Now that you have managed to get your children through high school  by means of homeschooling, now it is time for them to venture out on their own and think about furthering their education.  No matter what career they may want to pursue a decision has to be made as to whether to go on to a university or college or would it be better if they just enrolled  in a technical school.  Even though college is not for everyone,  we all know that a higher education gives you a better chance of landing a job, especially the way things are going in today’s world.

Since we all know that as adults we must work and so therefore it is imperative that  we  choose a career in something that you love and not just settle for working for a paycheck week to week.  So the question is, do you have a specific career goal in mind and do you want to learn as much as you can about that specific career so as to become an expert at it?   Your answer should be yes.

Also, how will furthering  your education fit into your lifestyle?  Will you be able to afford going off  perhaps a long-distance to learn your trade or would it be simpler if you  lived at home  and maybe took evening classes while holding down a part-time job?  If you chose to go off to a university or college  you’ll probably be spending quite a bit of money as it is quite more expensive than going to a technical school and it will take up at least four years to complete your schooling.  Often times students end up with a degree in an area that they own no longer interested in  and the job market may be slower  upon graduation, thus requiring even more training.

On the other hand, if you choose to go to a technical school  keep in mind that they are more focused on a specific trade or skill,  the duration is shorter, you have flexible scheduling, hands-on training, and a more relaxed atmosphere – not to mention that you can go there for a fraction of the cost of a college of university.  Also, the time spent there is quite a bit less than you would be spending in college.   They focus on preparing students to enter the workforce upon completion of the course.  In fact, in many technical schools, the classroom environment actually looks like the workplace including equipments and tools that resemble those that are used in that particular field. Some great technical courses include not only mechanically inclined jobs such as auto mechanics and hvac, but also include fast track careers such as surgical, veterinary and radiology technicians. A great living can be earned with just a short time spent in higher education courses. The average technician salary can vary, depending on the amount of time a student spends in school learning a particular skill or trade.

If your child does pursue a technical career, he or she may find that they can make a great living with just 1 to 4 years of schooling. Community colleges as well as vocational, technical and universities offer technical classes, but in most cases technical and vocational schools focus solely on the task at hand. If a student wants to learn the career skills of a radiology technician, then that is what they will learn. Technical schools offer very little to distract from the task at hand. With a degree or certificate an individual can expect much higher salaries than a person who only has a high school diploma. To give you an idea, a graduate with an associates degree in radiology can expect to see an average radiology tech salary of at least $30,000 per year starting. This salary will only increase with time and experience that will allow them to gain more work responsibilities and thus more pay.

Another advantage of going to a technical school is that you can take up an internship or externship  as well as an apprenticeship program which will give you some hands on experience in a real world setting.    So in short,  whichever route you decide to take, follow the demands of your personality.  If your main focus is that of specializing in your vocation and landing a job right away,  a trade or technical school would be by far the best answer for you.