So, you’re not going to college when you graduate from high school. You want to go into the trades instead. It doesn’t matter if you’re sick of school or if you are the kind of person who learns the most from hands-on work. You’ll need to go to trade school. But don’t think that becoming a skilled electrician and plumber is easy. You don’t just get a trade certification and automatically walk into a six-figure job. If only it were that easy! Read this article because it contains information that will guide you in your trade school journey.
What Exactly is a Trade?
Well, ‘the trades’ should be called ‘the skilled trades’ because they are skilled fields requiring some specialized education. It’s different from a vocational job like a cosmetologist or a tailor because it offers extensive, in-depth, and complex courses and education on a narrower trade field. Popular trade fields include construction, manufacturing, and carpentry.
You go to a trade school to learn a trade. Interestingly enough, you can go to a technical or even a vocational school to learn a particular trade.
How Are Trade Schools Different From Colleges?
For starters, you generally don’t graduate with a pile of debt to pay back (read student loans) after you finish a trade program. You will likely graduate with substantial student debt if you attend a four-year college. That amount will increase substantially if you attend graduate school soon afterwards. It’s time to explore some other key differences between a typical trade school and four-year college:
- You take courses that focus on the trade you’re going into when you start a trade school. You have to take electives and other courses that satisfy your two-year general education requirements when you start at a four-year college. You take courses that apply towards your major once you have satisfied your gen ed requirements.
- Trade school programs are much shorter. You may only spend a few months at a trade school before graduating. Most trade school programs last for less than two years. So, you’re spending less money because you’re spending less time in school.
- You get a degree in a particular major when you graduate from college. You earn an industry-recognized certificate in a particular trade when you complete a trade school program.
- Trade school programs tend to be much less expensive than most four-year degrees.
Trade School Requirements
Most trade schools require you to be at least 17 or 18 years old and to have a high school diploma, a GED, or some other formally recognized certificate signifying that you have finished high school. You can attend a trade school if you are under the age of 18, but the trade school decides that on a case-by-case basis, and your parents will have to sign a permission form allowing you to enter the program.
Believe it or not, you may have to get a certain score on the SAT, ACT, or similar standardized tests. Some trade programs require that to understand your grasp of math, reading, and writing. The trade school will guide you into a particular program based on your scores. Some programs even have you take tests to assess your knowledge of the trade you’re going to study.
You may be asked to take an entrance test to allow the program to understand your basic math, reading, writing, or technical proficiencies. You’ll have to submit high school transcripts and diplomas when you apply to the program. Remember that most programs don’t return the application fee even if they don’t accept you.
You’ll probably have to submit a personal essay stating why you should be accepted to the campus. Many of the same programs require you to submit Letters of Recommendations (LORs) from your teachers. Some programs require you to take a campus tour and meet with an admissions counselor to discuss your future educational goals and career plans. A campus tour is a great way to understand the campus better and discuss financial aid options.
Types of Trade Schools
It’s time to list and describe the various trade schools and their programs in more detail.
Vocational High School Career Programs
You may be able to take car detailing courses in high school if you want to be an auto mechanic when you graduate from high school. Many high schools partner with local trade schools to give high school students the option of studying a particular trade before graduation. It may be possible for you to receive a trade certificate along with your diploma, so that you can start working (instead of going to school) after you graduate.
Technical Schools
Technical schools offer a broader academic foundation. They get students ready for a particular field, so their courses include general and more advanced classes pertinent to the specific trade and specialized math and science classes.
Technical Institutes
A main difference between a technical school and a technical institute is that the latter offers you hands-on education and training in a specific field. Their courses are designed to provide a practical foundation and get you ready for the real world.
Career Colleges
They’re shorter than regular colleges because they offer training for a particular field and not a discipline. You can study courses in programs like healthcare, business, IT, criminal justice, and that’s just the beginning.
Career Training Centers
A career training center is an institution of higher education that specializes in short-term programs that will train you for a specific occupation or trade. Examples of fields that career training centers offer courses in are truck driving, commercial driving, medical coding, dental assistant, and many others.
Get Ready for A Rewarding Career
If you plan on going into the trades after high school, know that you’re making a wise and popular choice. Not only will you graduate with far less debt than many of your friends, but you will be setting yourself up for success because you will be in a stable field that won’t be impacted as much (if at all) by AI tools.
