9781422274927

OTHER EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING OPTIONS

Many good-paying careers are available for those who do not earn a bachelor’s degree (one that requires the completion of four years of college after high school). Nine of the twenty fastest-growing job fields in the United States do not require a four-year college degree, according to the USDL. Quickly growing job fields offer more opportunities for employment, less competition for available positions, fewer layoffs, and, usually, faster andmore substantial wage increases than other careers. Getting one of these jobs, though, doesn’t mean you can simply graduate from high school and show up. Almost all careers require some sort of training after high school. Some of the fastest-growing fields—such as physical therapist assistant and occupational therapy assistant—require the completion of an associate’s degree, which involves two years of study after high school. But some of the jobs on the USDL list don’t require a degree, and instead, job seekers attend a training program or vocational school, which is a school that trains them for a specific career but has shorter courses of study and is much cheaper than a traditional four-year college. Vocational school programs last from six months to two years. They can be completed on a part-time basis so that students can work in other jobs and support themselves while they acquire new skills. An apprenticeship is another type of nondegree training program that is popular with students. It is a formal training opportunity that combines classroom instruction and supervised practical experience. Apprentices are paid a salary that increases as they obtain experience. Apprenticeships last

Your Future Career 11