Vocational Skills: Definition and Examples
In its simplest form, a job involves exchanging your skills for a wage—and employers have a keen interest in people who know how to do a thing or two well. That may be laying down a concrete foundation for a new building or providing empathetic care to a nursing home resident. Or being proficient in another type of vocational skill.
What are Vocational Skills?
Vocational skills are applied skills you acquire to become proficient in a specific trade or profession. They usually include a combination of technical, hands-on, and craft skills to excel in fields like construction, culinary, administration, healthcare, and many other professions.
Here are some examples of vocational skills:
- Carpentry and woodwork
- Electrician work
- HVAC maintenance
- Cosmetology
- Medical assistance
You can acquire vocational competencies in trade school, an apprenticeship program, community college programs, union training programs, adult education centers, or via countless eLearning certification programs.
Unlike college education, vocational education focuses on work-based learning. It helps you acquire practical, job-specific skills to make you immediately employable.…
