Trade school boom p1 - Military - College News and Information - Military Times EDGE

Disappearing jobs have helped drive thousands of people to Tennessee’s 27 state-run trade schools, Tennessee Technology Centers, where they can pick up training on anything from truck driving to medical billing.

As economic struggles and unemployment plague much of the nation, vocational schools are seeing spikes in enrollment, said Betty Krump, executive director of the American Technical Education Association, based in Wahpeton, N.D. In California, community colleges, which offer most vocational training for Californians out of high school, “are experiencing a renaissance,” said Lloyd McCabe, a state Department of Education policy consultant.

Enrollment in state community colleges is at about 2.2 million, up from 1.8 million last year. Fall enrollment in northern Colorado’s Front Range Community College system is running about 26 percent higher than last year.

In Tennessee, enrollment in state-run vocational schools is up about 10 percent. With federal stimulus money, the centers could add or expand about 100 programs, ranging from welding, plumbing and truck driving to nursing and solar panel installation. The expansion would create spots for about 4,000 more students.