Online schools provide diesel training offer rudimentary instruction in a self-paced, online environment. Institutions like ICS Canada and the Penn Foster Career School suggest that graduation may occur in as little as a few months to as long as two years - dependent on the student's desire to move the process along. Instruction, testing, and graduation examinations all occur online.
While online schools do allow students to interact with faculty and receive instructional assistance via telephone and e-mail, the lack of hands-on instruction could indicate--to potential employers--a need for on-the-job training. "Workers who learn diesel engine repair through on-the-job training need three to four years of experience before becoming journey-level technicians," according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The BLS reports that employment opportunity for diesel mechanics is expected to rise only 6 percent by 2018 - a statistic lagging behind the average for other occupations. Approximately 278,000 jobs will be available by that year, with individuals who have received extensive training in the career best poised to enjoy success.