With a high school dropout rate of 24. 2%, as reported by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, an increasing number of California residents are turning to career-focused, non-traditional forms of education to get ahead.
1 in 4 students in California do not graduate high school. That number rises to 1 in 3 for the Los Angeles area. Kim Esquerre, Executive Director of Universal Schools & Colleges of Health & Human Services (U.S. Colleges) in Southern California says of the State’s low graduation rate, “there are a number of reasons why an individual might not finish high school including language barriers and other factors.”
Traditionally, individuals without a high school diploma rate among those with the lowest incomes. An annual study by “Education at a Glance” reports that American adults who don’t finish high school earn 35% less than individuals with high school or equivalent diplomas. The same study shows that 44% of adults without high school degrees are “low income,” meaning they earn just half of the country’s median income or less.
So how are California’s growing number of high school drop-outs expected to rise out of the lower income brackets? In response to lagging numbers of high school graduates,
U. S. Colleges is providing a number of career training programs that do not require a high school or General Education Degree (GED). “Just because a person doesn’t finish high school doesn’t mean he or she incapable of learning or that they can’t achieve a professional career,” says Esquerre.
Career School graduates have the potential for significantly higher annual and lifetime earnings than high-school graduates do. According to the Census Bureau, over an adult's working life, an individual with post-secondary education will make an average of $400,000 more than someone with just a high school diploma.
“Some of our students left high school because 4-year traditional college was not an option for them and the high schools do not offer practical training in non-academic professional areas. There is a popular attitude that the only true education and path to success is traditional 4 year University or College programs. That may have been true decades ago, but in today’s market individuals are earning $30,000-$40,000 a year in fields like Health Care and Business Admin with short-term career-focused training.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, 7 of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the country are health care related, such as Medical Office Administrator and Medical Billing and Coding, and most workers in this field hold positions that require less than 2 or 4-year traditional college education.
“Most individuals without their high school diploma are not interested in the experience of sitting in a classroom,” says Esquerre. “They are looking to get a good job. Our programs are streamlined, so in 2-4 months students have the skills and experience to enter a professional career field.”
U.S. Colleges offers courses that do not require a high school diploma or GED, such as Certified Phlebotomy Technician, Clinical Medical Assistant and Private Investigation. U.S. Colleges has five locations in Southern California and has been in operation for twelve years.
For more information, you can contact Kim Esquerre at kim@uscmed.com or by visiting http://uscmed.com/
