2018 Education

2018 EDUCATION MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS MARCH 1, 2018 Page 39 CONTINUED → and credentials that you have fulfilled the requirements, stayed the course and are now a multi-disciplined person who is capable of critical thinking and a number of jobs in multiple fields. Potential employers do look for educational background, but what they want more is experience in the job you will be hired to do. In a for-profit/technical school program you earn a certificate that says you have fulfilled the educational requirements and are now adequately prepared and experienced for a specific job. For some, this may be a more direct route to a job. In comparison, attending a for-profit college or technical school may save students from a lot of student loan debt and help them find a job in a field of their choice that will provide them with a decent living. The U.S. Department of Education statistics show that a person with a bachelor’s degree, on average, brings in a higher salary (that is when the person is fortunate enough to land a job after graduation). The Department of Education calculated the average salaries of 25-34 year olds: n those with bachelor’s degrees make an average of $44,970 a year - associate’s degree holders bring in $37,030 annually n and a high school diploma will earn $29,950 a year For-profit colleges and some trade/technical schools have been in the news lately. Trump University, a for-profit college, agreed to settlements with some students because those students charged that they did not get what they were promised. DeVry University has been under attack since 2002 with similar charges. The most important thing to consider when thinking about a for-profit college or trade/technical school is their track record. The internet is a fantastic resource for finding and researching these alternative educational institutions. As in all things, you need to be careful with your selections. One area school that has a great track record and has been providing quality education opportunities since 1995 is Midwest Technical Institute. MTI is considered a for-profit college in Wikipedia. On their website, MTI tells of its history. In 1995, Midwest Technical Institute founders Brian Huff and Mike Casper were working as welders and noticed something in the workers around them: a need for better welding training. There were no local opportunities for training, so Mr. Huff and Mr. Casper decided to begin training welders themselves. MTI was founded in 1995 in Lincoln, Illinois. Initially, the school was operating out of a small facility. Based on the high interest in learning welding skills, an additional building