Education / Career Training Industry Profile

For frustrated job seekers in a slow economy, finding the right opening can feel like an uphill battle. One way to gain a competitive edge is to head back to the classroom to sharpen your existing skills or master a new body of knowledge in a promising field. In Hampton Roads you’ll find a wide array of educational programs at universities, colleges and career training schools designed to help you successfully meet your career goals – even in today’s challenging job market.   

Students can earn an Associate’s, Bachelor’s or even Master’s degree or take courses that lead to licensure or certification in fields ranging from nursing to computer networking. You can finish in weeks or in years; start a course of study here and finish it online from across the country or while deployed at sea; go straight through a program or tackle it in incremental steps; take few courses to help secure your current job or attend a career switchers program – education today is all about a custom fit.

Many programs cater to working adults who are juggling school and family responsibilities by offering night and weekend courses, online classes, and a condensed academic schedule. And most schools have excellent financial aid programs, whether you’ve been offered a buyout or retraining package from your employer or need to find other sources of aid.   

With all the options available, choosing the school or program that’s right for you starts with research and some of your best data will come from the schools themselves. Almost all of them have career counselors on staff who will help shepherd you through assessments that match your skills and interests to different jobs, advise on stable or growing fields, and then help map out a program of study that best meets your short-term and long-term goals.    

Before you select a school, ask about accreditation – is the school recognized by the accrediting body that oversees this region? Another consideration is job placement rate – career colleges, for example, must successfully place at least 70 percent of their graduates in the field they were trained in to maintain their accreditation. You might also want to talk with some of the school’s graduates about their experiences.       

Take your time and do your homework - the right choice is out there. Education may be more important than ever for career success, but it’s never been easier to find a school or program that will take you where you want to go.