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Vocational schools may become better options as colleges become more expensive

Posted at 4:49 PM, Jan 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-07 16:49:00-05

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - As 4 year colleges and universities become more expensive, people are looking for alternatives for their future. 

Vocational school, a place where people can learn a distinct skill for a specific job like a mechanic, construction worker and barber just to name a few.  

Lively Tech in Tallahassee is one of the biggest in the area and Director Shelly Bell says not only do students learn a trade, most students won't leave with a lot of debt if any at all.  

"From 6 months to a year you can get the training you need to go out in the workforce and get a well paying career," said Bell. "One of the neat things is they can leave here without tremendous amounts of debt." 

Most of the students at Lively Tech are in their mid 20's, but adults in much more advanced stages of life are now choosing vocational school to get a license or even begin a new career.  

"I just turned 58, I want to go to work right away," said Mignon Deshaies, Lively Tech student. 

It's not just what the students are learning at vocational school but the way they are learning. 

"You are not going to be lost in numbers, there is more of a relationship," said Gregg Hoover, Automotive Instructor at Lively Tech. 

Just down the street, Tallahassee Community College also offers vocational style class which they call applied sciences.

The Dean of TCC's Business, Industry and Technology School, Dr. Stephen Dunnivant, said the biggest problem to getting more students into the classes is convincing the parents this is a good route for their child.  

It costs about $4,000 to $5,000 to attend Lively Tech for one year of classes.