Skilled TradesCareer Training Solutions

Skilled trade jobs are in undisputable demand across the country, and they offer life-long career opportunities to high school graduates and other younger workers. However, with such a strong emphasis on a traditional 4-year education, it can be difficult to know where to find places to train for the skills needed to work in this field.

The most popular choices for career training in the skilled trades are at career colleges, community colleges, and union apprenticeships. Each has its own benefits, so it’s important to assess the options available to you in the area where you live or plan to work.

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS AND CAREER COLLEGES are some of the best resources to get started in the skilled trades. Programs are designed to teach skills that are immediately applicable to the field. Industry newcomers as well as those with prior construction or skilled trades experience can both benefit from trade school programs.

Students learn on new, well-maintained equipment, providing them with optimal training conditions. Instructors all have professional experience, so they are able to give both skill training as well as insider perspective. This closely guided instruction also ensures that students are learning the correct techniques for each new skill they learn.

Most importantly, career colleges are aware of their students’ need to get out into the field with their new skills as soon as possible, so they tailor curriculums to feature the most market-relevant skills within a brief span of time. Career colleges typically offer both certification as well as degree programs. There are no extraneous core classes. All course lessons are streamlined to move students from the classroom to the workplace in as little time as possible. These programs fast track students to getting the type of education they need to advance their career goals.

Career Colleges & Trade Schools

Community Colleges & Apprenticeships

COMMUNITY COLLEGE programs, with highly affordable tuition rates and ubiquitous campuses, are the choice of many for skilled trades training, particularly for introductory courses. However, with funding for community colleges divided across a multitude of different programs, skilled trades programs tend to be less advanced than those found in career colleges, with older equipment and less specialized training.

Community college programs may also offer both certification and degree programs. Unlike career colleges, though, they require students to compete with other students for registration slots in each class. For students who aren’t able to register before the class fills up, this can delay graduation along with their career goals. They may also not have the career resources and employer connections that career colleges are careful to develop.

APPRENTICESHIPS, hosted by labor unions, are extensive training programs that give skilled trade learners a chance to earn a wage while gaining skill mastery. The training period is long, taking 2 to 6 years to complete depending on the trade, and it requires joining the union you train at. While training is free, students are still responsible for their own books and union dues (which may vary with each union chapter).

Unlike career colleges where all qualified candidates are accepted, the application and acceptance process for union apprenticeships is a long road. Individuals must first pass an aptitude test before being accepted into the program. The test covers math, reading, and measurement skills. If an applicant passes the test, they will then interview with the Apprenticeship Committee, a process that is also scored. If the interview score is adequate, the applicant is placed on the acceptance list. As apprenticeship positions open up, candidates are chosen from the acceptance list, the highest scores first. Applicants move up and down the list as new testing periods and selection periods add and subtract names from the list. A candidate can stay on the acceptance list for up to 2 years (at which point the applicant’s name will be removed).

While the apprenticeship route offers solid hands-on training, there is also no guarantee of acceptance, and applicants may feel strung along in the meantime waiting for a conclusive decision.

CAREER TRAINING may be more suited to certain individuals depending on their particular situation. In any case, formal career training is often superior to on-the-job training. Learning on the job may be a good way to test whether a person wants to seriously pursue a particular trade, but it can be limiting if the goal is to gain a strong foothold in the industry.

ON-THE-JOB TRAINING is often narrowed down to a few skills at a time with workers only familiar with the tasks they have been given. Without a strong fundamental knowledge of industry techniques, it can be hard for them to switch careers, particularly for positions that require a slightly different skill set. Learning on the job can be piecemeal, and it’s easy for new workers to pick up the bad habits of their teacher without realizing they are doing anything wrong. This limited experience can make upward career mobility, especially if you change companies at some point, more of a challenge.

Formal career training, on the other hand, is a solid way to gain the experience needed for a variety of positions in your field. Students in formal programs don’t just pick up skills, they master them. Students gain a deep understanding of how the skills they learn can be applied and modified to suit different situations they may encounter.

Career Training vs. On-the-Job Training

/TheRefrigerationSchool/rsiaz

Students who are interested in a career that allows them to work with their hands outside of an office may find fulfilling opportunities across the country in skilled trades. The Refrigeration School in Arizona is a trade school that offers programs in Refrigeration Technologies, Electrical Technologies, Electro-Mechanical Technologies, and Mechanical Maintenance Engineering. To learn more about training for a career in HVACR, contact an RSI Admissions Representative.

Accredited School, ACCSC. Licensed by the Arizona State Board for Private Post Secondary Education. For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who complete our programs, and other important information, please visit our website at: http://www.refrigerationschool.com/about-rsi/regulatory-information/.

Sources:http://iwlocal3.com/apprentices/http://work.chron.com/difference-between-journeyman-apprentice-15642.htmlhttp://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499021.htm

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