The enrollment trends in postsecondary education for fall this year offer a promising indication that an increasing number of Americans are acknowledging vocational and trade schools as a viable and credible alternative to a conventional college education. A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse shows that students continue to gravitate towards short-term and credential programs, up nearly 10% compared to just 3.6% for associate degree programs and just 0.9% for bachelor’s degrees.
Why is the appetite for short-term programs growing, even as interest in four-year degrees declines? Short-term career training programs offered at trade and vocational schools have become well-established as an alternative for students who seek to gain employable skills without the time commitment and cost burden of a traditional college degree program.
The advantages of vocational and career training programs are numerous. They are more affordable, have higher graduation rates than traditional programs, provide hands-on learning, build relevant skills that employers seek, and take far less time to complete. Some programs, such as those required to earn a commercial truck driving license, can be finished in as few as seven weeks. Additionally, unlike traditional colleges and universities, the schools providing these programs also offer comprehensive career services.
The growing popularity of short-term programs is also reflective of the modern job market. The largest portion of jobs (52%) in the U.S. require training beyond high school, but not a four-year degree, and employers of all sizes and industries are grappling with an ongoing labor shortage. The shortage of skilled tradespeople has been well documented. For example, there is a need for 258,000 new automotive technicians, but only a fraction of that are in the current student pipeline. Similarly, demand for trained electricians has grown exponentially with 812,000 needed by 2032. The construction industry will need to attract an estimated 546,000 additional workers to meet the demand for skilled labor. Workforce shortages are also impacting healthcare organizations nationwide with increasing demand for positions such as medical assistants and pharmacy technicians.
Vocational and trade schools are a necessary solution to address the national skilled labor shortages. They prepare students to enter the workforce fully trained and equipped to be productive employees. We know this because, at our institutions, we partner with organizations in the skilled trades and healthcare to clearly understand their needs and what skills and training they seek in new hires. By collaborating directly with industry and business leaders, we ensure our career training programs prepare graduates to begin making an immediate impact for employers. We continuously assess and improve the quality of our programs to ensure they meet industry expectations, and we are agile enough to quickly make curriculum changes based on what our employer partners tell us they need. As industries evolve, trade schools can quickly adapt their curricula to address emerging skill requirements, helping to reduce skill shortages. That is not very common in traditional higher education.
Earning a college degree has long been painted as the only pathway to success in this country. This bias in favor of traditional higher education has permeated for generations and created a stigma surrounding vocational education that we must all work to overcome. Americans who lack a formal college degree are of equal worth to society and the economy and should be afforded the same dignity, respect, and opportunity to pursue happiness as their college-educated peers. The expansion of access to vocational education at trade schools would not only offer these individuals a pathway to improve their quality of life and provide for their families but also play a pivotal role in fortifying the national economy. By addressing critical skilled labor shortages, promoting workforce diversity, and equipping individuals with valuable skills, vocational education fosters a stronger and more inclusive society while fueling economic growth.
Fardad Fateri, Ph.D., is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of International Education Corporation (IEC), which owns and operates accredited colleges across the United States, including Florida Career College, Sage Truck Driving Schools, United Education Institute, UEI College, and U.S. Colleges.
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