Home » Emigration Guides » USA » Education » Courses And Vocational Training In America

Newly arriving residents of the United States have many excellent options for learning new skills and getting specialised training that will help with their prospects for finding employment. If you already have a degree from a respected university and some amount of work experience, it may not be difficult to find a job in your field of specialty. But for those who want to try a new direction, America’s community college system is purpose-built for this end result.

Community colleges are basically open universities that allow anyone to enroll in classes. They typically offer an a la carte approach to studying for those who just want to get training in one specific area. There are no minimum study requirements, so students can enroll in just one course or take a normal college course load. This makes the community college ideal for someone who wants to brush up on technical skills, learn English or get some locally-recognised education that will help with finding a job.

These colleges also offer regular two-year degrees in specific fields of study known as Associates Degrees. In this case, students follow a traditional schedule of study that runs for two years. An Associates Degree can be very useful in itself for specialised work like radiology, mechanical training and other trades. It can also be applied to further study for a four-year Bachelor’s degree at another university.

The main advantages of studying at a community college are the very low tuition rates, ease of entrance and flexibility of class times. As this system is geared towards adults seeking continuing education, many classes are offered in the evenings and on weekends. Many of the adult students already have jobs but want to get additional training for advancement in their field.

These days America has a surplus of PhD holders who cannot find teaching positions at regular four-year universities. As a result, many of them are turning to the community college realm to pursue their desire to work as professors. This is a boon for community college students as they can now often get taught by professors that could easily work at a major university if positions were available. In fact, due to the incredibly high costs of attending four-year universities, the community college sector’s enrollment is growing at historic rates.

America also has a huge selection of vocational colleges, or technical colleges, that focus more on specific trades than general education. These schools are ideal for people who want to become highly trained experts in very specific fields like welding, fabrication, accounting and other technical areas. The reputation of these vocational colleges is very good within the industry, and is often preferred by companies who work exclusively in one particular technical field.