Cover image: Provided by Calhoun Community College

In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, there was a major push for more post-secondary education, particularly college and university degree programs. With the creation of government direct loans and the expansion of federal student financial aid, graduate and undergraduate programs became accessible to more Americans than ever before.

In just a few short decades, however, the cost of education has skyrocketed and many employers are rethinking job requirements, allowing for a renewed interest in vocational training. Some may recall the grainy, late night infomercials for VCR repair, computer skills, and office management, but the world of job-focused education has really come a long way since those days.

The College Dilemma

The explosive cost of higher education is not the only hurdle facing young Americans entering the workforce. In 2020, 16% of Americans held a bachelor’s degree.

By 2020, that figure had increased to 23%. As with economics, the laws of supply and demand also apply within the labor market. The more people who carry a particular degree, the less value it carries to differentiate one from their counterparts. This same trajectory occurred with high school diplomas.

In the 1950’s, only about one-third of Americans had successfully completed secondary education, but now, a diploma is almost universally considered the bare minimum for entry into the workforce. In response to these changes, some employers have begun to reevaluate job requirements and, in some cases, have replaced college degrees with certifications and licenses.

This allows businesses to hire staff who have been trained for specific positions and arrive on day one with particular skills already mastered.

A Wide Selection

Plumbing, electrical, manufacturing as well as other industrial training, cosmetology, construction, commercial driver’s license (CDL), and heating, cooling, and air conditioning (HVAC) services are all common examples of vocational programs.

Some career paths, such as medical, dental, or veterinarian assisting, can be entered via a degree program or a vocational training program. Apprenticeships, like those in the carpentry industry, are another example of this type of education.

One does not have to travel far to find these programs either. Huntsville is home to The Salon Professional Academy, Ross Medical Education Center, North Alabama Homebuilding Academy, Hatch, and many other training institutes.

The Huntsville-Madison County Library system offers computer courses and workforce development for the public.

Even the local community colleges, Calhoun and Drake State, offer workforce development courses, often in partnership with local employers. Larger organizations, such as Alabama Works or AIDT, will also facilitate training programs.

These are usually even more appealing to job seekers as they often feed directly into vacant job positions upon completion.

Many Hidden Benefits

One of the great benefits of these types of training programs is that they are often coordinated in conjunction with or even owned by local industry employers.

This can help to speed up the job search process through formal and informal networking opportunities, professional skills training, like resume writing and interview prep, and direct mentorship from experienced industry workers.

In some cases, the training program itself serves as a sort of probationary hiring period. Trainees or students are observed for their punctuality, attitude, and work ethic while also learning the necessary skills required for their future job role. This aims to streamline the HR process, so that upon completing the training course, trainees are able to immediately begin working full-time for their new employer.

Certifications and licenses also tend to be less expensive and require less time to obtain than traditional college degrees. One local, private cosmetology program costs about $22,000 and 1500 hours (approximately 14 months) to complete. This is about half the cost and time required to obtain a two-year degree at a public, in-state institution if attending as a full-time student.

Conclusion

While Huntsville is home to many engineers and rocket scientists, the American job market overall is showing signs of shifting away from four-year degrees and graduate programs for several reasons.

As the cost of higher education has steeply increased over the past twenty years, students are becoming more reluctant to take on massive debt in order to complete traditional degree programs.

At the same time, many employers are rethinking their job requirements as a tight labor market makes it increasingly difficult to fill open positions. Vocational, or technical, training programs have seen a resurgence, being presented as a more streamlined and cost-effective approach to post-secondary education.

If this trend continues, one can expect to see even more institutions and academies springing up in the near future.