By Doug Schmitt
Staff Writer, OnlineSchools.net

For many years now, trade and vocational training was considered to be something for students who didn't "make the cut" for college, be it due to financial problems, grades, or SAT results. As years went by, SAT's became a way to separate those who would go to college and those who wouldn't. As the prerequisite for students shifted to attending a 4-year college, the amount of available skilled workers in professions such as auto mechanics, CAD, HVAC, and welding declined. Today -- some 30 years later - a lack of skilled workers has people reconsidering their decisions regarding education.

How does this affect future prospects for jobs vs. education? Let's put it into perspective. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, only about 20% of jobs now require a four-year college degree; 65% require up to two years of training after high school in trade school or community college; the remaining 15% only require a high school education. Additionally, some of these most in-demand jobs require trade school training, and many, such as avionics, carpentry, electrical repair, and truck driving are considered recession-proof.

Trade education is expanding and becoming more popular as the demand for skilled workers increases. The reasons for this are numerous, but one of the biggest factors is a significant amount of skilled workers in these professions are retiring. This not only creates a demand for more workers, but exposes a lack of educated labor which means that more programs are being created, both on campus and now, online. As more people try to get these jobs and competition increases, many individuals are turning to trade programs as a means to make their resumes more impressive and ultimately, make themselves more valuable as employees.

Previously, vocational studies were not perceived to be something that one could pursue online. Today however, everything from accounting and marketing programs to auto mechanics and welding programs can be found online. Online programs cover the same material that on-campus programs cover, but they give the student the convenience of studying at a location and time that they determine themselves. However, many online programs require the student to complete an internship to get the hands on experience that is needed, especially for trades & vocations.

Some examples of popular online trade school programs include:

Art & Design

Automotive Technology

Avionics

Computer-Aided Design (CAD)

Electrical Repair

Environmental Engineering Technology

Healthcare

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

Information Security

Plumbing

Truck Driving

Welding

Anyone that is considering an online trade school needs to be sure that the institution is properly accredited, by state and/or national accrediting organizations. Not only does a diploma from an online program with accredited status carry more weight than one from an unaccredited program, it means that
the education was one of quality from a reliable source. Those individuals that have a trade certificate or degree from an accredited online trade school have much better employment prospects than those with one from an unaccredited institution. The U.S. Department of Education has additional information regarding accreditation.

As older skilled workers continue to retire, new job openings will continue to appear across the variety of trades that make up a huge part of the economy. Without skilled workers, these positions remain unfilled; companies are getting desperate and the salaries for these positions are starting to climb. The U.S. Department of Labor in December, 2006 reported abnormally high job and wage growth, with 167,000 new jobs in one month, yet the number of skilled workers still remained in decline. Considering these variables, a trade education online could be the perfect solution for working adults considering a career change!