Career Colleges and Technical Schools

What kind of career and technical training do you want?

• Career One-Stop provides information on determining your training needs and assessing your skills.

• Career Voyages helps you explore career options and careers with the fastest growth rate.

• Career InfoNet has information about career options, occupational licensing requirements, and wage trends.

• Occupational Outlook Handbook describes the education and training needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.

Which schools offer the training or program you need?

The Department of Education's College Opportunities Online (COOL) Web site can help you search for career colleges and technical schools. When using COOL, be sure to click the box labeled "Title IV participating" at the bottom of the search page if you plan to apply for federal student financial aid. Only schools accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education are able to enroll students who receive federal student financial aid.

Also, contact the licensing agency in the state where you want to go to school to find information on schools offering the training or program you're interested in. Those agencies can tell you whether the school you are considering is operating legally in the state or if the state requires the school to be licensed or certified in order to offer instruction. To find a state licensing agency use the Directory of Higher Education Officials.

What preparation do you need for a particular job?

Do you need to complete a specific education program to get an entry-level job in the field you are interested in? Do you need to get a license or certificate in order to work in your field of choice?

To get the answers to these questions, check with your high school guidance counselor, people already working in the field, and professional licensure agencies or certification organizations in your state. To find the certification requirements, and the certifying agencies for a variety of occupations, take a look at Career InfoNet.

Also, find out if any special license or certification is needed to get a job in the field of your choice. If you need a certificate or license, ask any school you are considering if its graduates are eligible for licensure or certification after they complete its program.

It is also good to ask the school for the number of students who take and pass their licensing exams. Also, ask the school what percentage of its graduates find jobs in their field.

For more information about the skills and training you'll need for a particualr job, look at these helpful web sites:

Occupational Information Network, an interactive Web-based tool providing information on skills and training required for different occupations.

CareerOneStop, providing information on occupational trends and occupational skills, knowledge, and abilities.

Will employers accept the training as preparation for employment?

Call the employment office or human resources department of some businesses or companies where you might like to work. Ask if they expect employees to have a certificate or license in order to be hired. Also ask if they can recommend a career college or technical school that provides the training required for employment.

More information on schools that match your interests and goals.

Choosing a School

Is the school you are considering accredited and licensed?

Accrediting and state licensure agencies are gatekeepers that help make sure that you receive a quality education and get what you pay for. To learn more about accreditation and state licensure, read over the short descriptions below:

Accreditation 

Accreditation is a good basic indicator of quality, although not every school chooses to be accredited. If a school is accredited by a nationally recognized agency, it means it has met certain quality standards established by the accrediting agency.

To find out if a school is accredited by a nationally recognized agency, check to see if the accrediting agency is included in the U.S. Department of Education's List of Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies.

More information on accreditation.

Licensure

Most states have laws requiring that career colleges and technical schools be licensed or certified to offer instructional courses and programs. If a school has a license or certificate to operate, it means it has gone through a process to make sure that it meets certain standards. Some states do not require certain schools to be licensed or certified to operate legally in the state.