There are lots of questions to ask yourself when you start to think about education. What exactly do you want to do? Do you need a degree? What kind of skills and training are required?
When you start making your pros and cons list, make sure you’re thinking about options beyond a degree program. Short-term career and technical training, like what’s offered through FastForward, has significant pros to consider. Here are three.
Short-term career training takes weeks to complete
When time is of the essence, and you have a family to support, you can’t invest months or years into a training and educational program. You can take a few weeks to juggle lectures and skills demonstrations to pass an industry exam and earn a certificate.
FastForward training prepares students for industry exams like CDL, clinical medical assistant, pharmacy technician, MT-1 and more.
Career and technical training can help fill the most in-demand jobs in Virginia
While the unemployment rate in Virginia is almost back to pre-pandemic levels, we’re in a marketplace where employees have significant decision-making power.
Don’t love your current job? Career and technical training can help you switch industries quickly. Want to advance in your current role? Short-term training can help you stack certifications to boost your skills and give you bargaining power to advance in your career.
Short-term training costs less than traditional college tuition
The traditional college tuition model charges by the credit hour, and when you have program that is 15 or more credit hours, costs add up. But career and technical programs are considered “non-credit” and often come with a one-time cost.
Plus, thanks to the high-demand nature of the training programs offered under FastForward, there are financial resources and incentives that bring out-of-pocket costs down below $100 in many cases. Even if you aren’t eligible for a single dollar of assistance, your maximum out-of-pocket cost is around $1,000. Compare that to the thousands of a multi-year degree program.
To learn more about the FastForward programs available near you as well as financial assistance programs and incentives, contact us today, and we’ll put you in touch with your local career coach.