The importance of Vocational Training for Career Development
For
those interested in the benefits of vocational education for job training and
career preparation, here are some of the key positives for both students and
employers with this type of career-preparation path.
Skill development and employability
Vocational
learning opportunities play a critical role in skill development and employability.
The importance of vocational development can largely be summed up as the
difference between theoretical knowledge vs. practical skills. In
non-vocational studies, students often spend hours of their time exploring a
variety of different subjects. Their class time tends to be only a few hours
per week, as they will spend many hours in the library and on computers
conducting research and writing papers that help them continue to build their
theoretical knowledge in a variety of fields.
Even
within their chosen discipline, they often spend a significant amount of time
exploring theory, ideas, and procedures used by other professionals in the
industry. They have significantly fewer opportunities to actually put these
ideas to work compared to students going through a vocational education
situation. The skills for work and vocational pathways are significantly
limited for these students, as their theoretical knowledge does not have the
work experience that helps them transition from a classroom study topic into
their actual profession. This can sometimes cause challenges when the students
graduate and transition into the working world.
However,
for students in a vocational education and training setting, this situation
gets corrected. Students spend hours in the practical workshops each week
learning hands-on practical skills related to their chosen field. Class time
tends to increase in these schools, compared to their outside research time,
because students spend more time exploring actual work opportunities that
prepare them for their future jobs. They do not focus as much time on
researching the theoretical as learning the practical.
Students
also have courses that will walk them through chances to use the highly
specialized equipment and spaces that they need to do their jobs well. Rather
than simply learning about this type of equipment or how it might be useful in
the job, they actually have the chance to try out their own skills while still
in school. When the time comes for them to transition to an actual job, they
have the experience they need to begin the job right away. They will not have
to spend time learning how to physically operate the equipment on the job,
allowing them to become a valuable employee and build a career faster.
The value of graduating with work skills
When
employers look for new employees to join their institution, they know that they
want to find someone who has the skills to do the job well and can adapt
quickly to the work environment. Businesses spend a significant amount of money
trying to onboard new employees, as they must go through a training process and
anticipate that there will be a learning curve for the employee on a new job.
Vocational schools help with bridging the skills gap
between work and education.
Students
do not enter the work field with little practical experience regarding the
tools and environments in which they will work. Instead, they have specifically
worked in these situations throughout their education under the supervision of
their trainers. This creates a more favorable employability skills assessment.
Potential employers can look at the academic record of these students and know
the type of skills they will already have when they first enter the building.
This effect can be leveraged even more, when a training institution is applying
a competency based training approach that is mapped with the industry's needs.
For
those interested in learning how to enhance employability skills, therefore,
the first solution should lie in vocational learning opportunities. These
skills can help students learn the techniques and strategies that they
specifically need for this area of work and ensure that they are prepared to succeed.
Employers can feel confident that the candidates they receive from a quality
school already have the experience and training they need to begin work right
away.
Finding a job following graduation
Many
graduates struggle to find employment immediately following graduation. It can
be a stressful time for many students, trying to balance their last few months
of studies as they begin to submit applications and search for positions in
their chosen field of work. For students who have graduated from a vocational
training school, however, this situation can go a bit differently. They have
the experience to list on their resume and employers know they have a
significant portion of the training they need. Often they even have started
building a professional network through their job placements and internships
they could potentially leverage. This helps to open doors to new possibilities.
Graduates
often want to know how they can enhance their employability opportunities. The
answer lies in gaining the work experience that employers want to see. Bringing
this experience can make it significantly easier to find a job. Experience
gives employers more insight into how a candidate will perform on the job and
how many resources will need to be dedicated to training a new hire for the
job. For vocational students, these work experiences become part of the
curriculum.
Throughout
the studies, students gain hands-on opportunities through internships and
practical learning opportunities. Completing real work projects, as they do in
a variety of classes, helps students build employable resumes before they even
graduate.
Building strong networks for students before graduating
In
nearly any industry, the importance of a strong network can play a direct role
in finding a job and building a successful career. Connections and
relationships can help people find new jobs, learn about new opportunities, and
have chances to continue their education and build more career-based skills.
Through
a vocation-based education, students have an excellent opportunity to build a
strong network that will enhance their learning experience and the rest of
their professional careers. With a vocation-based training program, students
work more closely with their fellow students and their trainers on their
coursework. Since less time is spent independently researching and writing
papers and more time is spent in class working on projects and learning practical
skills, students naturally develop better and closer relationships with their
classmates. Their fellow students transition from being people they simply sit
next to in the lecture hall into partners with whom they work during projects
and internships.
Similarly,
students have more opportunities to get to know their professors. With
skills-based training, students work more directly with their trainers. The
hands-on opportunities they have to work during their coursework let them
complete projects, engage with work tasks, and learn specialized techniques
under the direct supervision of the trainer. Trainers are there to provide
support and students have opportunities to speak with them and engage with more
one-to-one time. This builds relationships and can help students find
professional mentors for the transition to the business world. Through
internship opportunities, students expand this relationship horizon into the
work world, even before graduation.
Altogether,
this type of practical classroom experience helps those learning in a
vocational training program develop a strong professional network that will
benefit them throughout their entire professional career. They will have people
who can provide them with insight and guidance as they build a career and find
the jobs they want.
Students experience economic benefits
Students
who go through vocation-based schooling also have the chance to receive a
variety of different economic benefits from their education.
Most
importantly, they often do not have to spend as much on their schooling while
still receiving an education that prepares them exceptionally well for their
field. Vocational schools often have fewer years required to earn the degree of
certification and often cost less in tuition each year as well.
Additionally,
students who graduate from specialized programs like this can enter their
career path faster. Employers know that they already have work experience and
training related to their field, which makes it easier to transition into the
desired role and takes less of a toll on the business working to onboard them.
Students can accept more specialized jobs and earn the applicable salary as
well. This combines to create a strong economic opportunity for graduates from
vocational programs. Vocational graduates also tend to have a good toolset to
raise through the ranks rapidly as they know the trade inside out. Another
financial aspect is "earn as you learn" that many vocational training
paths offer. Here students have the ability to earn some money and hence reduce
the financial impact of their studies through paid internships as part of some
curricula.
When
it comes to educating students, the importance of building skills-based
education cannot be underestimated. Students who attend schools that specialize
in teaching them skills that they need to excel in a particular field will find
that they finish school well-prepared to enter their chosen field. They gain
on-site work experience throughout their education so the transition to the
working world is minimal, helping them professionally and financially. The
businesses who hire them know that they can count on their new employees to get
started immediately in the field and work with a high level of independence and
competency, creating a favorable experience for everyone involved.
Those
interested in pursuing a vocational pathway for their education and a career in
one of the many exciting trade areas these types of schools serve should
carefully consider if the benefits described here will help them in their
chosen field.
