What is a Technical School?
A technical school is a school that prepares its students for a particular trade or area of work. Technical schools are ideal for anyone looking to learn a trade and get a job without going into debt due to student loans. The cost of a technical school is much less than any college, but you will not always receive a degree when you finish technical school. Some technical schools do give you an associate degree when you graduate, and others give you a certificate of completion. Some common areas of study you can typically find a technical school for are culinary arts, cosmetology, computer technology, automotive technology, business administration, and plumbing. Contact Industrial Management & Training Institute for more information about our technical school to figure out if it’s a good fit for you.
July 2023
Community College vs Technical School
When it comes to continuing your education post-high school you have plenty of options. You can go to community colleges, four-year colleges, graduate programs, and technical schools. The choice is entirely up to you and your personal preference. Often, people get confused between community colleges and trade schools. They are similarities, but they are certainly different.
Community colleges offer a larger breadth of programs for their students than technical schools. You can often take some trade classes at community college, but there may not be a class in a trade that you are interested in. Trade schools specialize in the various trades and give you in-depth teachings on your preferred trade. Community colleges also focus on preparing students to transfer to four-year institutions, while technical schools provide hands-on training to prepare students for entering the workforce as skilled tradesmen. Additionally, trade schools often offer apprenticeship opportunities to help you get professional experience and boost your chances of getting a job after you finish your courses.
May 2023
What are the Benefits of an Apprenticeship Program?
An apprenticeship program is a paid position for a student looking to work in a particular industry. It’s a great way for the student to get a feel of what it’s like to work in a particular industry, so they can figure out if they like it or not. There are many reasons why an apprenticeship program is beneficial to any student learning a trade. Here are a few of those reasons:
Sets them up for a future job
An apprenticeship program will get a student into the job force and build a network before they even graduate. This is very beneficial because after finishing school there is an influx in workers applying to all kinds of jobs. Being part of an apprenticeship program gives any student an advantage if they do well during the apprenticeship.
They get paid
Something unique about apprenticeship programs is the student in them will be paid while they learn a trade at a particular business. This allows the student to pay for expenses you are responsible for as an adult including a place to live, food, clothes, and all the other necessities.
They get hands-on learning
An apprenticeship program is not going to have students sitting around doing nothing, they will be actively working all day. This gives them an idea of what their everyday work life could look like after they complete the apprenticeship program.
Counts as job experience
When students are part of an apprenticeship program, they can use it as job experience on a resume. This is a huge advantage because most students will end college or their time at a trade school and not have any job experience on their resume.
December 2022
What is the Purpose of a Trade School?
A trade school is like college in that you attend to learn more about the job you wish to have in the future. The difference is at a trade school you are taught specific skills to prepare you for the trade you want to learn. The focus of your classes will be based on the trade you will go into after completing the classes. Trade school is much cheaper than college, but also limits you to getting a job in a specific field.
One could argue that a degree also limits what jobs you can get after college, but a degree doesn’t limit you as much as trade school. The tradeoff is college will cost you a lot more money than trade school. Some common trades that are offered at trade schools are a mechanic, a fashion designer, an electrician, and a plumber.
At Industrial Management & Training Institute, we offer a few different options for trade school which include technical school, electrician school, and plumbing school. Contact our trade school for more information about the apprenticeship programs we have available. Our trade school is accessible to Bridgeport, Bristol, Danbury, New Haven, and Waterbury, CT.
October 2022
HVAC Certification: How Long Does It Take?
The heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling industry is a steady industry. There are always homes and businesses that need HVAC services. Therefore, there is a good chance that you will receive employment shortly after earning your certificate. That may be the reason behind your interest in possibly pursuing one. You may be afraid, though, because of the time schooling can take away from your current job, because you are considering other prospects, or because you simply don’t want to go to school for too long.
So, let’s get to it. There are many types of HVAC certification options in Connecticut. This will be a factor in how long your schooling takes. The time you spend in our trade school will be between 6 to 24 months. You will then earn your HVAC certification. After that, you may need to work for a minimum of 2 years, perhaps longer, as an apprentice under a licensed HVAC contractor to qualify for your own license.
Contact Our Trade School Today!
At Industrial Management & Training Institute, we offer technical training programs to the Bridgeport and Bristol, CT area. One of our most popular programs is our HVAC certification program. Receiving your certification enables you to gain employment in the HVAC industry. Most students receive employment quickly after receiving their certification and go on to earn their full licensure. Contact our technical school today to learn more about our HVAC programs!
April 2021
Why Consider Trade School To Launch Your Career?
If your child is at the point where they’re considering what route to take after high school, it’s important to explore every option available. While more young people are attending college more than ever before, it’s important to remember that college isn’t the right choice for everybody - nor is it the only choice when it comes to getting an education. A college degree might not be the smartest route for a well-paying job or a satisfying career. If a student loves learning new skills and would prefer to work with their hands than sit at a desk, trade school might be the right springboard to a successful future - one without the mountain of debt that many college grads face after graduation.Reasons to Consider Trade School
Cost-Effective
Four-year colleges involve large commitments of both time and money. While your efforts can pay off with higher earning potential in the future, it can also lead to unnecessary debt, depending on your goals. It’s also important to keep in mind that college experience only pays off if you get the degree - there are no benefits to dropping out. If you take longer than four years to graduate, you can build up even more debt in terms of expenses and lost wages. Even if you do graduate, you might struggle to find a job in a difficult labor market.
If you’re looking for a quicker and more direct path to a well-paying job, spending two years or less in a trade school or apprenticeship program can be a smart alternative. Trade school graduates enter the workforce earlier than college graduates - that is two additional years of gaining experience, developing connections, and beginning the climb up the career ladder. Most trade school graduates would agree that the return on their investment is incredibly high.
Job Security
Trade school graduates tend to be hired much more quickly than their collegiate counterparts. This is because the fields you tend to pursue in trade school - electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc. - are consistently in high demand, especially as the number of people who opt for higher education has expanded. Technical schools have a strong focus on job placement; advisors and faculty are always working to ensure that their students are learning skills that make them marketable and more likely to get hired after they graduate. Moreover, nearly three-quarters of trade school graduates enter careers related to their field of study. Compared with 41% of college graduates who are underemployed or working in jobs that don’t require college degrees, this is a significant advantage.
Smaller Class Sizes
Depending on the four-year college you attend, classes can be incredibly large and impersonal. Many students find the adjustment difficult and struggle to succeed without easy opportunities to interact with their professors and peers. Trade schools have much smaller class sizes, allowing students to get hands-on experience and plenty of face time with their instructors. This helps ensure that students get the personalized instruction they need to succeed and leave school with the training they need to secure lasting employment.
Appropriate Training
Not all collegiate programs are created equal. Many departments and major tracks don’t give specific career direction; instead, students are expected to pursue advanced degrees or additional certifications to specialize their qualifications. Even students with specific career goals are expected to take additional courses in other departments to fulfill core academic requirements that have nothing to do with their chosen professions. Trade schools focus entirely on helping their students learn a skilled trade. Between classroom instruction and hands-on training, trade and technical schools provide targeted instruction to help students succeed in their chosen careers. Are you considering entering your chosen trade straight out of high school and skipping education entirely? Keep in mind that trade schools follow nationally recognized and certified curricula; as a result, graduates often have more complete knowledge and skill sets for the trades they have studied. If your goal is to learn everything you need to know to succeed, trade school offers the tools you need.
Interested in Pursuing a Trade?
Industrial Management & Training Institute offers technical training programs in a number of fields to help our students start their careers on the right foot. Conveniently located in Waterbury, CT, we provide comprehensive instruction for students throughout the region. Our students can become certified electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, or pursue other fields. Whether you’re updating your license or pursuing an apprenticeship program, we have the courses you need to succeed. Reach out to our facility today to learn more!