Vocational Education and Training (VET) means ‘work-related’, and offers a variety of benefits to choosing it as a learning pathway. Fields of study in VET usually include IT, community services, building and construction, tourism and hospitality, meaning you are gaining qualifications in industries that are readily available no matter where you’re from, or where you go in the future. Below are some other benefits of choosing VET.
1. Flexibility
One of the most lucrative benefits of undertaking a VET course is the flexibility that this type of study provides. Courses can be taken full-time or part-time, depending on your availability, and can be studied via distance education or through online learning institutions such as Careers Australia. These courses are also very accommodating, from students who didn’t get the highest marks in school, to parents, or people working full-time. Skills learnt and qualifications received can also be used to gain you credit into university degrees you may not have been accepted into otherwise.
2. Hands-On
When it comes to studying, the biggest challenge is usually not the study itself, but what to do with your life once it’s over. University degrees, although high up on the scale of academic education, do not always offer a lot of hands-on experience, which prospective employees want. A benefit of vocational training is that these courses provide you with the practical skills you need to work in your industry of choice. For example, internships are a rare requirement for the undergraduate degree, but there are very few vocational courses that don’t have mandatory work experience placements.
3. Transferable
The skills you learn through a VET course have been developed to be relevant to the expectations and standards of the industry. This means that through regular assessment, students will be gaining skills that will be able to be directly transferred into the ‘real world’. For example, if you study a VET nursing course, you will become a nurse; if you study a degree in medical science, you may have to specialise your degree with post-grad diplomas before you can enter the workforce down the track.
4. You Can Earn Quicker
Depending on the industry, many VET courses allow you to start earning an income while you’re studying. For example, doing an apprenticeship in hospitality or construction means you are learning and gaining valuable qualifications, while getting some monetary reward to take home at the end of the week. Even for courses that don’t offer this type of earning/working environment, you will still find you can enter the workforce quicker, as you have practical skills to boost your job prospects, and can even start working towards qualifications while you’re still in high school.
Often thought of as the ‘easy’ way out, VET courses are actually a highly beneficial way to ensure you are ready to start earning money immediately – or even as you go. The truth is, university degrees and VET courses shouldn’t be compared. Where VET is more practical, university is more academic. Maybe the best form of education is a combination of them both!
What VET courses would you love to study and why? Leave your answers in the space below.
Great post! Thank you for helping me understand the benefits of vocational training. I really like how you said that “A benefit of vocational training is that these courses provide you with the practical skills you need to work in your industry of choice.” I have never done vocational training but I can imagine how helpful they can be since they help people learn and work on skills in the industry that they want to be a part of.
Getting a traditional 4 year degree from a college has never interested me. I like the idea of getting trained at a vocational school because, as you mentioned, I’ll earn my degree or certificate sooner. I wonder how many options are out there for vocational schools and if I would be a good candidate to enroll.