Nursing and trade schools are less expensive than a college or university, and students have a higher likelihood of graduating with little or no debt. The average tuition at a college or university for the year 2012-13 was about $29,000 at a private university and around $9,000 for state residents attending public universities. These figures do not take into account books, accommodations and other living expenses. As a result, pursuing a college or university education requires significant financial resources. Conversely, vocational study programs usually take about two years or less to complete and students pay much lower tuition fees.
One of the major benefits of attending nursing or trade school is that hands-on training forms the bulk of the course. Although students attend classroom lectures just as in colleges and universities, educators focus more on using experiential forms of teaching, such as work projects and internships, so that students learn by doing. As a result, students complete the course equipped with practical experience and can start work in a job position immediately. For example, nurses who have successfully completed the Licensed Vocational Nurse course may immediately offer basic patient care.
The employment future for skilled workers is generally promising because health-care, technical and manufacturing organizations are seeking employees who have the requisite competencies to fill available positions. Students who have attended vocational schools have an advantage because they're trained in job-specific skills and are in a position to discharge job responsibilities much more efficiently than candidates who only have theoretical knowledge and limited practical experience. As a result, those who attend vocational school are well-positioned for technical jobs that continue to gain importance as technology advances -- such as automobile and telecommunications technicians -- and they also stand to earn more.
Students who successfully go through vocational school have a measure of job security because their occupations require essential personal physical input that a machine cannot perform and that cannot also be outsourced. Occupations such as a nurse, plumber, electrician, laboratory technician, mobile phone technician, mechanic, chef or hairdresser cannot be conducted through the use of machines, requiring actual human effort. In addition, since the services these workers offer are essential, they cannot be outsourced -- in fact, there is an increasing need for specialized services. As a result, vocational school graduates have an easier time in getting and retaining jobs even when the economy dips and people start cutting back on luxuries and professional services.