Technical college prospect? How veterans can make a smart | MilitaryTimes

As a network operator, Army Sgt. Chance Mangham rarely sat at a desk. Stationed at Fort Richardson, Alaska, his “whole network was on the back of a Humvee, and we were constantly on the go,” he said.

When he left the service in 2015, the prospect of continuing as a network professional was unappealing. In the civilian world, that’s a desk job, and Mangham wanted to keep moving. He enrolled in Lincoln Tech in Grand Prairie, Texas, and nine months later became a union member as an apprentice pipefitter and welder.

Along the way, Mangham discovered that technical schools are not all the same.

Technical colleges can offer a chance to fast-track your way into a practical profession, but their offerings vary widely. The quality of the faculty, the course of instruction, the facilities available for study and practice — these can all be vastly different.

With the recent closure of ITT Technical Institute, veterans who have attended the college are worried that their benefits may be going to waste.

How to pick the right technical college?

Look at job outcomes. Unlike liberal arts majors looking to become “well rounded” and “intellectually diverse,” technical college students typically have a more practical goal in mind: They are there to get a job. In evaluating schools, make that the prime factor.

“Find out if the school has any statistics on job placements after graduation. At the very least, ask about a career center and if they will help support you on your job search after you graduate,” said Lisa Parmley, founder of CareerToolkit.com.
“Ask direct questions about the outcomes of their programs of study,” advises Ken Phipps, director of Career Services at Lincoln Tech in Denver. “How many people that enroll actually finish their program of study and graduate? How many of those that graduate from their program are employed within the industry?”

Review the faculty. Mangham had no welding experience, and he wanted a program that would offer a breadth within the field.

He looked closely at faculty credentials before signing on.

“I had one instructor who was a real expert with TIG welding, which is very fine and very neat, where another instructor does pipe welding and spends all his days out in the field, out in the mud. I could see there was a chance to learn from all aspects of the welding industry,” he said.

Don’t make the mistake of signing onto a program where the faculty is too uniform. Look for diversity of experience in the instructors to ensure a well-rounded program.

Do a background check. Technical colleges teach specialized material. That means that if you change your mind part way down the line, changing programs can be difficult or impossible without having to start over from scratch. One big mistake: Going in with your eyes closed, without sufficient background understanding. Choosing a school begins by taking a close look at your prospective career, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

“[Do] as much research as possible before you start classes: read about the career fields that interest you, ‘shadow’ someone who works in your chosen field, speak with local employers in your desired field to ascertain the reputation of programs you’re considering, and ask plenty of questions about what a typical day on the job looks like,” NACAC advises.

Ask for credentials. Is the institution you’re considering accredited and licensed? That matters both as an indicator of the quality of education and also because accreditation may be required if you plan to use your GI Bill benefits. Failing to vet the school’s bona fides is a reckless misstep.
“Accrediting and state licensure agencies are gatekeepers that help make sure that you receive a quality education and get what you pay for,” notes the Department of Education. To find out if a college is accredited, you can check the department’s List of Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies. In addition, most states have laws requiring career colleges and technical schools to be licensed or certified. Legit colleges should be able to verify their status.

Check out the work space. Technical schools typically include a significant hands-on component as a part of the overall course of study. That means the quality of the work space can be just as important as faculty credentials or any other defining factor.

Mangham knew he wanted a school where the welding shop at least conformed to his military sense of what a work space should look like: “I looked for cleanliness. I looked for organization. That was important to me, and it was clear they had a nice facility.”

In a more technical course of study, this becomes even more important. Scientific and technology-based programs should be equipped with state-of-the-art tools in order to give students hands-on experience that will reflect what they are likely to encounter in the workplace.

Look in their eyes. A campus visit offers a prime opportunity to examine the facilities and question faculty. But it’s equally important to use that time to gauge your future fellow classmates. Too often, visitors miss the chance to connect with their potential peers.

“Do students look engaged in class or in their labs? Does campus seem active? It’s a good sign if you see students studying and working at school even outside of class,” said former Marine Corps Sgt. Jacob Jenkins, a six-year active-duty veteran working as an admission representative at Golf Academy of America. “Most colleges will also have current students or graduates they can connect you with so you can ask what it’s like from a student’s perspective.”

Technical college isn’t for everyone, but for those seeking a fast track to employment, it can be an appealing option. Tech schools typically offer flexible course schedules. They give hands-on training and can offer credentials quickly, sometimes in less than a year. Most have vigorous job-placement programs.

For Mangham, finding the right school has helped him translate his military training into a satisfying new role in a hands-on craft. “I enjoy the satisfaction of being able to say, ‘I built that,’” he said.