(ARA) – Giving up a full-time job and returning to college full- or part-time is never easy, but career colleges – schools that provide professional, technical or career-specific programs – can make the transition easier for career switchers. For many, career colleges offer a second chance at finding a rewarding career and job security.

The Career College Association defines a “career college” as a “post-secondary institution that provides professional and technical, career-specific educational programs,” and notes that many are owned and operated privately, receiving no state tax support or tax exemption.

In the current economic environment, with employers looking to cut costs, many career switchers feel like they were left little choice. Paula Davidson had worked in the back office of a large insurance company for 29 years when she was laid off. Davidson had held the same job since she was 19, and had never received her high school diploma or GED.

Davidson knew her skills were no longer viable in the changing labor market, and quickly realized she would need to go back to school if she wanted to find a stable career. Davidson was able to earn her GED, and qualified for a Workforce Investment Act grant from the federal government, which required her to look into a variety of educational programs and compare them before making a choice.

“I considered a number of options for schooling, and decided that given my background in the insurance industry, a degree in medical insurance billing and coding would be a good fit and offer me more stability,” she says. “I looked into community colleges, but because all the courses weren’t offered every semester, it would have taken me two to three years to get my degree.” Instead, Davidson decided on Everest College. “It was the closest to home, allowed me to get a degree in under a year, and offered the flexibility of attending school four days a week.”

Career colleges such as Everest are helping career switchers find truly rewarding professions. Now Davidson works in the billing office of a supplier of durable medical products. “I feel like I now have the job security I lacked,” she says.

Other career switchers decide that going back to school is the only way for them to land the career they truly desire. David Leopold served in the Army for 10 years, before driving a diesel truck for more than a decade. One terrifying day, Leopold’s trailer went off a 20-foot embankment and caused major damage to his vehicle. Although Leopold was not seriously injured, it was a wake-up call for him.

“When you live through such a serious accident, you realize that you have to take control of your life,” he says. “For me, I realized I wanted to know the mechanics behind the truck that could have taken my life, so I decided to go back to school to study diesel engine mechanics.”

Leopold explains that he had tried an auto technician school previously, but dropped out. “The second time around, I knew I needed to find a program that offered excellent instructors, hands-on training and a supportive environment,” he says. “I chose WyoTech in Laramie, Wyo., and I’ve been very happy with my choice.”

When he graduated, Leopold easily found employment at Petro Stopping Stations as a diesel technician. He says that he has finally found a career he is passionate about. “It’s a hard decision to leave your old career behind, but I knew I had to take the risk. WyoTech helped me find the career I wanted, and I know I made the right decision,” says Leopold.

Career colleges are a viable choice for career switchers, as well as adult students and high school graduates, offering career-oriented programs that have proven staying power in today’s labor market.