| Going to a career college can represent a significant | | | | opportunities in that field. |
| investment of both time and money. If your goal is to | | | | Career Fields That Are Declining |
| get trained for a rewarding career, then it's definitely | | | | Let's look at another example-file clerks. File clerks |
| worth it. But how do you know you're training for a | | | | classify, store, retrieve, and update office information. In |
| career field that is growing and will have opportunities | | | | many small offices, they often have additional |
| in the future? | | | | responsibilities, such as performing word processing, |
| America's accredited career and technical schools | | | | entering data, sorting mail, and operating copying or fax |
| have the same concerns as you. They know that their | | | | machines. |
| success is measured by how many of their graduates | | | | Does training to be a file clerk sound like a good idea? |
| are able to find good jobs in areas where there is | | | | Here's what the Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| growth and opportunity. A high job placement rate | | | | 2010-2011 Edition has to say about opportunities for file |
| means that the college is succeeding in its mission. But | | | | clerks: |
| if their graduates aren't getting jobs, then the reputation | | | | "Employment is expected to decline rapidly. |
| of the college will suffer. When schools train students | | | | Employment is expected to decline due to productivity |
| to succeed in growing career fields, everyone wins. | | | | gains from office automation and the consolidation of |
| How do career schools decide what programs to | | | | clerical jobs." |
| offer? Mostly by studying trends and statistics. The | | | | The job outlook for file clerks is terrible! Career |
| best source for employment statistics is the U.S. | | | | colleges recognize this. Chances are the career |
| government. The Labor Department has a division | | | | college or technical training school that interests you will |
| called the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS | | | | not offer a program in file clerking. If they trained |
| publishes vast amounts of employment information | | | | students to be file clerks, their graduates would enter a |
| and data on its website. It's free and available to | | | | job marketplace with few opportunities. |
| anyone. | | | | Finding the Career College for You |
| In the publication "Occupational Outlook Handbook" the | | | | Career schools are not employment agencies, and |
| BLS tracks and evaluates hundreds of occupations | | | | cannot guarantee you a job. But when you choose a |
| such as medical assistant, truck driver, carpenter, | | | | program at a reputable career college, you can be |
| accountant, cosmetologist, motorcycle repair, law | | | | assured that the school has done its research and is |
| enforcement, graphic design, and many more. A | | | | offering educational programs that reflect the current |
| description is provided for each job, along with | | | | job marketplace. And that's good to know! |
| information about training and advancement | | | | So how do you choose a career college? The best |
| opportunities. | | | | way is to start online. You can read the Occupational |
| There's also a section called "Job Outlook." This | | | | Outlook Handbook online at See which careers are |
| section gives the BLS projection of the job's future | | | | expected to keep growing. Then go to a reputable |
| potential. That's what career colleges want to know. | | | | college directory website such as |
| Growing Careers | | | | Education-For-Careers. You'll find a search engine that |
| For example, here's what the Occupational Outlook | | | | allows you to specify your search terms and get |
| Handbook 2010-2011 Edition predicts for dental | | | | information about schools that are appropriate for you. |
| assisting: | | | | A good college directory website will have information |
| "Employment is expected to grow 36 percent from | | | | about online programs (also called distance learning), |
| 2008 to 2018, which is much faster than the average | | | | financial aid, job placement services, and much more. |
| for all occupations. In fact, dental assistants are | | | | Choose four or five schools that offer what you are |
| expected to be among the fastest growing | | | | looking for. Compare programs and then contact them. |
| occupations over the 2008-18 projection period." | | | | You can apply to as many schools as you want. |
| This is a very positive expectation. It means that | | | | Once you are accepted, apply for financial aid. When |
| despite difficult economic times in which the | | | | you have all the information you need, then make your |
| unemployment rate is unacceptably high, the field of | | | | choice. One thing is for sure-no matter what |
| dental assisting is expected to continue to create new | | | | accredited career school you choose, it's very likely |
| jobs. Career colleges use this type of information to | | | | that the school has researched which careers are |
| help them plan their curricula. Many career schools | | | | growing and has crafted its curriculum to meet the |
| offer programs in dental assisting because they are | | | | demands of employers. |
| confident that their graduates will be able to find | | | | |