CHOOSING YOUR OPTIONS

ON THE JOB TRAINING

Employers train new employees while they are working.  Most of these opportunities are available in business, sales, mechanical/technical, technical medical fields, and secretarial/clerical services.       

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS

 While an apprentice, you will get supervision on the job as well as classroom-type instruction. Apprenticeship programs usually conform to state standards, although your aptitude and previous experience can affect the length of your apprenticeship. Specifically, apprentices are often sponsored by a company, labor organization, trade association, education trust, or a combination of thereof.

 

MILITARY SERVICES

The Armed services offer both female and male students many career and educational opportunities.  When exploring these options, a student should consider the wide range of programs provided by the different branches of the military.

TRADE AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

It’s called a lot of things—vocational-tech, trade school, or career college—but it all basically boils down to the same thing - a post-high school, non-academic education that has a curriculum in a particular field of study built right into it. If a liberal arts or traditional college education is not for you, or you know exactly which vocation you want to pursue and are ready to dive right in, vocational-tech can be the way to go.
In the past, you got this kind of education at one of the 725 private medical, business, or specialized/technical schools in the United States. Now, local community colleges often offer vocational-tech courses or full curricula. In fact, over the last several years, many community colleges have added vocational-tech courses to their catalog of offerings due to the demand and growth in technical occupations.

You’ll get an education specific to a career field, enabling you to be employable in that field upon program completion. Training is "hands on" and, frequently, you learn within an environment similar to one at which you may work in the real world.
Most vocational-tech school programs have become more specialized and more intense. That translates into more work for you—hard, intense, fulfilling work—and probably a shorter program. You should know which specific field and occupation you want to enter before you choose a school.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Most two-year institutions like Joliet Junior College are called community colleges.  These are public community- based colleges, which are often part of statewide college systems; provide educational services to meet the diverse needs of a mixed student population.  As a result, community colleges are constantly working to expand the educational opportunities they offer and to help students make better educational choices by emphasizing personalized career guidance.  Students who attend two-year colleges may enroll in various kinds of programs:

Associate Degree:  2-year program

Associate Degree/ Transfer:  program for students who want to continue on to a four-year college or university.

Career-Oriented Program:  (some awarding a certificate or associate degree) for students who are primarily concerned with finding employment after six months to two years of post-secondary education.

Non-Credit Courses:  Courses that are not part of a regular academic program but often referred to as “lifelong learning.”

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Colleges offer a four-year curriculum leading to a bachelor of arts or a Bachelor of Science degree and are often referred to as Liberal Arts schools.

A university is an educational institution composed of several under-graduate colleges such as Liberal Arts, College of Business, College of Education, etc. Universities also offer advanced study for Master’s and Doctorate degrees.  Universities may be public or private and can range in size of 2,000 to 40,000 students.