Post-High School Education

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Post-High School Education
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What Should I Do After High School?
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Did You Know?

• 21 of the 30 fastest growing jobs in the United
  States require some type of post-high school
  education.
• People who do not participate in post-high school
  training are three times more likely to be
  unemployed than people who have some post-high
  school training.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics. 2004.
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Did You Know?

• Freshmen who enter college without a career goal
  or academic major in mind have higher college
  dropout rates.
• If a student have a solid plan for life after
  high school, their chances for success in college
  increase.

Source Higher EarningHigher Learning, Center on
Education Policy, 2001.
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Start Planning Early

• Take challenging courses and get good grades,
  starting in middle school, to prepare for post-
  high school studies.
• The classes you take in high school, starting
  with 9th grade, will affect your ability to
  enter a post-high school training program.

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What do you want to do?

• Identify a career or career field in which you
  would like to work.
• Discover the skills needed for the chosen career.
• Get as much education and experience related to
  the career interests as possible, while still in
  high school.

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Plan ahead

• Collect information about post-high school
  training needed to fit the career plan.
• Find the schools or colleges that provide the
  best training for your the chosen career.
• Look beyond just starting a training program
  create a plan for how to finish the program.

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Options for Post-High School Training

• On the Job Training
• Some careers require completion of a formal, on
  the job training program.
• You may have to pass an aptitude test, then
  receive formal training provided by an employer.

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Examples of Careers that Require Formal On the
Job Training

• Flight Attendants
• Bank Tellers
• Emergency Dispatchers
• Mail Carriers
• Reservation and Ticket Agents

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Options for Post-High School Training

• Apprenticeship Training
• An apprenticeship may last one to five years,
  depending on the career.
• Apprentices work with experienced workers and
  complete some classroom training. Apprentices
  earn wages while learning, but the wages are less
  than he or she will make once the apprenticeship
  is completed.

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Examples of Careers that Require Apprenticeship
Training

• Dental Laboratory Technicians
• Mechanics
• Heavy Equipment Operators
• Carpenters
• Welders
• Electricians
• Vocational school training can help reduce or
  eliminate the need for Apprentice Training

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Options for Post-High School Training

• Military Training
• The military trains people in 140 occupations.
• Many military occupations involve skills that can
  be useful in civilian jobs.
• Service members receive basic pay, allowances and
  benefits, include tuition assistance at colleges
  and universities.

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Options for Post-High School Training

• Certificate Training
• Some programs at community colleges, technical
  schools, and private career schools offer
  six-month to one-year training that provides a
  certificate of completion to show that you are
  certified to do specialized work.

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Examples of Careers that Require Certificate
Training

• Pharmacy Technicians
• Dental Assistants
• Paralegals
• Computer Repairers
• Floral Designers
• Medical Assistants
• Some vocational programs can provide credit for
  certificate training post-high school programs.

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Options for Post-High School Training

• Associate Degree Training
• Get a transfer degree at a community college, and
  will transfer to a four-year college or
  university.
• OR
• Get a two-year associate degree that prepares you
  for a specific career.

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Examples of Careers that Require Associate Degree
Training

• Office Managers
• Nurses
• Respiratory Therapists
• Forestry Technicians
• Interior Designers
• Forensic Science Technicians
• Medical Assistants

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Options for Post-High School Training

• Bachelors Degree Programs
• Four-year degree programs are available through
  state and private colleges and universities.
• It is important for you to have a plan for what
  you want to study in college in order to increase
  the chances that this degree will be completed
  successfully.

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Examples of Careers that Require Bachelor Degree
Training

• Dietitians
• Foresters
• Graphic Designers
• Social Workers
• Technical Writers
• Financial Counselors
• Meeting and Convention Planners

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Options for Post-High School Training

• Education Beyond a Bachelors Degree
• There are many careers in which you may be
  interested that require education beyond a
  bachelors degree.

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Examples of Careers that Require Training Beyond
a Bachelors Degree

• Architects
• Lawyers
• Physicians
• Pharmacists
• Psychologists
• Teachers
• College Administrators

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How to Choose Post-High School Training

• You should choose a college or training program
  based on criteria that are important to you.
• Think about your future and how post-high school
  training will help you prepare for life after
  formal education.

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Where Do I Find Information?

• Talk to your high school counselor
• Visit a variety of schools
• Visit college websites on the Internet
• Use a college search program on the Internet

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Factors to Consider

• In-State or Out-of-State
• In-state tuition is less expensive than
  out-of-state.
• Do colleges within your state offer the degree,
  activities and other criteria you and you are
  looking for?
• Distance from home

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Factors to Consider

• Public or Private
• Public schools generally have less restrictive
  admission requirements and cost less than private
  schools.
• Private schools often offer smaller class sizes
  and more personalized education.

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Factors to Consider

• School size and class sizes
• At large universities, you may be in classes that
  range from 25 to 500 students.
• At small colleges, classes usually range from
  five to 100 students.

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Factors to Consider

• Location
• Is the college located in a rural community,
  small town, or a city? This can be an important
  consideration when it comes to housing,
  transportation and access to off-campus
  activities.