High Paying Careers Without Four Year Degrees

Whether you’re a student trying to balance the demands of community college classes, or if you are a professional or stay-at-home parent wanting to find out about how to better take care of yourself, community colleges across the country have developed popular programs for physical, emotional, and personal well being.

Nutrition, Health, and Cooking

As a hobby or even as a career path, students can enroll in a wide variety of food-based courses. Some of these classes may provide more insight into the science of the human body and nutrition, while other courses may focus on lessons for cooking, food preparation, and beyond.

For example, San Diego Community College in California offers a wide range of class options for career or continuing-education students, including classes such as “Professional Bakeshop Skills,” “Bread Making,” and “Catering.” Here, students will learn about pastry, basic culinary skills, and the science behind the art of baking. Also, students can take the “Eat For a Healthy Lifestyle” course, which encompasses the entire realm of healthiness from the physiological standpoint to menu planning.

Other courses offered at San Diego Community College focus on learning about the diversity of food, such as their “Ethnic/Regional Foods” class, which focuses on preparing a variety of ethnic and regional foods by learning about “ingredients, food preparation techniques, and traditions of differing cultures. The course includes recipe adaptation to achieve maximum nutrition.” And for more cooking classes, students can enroll in “Time Saving Cooking” or “Menu Planning/Menu Planning

From careers in construction, electrical work, teaching, to even daycare employment, nearly all careers now demand that employees maintain professional certification. Furthermore, for individuals new to their particular field, even jobs that do not require a four-year degree now demand that applicants have met professional licensing standards.

Providing students and professionals with easy access to affordable opportunities, community colleges are now one of the top venues for continuing education and certifications for qualified advancement.

The Top-Paying Careers with Professional Licensure Requirements

According to DAS Human Resources, legislation was passed in 1996 that permitted the expansion of application requirements, resulting in the shift that requires many jobs to demand that all workers meet “professional licensure, degree, accreditation or certificate requirements.” While the requirements for certification and licensure may have become more stringent, data from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Census Bureau, according to CNN, assert that some of the top-paying jobs in the country are careers that do not require a four-year degree.

Among the top-paying jobs are careers as an air-traffic controller, storage and distribution manager, transportation manager, and police/detective work—all of which boast of an average annual income above $60,000. The careers expand to include non-retail sales managers, real estate agents/brokers, and dental hygienists—which also average an annual income of over $58,000.

While the prospects for interested candidates in these careers are financially outstanding, CNN continues to assert: “Though a college degree is not a requirement for these positions, all require

With over 2.5 million adult students enrolled across the country, according to Eric Digest, nearly one-third of all community college students are over the age of thirty. The variety of options for continuing education in community colleges gives students of any age great opportunities for both technical and personal interest growth.

Adults Seeking Continuing Education Paths

For adults or people curious about special topics, community colleges and continuing education courses allow the open study of various subject matters. As Edgecombe Community College, located in North Carolina, explains, “Continuing Education promotes the lifelong learning process by offering a wide range of programs and services.” The continuing education opportunities are meant to support all adults, regardless of their educational background. Most continuing education and special interest students are individuals who are taking classes for non-traditional reasons: According to Howell, “adult students come to community colleges with a variant set of characteristics. They are more likely to attend part-time, to take courses for self-improvement initially rather than for degree completion, and to enroll intermittently.” Because most continuing education students are already employed in careers or work full time in or outside the home, colleges report that continuing education students bring practical goals and valuable life perspectives to the classroom.

This video offers a rationale for pursuing continuing education.

What Does Continuing Education Offer?

For many adults, continuing education classes are opportunities to explore hobbies or interests

For individuals seeking a life in the art of food, culinary programs provide information about chemistry, preparation, skills, and knowledge to become a professional contender in the cooking career. According to industry professionals, if you want to become a professional chef, it is critical to attend a culinary school – and one may be right in your city, at your local community college.

The Rewards of a Culinary Education

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the culinary and food industry accounted for approximately 3.1 million jobs in 2004. Culinary careers are expected to grow faster than the average for all other occupations.

With a background education from culinary programs, many individuals can bypass the lower-skilled positions in a kitchen while moving more quickly up the ladder toward status as a cook or chef.

Culinary programs provide insight into the essential elements of a successful chef, such as menu planning, nutrition, health regulations, inventory management, and portion control. Also, since culinary programs tend to be hands-on, students can gain experience—and sometimes are even provided with internships—which help foster professional expertise and connections to job opportunities.

This video offers a look at the culinary arts field.

Award-Winning Culinary Programs at Community Colleges

Grand Rapids Community College, Michigan

With a stylish on-site restaurant featuring delicious menu options, Grand Rapids Community College and Heritage Restaurant have gained rave reviews and acclaim for its educational opportunities and