Education is undoubtedly the key to a brighter future.
Many young teenagers may be torn in making career choices at secondary school levels.
The right career choice is an important step regardless of what kind of person you are.
A career enables you to utilize their skills perfectly.
Besides when someone likes their career, i.e., are passionate towards it, they tend to do a tremendous job, this means growth and more profit to the company as well as the individual.
Vocation schools provide a place for those who are unsure of which career path to choose.
Vocational education is training that equips students with practical experience and technical skills in a specific type of field.
Also known as Career and Technical Education (CTE), vocational education prepares learners for jobs in manual and practical activities.
A learner develops expertise in specific trade areas, crafts, and careers.
Craft vocational trades involve artisans, craftsmanship, welding, plumbing, medical assisting, agriculture amongst others.
There are also high-end professions like engineering, accountancy, nursing, law, architecture, even though these disciplines have degree programs for specialization too.
Vocational education is offered at secondary, or post-secondary level constantly combined with an apprenticeship-like system.
One may ask, is vocational education necessary?
Yes it is and here’s why:
Article Table of Contents
Job Opportunities
Employers prefer to hire people who have gone through vocational training since they are equipped with the necessary skills and practical experience.
Companies will invest in employees who already have something to bring to the table as opposed to those needing, direction and guidance.
It saves the company a lot of dollars and time seeing as they do not need on-job-training, unlike college graduates.
Hence, vocational training guarantees instant employment.
Companies realize improved gains when they hire a vocationally trained person over a college-educated one.
Vocational education enables students to meet the demand of a working environment.
Skills and Expertise
Since the learners specialize in specific areas, they concentrate on that sub-discipline and learn as much as possible.
This way, they become experts in that particular area and gain useful knowledge.
They are known to deliver quality performance and good results.
The students from professional colleges may have a degree but also lack the expertise or skills of that particular field.
Provides Opportunity for All at a Lesser Cost
Colleges are expensive, and a lot of students may not be able to afford them.
They also require good grades that one may not have acquired.
Professional careers in disciplines such as law or medicine require one to be brilliant; it may not be an option for the average student.
Vocation training focuses on handy work rather than the theoretical refining found with a college education.
If one is good with manual work and has the skills, joining the vocation schools regardless of the grades, will always be a viable option.
The vocational school also supports the financially challenged through specialized programs.
This way, every other person can access education and then employment, meaning better livelihood and fewer crime rates and drug abuses by the youth.
It provides a safer environment for all.
Time & Self-employment
Want to know the best part?
It is less time and capital consuming.
The students who are experts in plumbing, hairdressing, welding, or other kinds of craftsmanship can start working right away.
There may not be so many job opportunities out there; but since graduates from vocational schools have the skills, they can start their own practices and businesses easily like salons or workshops.
They can further support themselves through school if they want to advance their education.
Cool, isn’t it?
Flexibility
A student may take a four-year course, halfway realizing they want to do something else in terms of career.
It is costly and takes time.
Vocational training allows flexibility since the time of training is short.
Well…
Shorter than an academic 4-year degree in almost all vocational career paths.
If a student is not interested in one area, they can change swiftly without many implications.
Vocational training is an excellent idea for teenagers but there are few drawbacks as well.
Students are limited in the area of study, they may not know much about literature, sociology or other more developed disciplines.
Colleges provide broader channels of knowledge.
Conclusion
A vocationally trained person may not earn well as much as the college-educated counterparts.
The trick here is for them to advance their education as much as possible to be at par with their colleagues for a better livelihood.
All in all, vocational education can play a vital role in the stability and security of lifestyle while you figure out other options for yourself.
Our How to Become section has wonderful vocational career options and an extensive guide for each of these careers.
See our research: How to Become Successful (Vocational Training)
I learnt a lot from ur article, thank u
This very good versatile careers perspective for a student of vocational and technical education or training, I see to choose a vocational and technical education course and it’s helpful, look into it the opportunity for careers is not mere, seeing the future as a professional of engineering, depends on your area of specialization. thank God to got a future to demonstrate like this.
Am happy to see that vocational education equips people self employed
Vocational training also helps the youth to get employment and also helps raise their standard of living.
It also helps the youth to use their energy usefully.
It helps others to determine their potential in a particular job.
well articulated. This should be enough to educate people who say you are finished if you are not an A+ student
I appreciate how the article explains that people who go through vocational training are more equipped with skills and experience which makes them better candidates for jobs. One of my friends is wanting to go back to school to get a job. I will suggest that they go to a vocational school.
Comprehensive note on vocational education program in Nigeria and tvet