Explore vocational studies

Vocational training at a community college is a favorable option for students, industry partners and the community. With the rapid advancement of technology and the growing global competition, more and more students are taking advantage of vocational training. Other students should look into schools that offer these specified programs.
Rather than attending a vocational school, community colleges offer short-term programs, which are usually cheaper, with hands-on training aimed at helping students get employed as soon as possible.
Vocational training at a community college like Los Medanos College creates a mutually beneficial relationship between the college, local companies and the community, which could help the students with training for jobs in their field.
By working with industry partners such as Shell or USS-POSCO, it helps the community become open to more career opportunities, students learn skills needed for their career and companies gain people who are able to work for them straight out of college.
By joining a vocational program, students have the convenience of being able to focus on their career and find employment quickly. This focus on career paths provides some clarity for student’s futures and goals.
The reason why vocational programs can be effective is student’s don’t have to waste their time and will spend most of their focusing on their career. This may be why some students in traditional majors find themselves struggling to figure out what they want to do in their lives.
At LMC its latest industry partner, LG Appliances and Electronics, is training students in the Appliance Service Technology program on how to work with their products. This helps students gain the proper training to work real world jobs in the field.
Working with these companies also allows for more internship, apprenticeship and job shadowing opportunities for students.
With these opportunities, students also have the chance to network and create contacts in the industry. Networking in this day and age is something that is becoming more important as the global competition is increasing.
Dow Chemical Company for example has partnered with the college to provide mentors for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program students.
Vocational programs are an effective way to get students excited about their education and their future and one should take advantage of any school that seems willing to put those kind of opportunities out their for their students.