As we approach the new school year, students are under pressure to decide exactly what type of degree, diploma, or certificate program they’d like to pursue.
Which program will allow you to develop the skills you need to enhance their career? The magnitude of this decision can be daunting and stressful.
The good news is in most cases, the community colleges in your area will have a Career Center exclusively devoted to helping you find your way.
Here are some additional things to consider as you make your decision:
Know What You Want
While you don’t need to have your entire future career planned out to a T, it is important to think about your educational goals. If you want an engineering degree, look at universities. If you like to work with your hands, a technical school is probably a better option.
If you’ve decided to go the community college route, you also need to think about whether you want to earn an associate’s degree or a certificate.
An associate’s degree might include a 60-hour program that includes eight technical courses in addition to courses like English, math and physical education.
A certificate-based program will likely have those same exact technical courses without all the other classes, making it the best option if you want a short track to employment.
Go with Your Gut (i.e. what you like)
When considering different technical or vocational programs, think about your personal interests. After all, this will shape the trajectory of your career.
Think about the type of technical material you learned in high school and if any of it piqued your interest. Did you enjoy that house building project in your high school woodshop class? Perhaps building trades is a good route.
Or maybe you liked your high school Intro to Automation class. Consider the exploding field of study of mechatronics.
Check Local Employment Trends
To know if your interests are a feasible option in your area, look at local employment trends. For example, you may not find a strong agricultural farming program in the middle of a big city.
Employers also often reach out to local vocational schools to let them know what they are looking for in employees because they prefer to draw their workforce from local talent.
In Tidewater, Virginia there are companies like Sumitomo, Mitsubishi Plastics and Yupo brimming with mechatronics opportunities, which is why Tidewater Community College is launching its new dual enrollment mechatronics program with Chesapeake Public Schools this fall. The graduates of this program will be more than adequately educated to pursue job opportunities at these local businesses. The college also offers a mechatronics program in Virginia Beach that leads to job opportunities with STIHL Corporation.
If you’re not sure what kinds of opportunities are near you, contact the Workforce Development office at your community college.
