February is National Career and Technical Education Month and it’s a great time to think about how a technical training program could boost your career.
What is technical training?
Technical training includes classes or programs that help you learn the practical skills and knowledge required for specific jobs or industries. Courses often include hands-on training on industry-standard equipment, combined with classroom instruction. The goal is to prepare you to do work in the real world.
Technical training is available in a wide range of fields and industries including manufacturing, healthcare, IT, and more. You can enroll in a program that leads to a certificate or degree and can be a gateway to finding a job in that field, or you can take single courses to advance your skills or help you get a promotion.
Certificate or degree programs. If you’re looking to get your first job in a technical field, a certificate or degree from a technical program is sometimes required, and even if it’s not required, it will certainly boost your chances of getting hired. Certificate programs—you earn a certificate once you’ve completed a group or required classes—can last anywhere from a few weeks to a couple years. And degree programs generally take between two years (for an Associate’s degree) and four years (for a Bachelor’s degree).
- HVAC. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning training programs focus on the knowledge and skills needed to install, maintain, and repair HVAC systems. Many HVAC certificates take about one year to complete, but you can also earn an Associate’s degree in HVAC maintenance technology in about two years.
- IT. Information technology programs commonly include specialties such as network administration, cybersecurity, software development, and database management. Many short-term IT certificate programs can be completed in a few months or a year, but you can also earn a Bachelor’s or graduate degree in information technology.
- Health care. Technical medical programs can prepare you to get a job in health care such as a medical assistant or nurse. Courses focus on areas including patient care, records management, laboratory procedures, and pharmacology. You can complete a certificate to be a medical assistant in one to two years, while a nursing degree usually requires four or more years to finish.
- Manufacturing. The options for manufacturing programs are as wide-ranging as the industry: you can earn a certificate or degree specializing in anything from basic machine operation to advanced programming and quality control, safety protocols, quality management, or engineering. Certificates can be earned in as little as a few months, while advanced engineering degrees can take 6+ years.
Course and classes. Taking individual technical courses can be a great way to develop new skills or advance in your career. You might take a single course on an emerging trend or a new type of equipment used in your field. In IT, for instance, it’s common to take a course on a specific software program, while in nursing you may take a specialized class to help focus your career. People who already work in a manufacturing plant can advance their careers by taking a course on quality control, leadership, safety, or related topics.
How do I find technical training courses or programs?
Start your technical training search with CareerOneStop’s Local Training Finder. It lets you search for programs at local community colleges, private training schools, and public and private colleges and universities in your area.
Begin your search by entering a keyword for the field you’re interested in (HVAC, medical assistant, etc.) and your city, state, or ZIP code. You’ll see a list of programs that includes the name of the school or provider, the typical length of the program, whether it’s offered online, in person, or both, and more details. To find individual classes, click on the name of any program. You’ll go to a detail screen where you can follow a link to the school’s main website. You can call or use the website to find classes.
If you’re not sure what field you’re interested in, but you know you’d like to explore technical training options at a local school, you can select to search by “College or training provider.” You’ll find a list of schools in your local area with links to their websites to learn more.
Want more training information?
Try these CareerOneStop training tools.
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Professional Association Finder
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- Links directly to job listings for associations that offer them.
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- Filter to see awards by locations, level of study, ethnic groups and affiliations, and more.