Career and Technical Education allows students the freedom to choose a course pathway that most interests them. Research suggests that students are more likely to complete a program that interests them and has real world applications as Career and Technical Education courses do. With most Career and Technical education programs, students are acquiring skills that are relevant to the current workplace. Studies suggest that this relevance makes students feel more engaged and more likely to successfully finish their chosen education path.
Related to the greater likelihood of completing an education program, Career and Technical Education has the benefit of providing students with improved career prospects. Research shows that students who complete a Career or Technical Education program, even those who take a few courses without earning any type of credential or certificate, earn higher salaries than those students with a high school diploma alone. Career and Technical Education can provide students with the skills necessary to obtain high-skill and high-wage jobs.
Another benefit of Career and Technical Education is the ease in which a student can participate in courses. In the past, students were limited by geographic and time constraints as to which Career and Technical Education programs they could participate in. Today, with the advent of elearning or distance learning courses, students are merely a click away from virtually any type of Career and Technical Education coursework they are interested in. Gatlin International is the world’s largest provider of online workforce development programs. Gatlin International offers online Career and Technical Education in a wide range of career areas such as IT and Software Development, Healthcare and Fitness, Media and Design, and many others. Just about any Career and Technical Education you desire can be found online with Gatlin International.
One final benefit to Career and Technical Education is assisting those who have been laid off or become unemployed. In these tough economic times, it may sound counter-intuitive to invest money in Career and Technical Education. However, the opposite is actually true. In times of economic downturn, it is very wise to update your skills in preparation for new career opportunities that will begin to arise once the economy begins to pick up again. Those who choose to invest in Career and Technical Education now will have the skills necessary when workforce demands begin to expand again and will have an easier time finding a new job or career path. If you are interested in exploring Career and Technical Education for yourself but don’t know where to begin, check in with our blog next week when we will discuss high growth occupation trends.