Some careers require a college education. There is no way around it. On the other hand, there are other careers for which vocational training and certification programs are a better fit. For most of these careers, certification programs beat a college education on multiple levels.
Below are four ways that certification programs prove superior to a college education for certain careers. For the purpose of illustration, this post will focus on design, drafting, and engineering careers relying on AutoCAD skills.
Perhaps you were introduced to AutoCAD in high school. Now you want to pursue a career in which you’ll get to use it for your day-to-day work. Or maybe you are already working in a career for which AutoCAD certification would be a tremendous help.
1. Shorter Time Commitment
As a general rule, certification courses involve a much shorter time commitment. Such is the case for a typical AutoCAD training program. We offer an online AutoCAD course focusing on the fundamentals. It is an instructor supported course offering 144 hours of coursework.
Rather than going to college for several years, you can complete your AutoCAD training in a matter of months. Upon completion, you will be prepared to sit for the AutoCAD Fundamentals Certificate exam.
2. Educational Focus
By design, a college education has a much broader focus. Going to college to become a designer or drafter would mean at least two years of liberal arts education that has little to do with your chosen career. Specialized AutoCAD training programs dispense with that unnecessary training to offer a laser-like focus on AutoCAD.
An online AutoCAD course designed to prepare you to sit for a certification exam is about AutoCAD alone. You learn only what is required to pass the exam. Of course, you are still free to pursue a liberal arts education if you choose, but being certified in AutoCAD will instantly pay off in your career.
3. Educational Flexibility
Certification programs are far superior to college in terms of educational flexibility. In a college degree program, you are locked into a designated course of study along with a schedule of classes you must attend and pass. School becomes your career for the years you attend.
Certification courses are just the opposite. You work them into your existing work-life schedule. You put the time in when you can. When you do not have the time, you can set training aside and concentrate on other things. Resume training again when time permits.
4. Total Cost
The big thing for a lot of ProTrain students is cost. Needless to say that certification courses cost a fraction of what you might pay for a college degree. In exchange, the right certifications can boost your earning potential and future career opportunities.
ProTrain’s AutoCAD Fundamentals Certificate course has a current price tag of under $3k. That amount of money would not even get you the first two semesters of a bachelor’s degree program at most public schools. Dollar for dollar, you get a lot more by investing in certification training.
You Can Get Started Today
The next college semester will not start until the fall. But if you opt for certification training instead, you can get started today. You might even complete your coursework before the next college semester begins.
We invite you to take a look at our AutoCAD Fundamentals Certificate course form to learn more. If design and drafting are not your thing, feel free to browse our entire online catalog. We offer certification courses for project managers, HR professionals, travel professionals, IT specialists, drone pilots, medical coders, and billers, and more. To speak with a career counsellor, call 1 (844) 292-8641.