Tiffanie Hill, a clerk at Baker College of Allen Park’s bookstore, hangs up T-shirts in preparation for the new semester that begins Sept. 27. The campus is one of several training facilities located Downriver.
By CHRIS JACKETT
Sunday Times Newspapers
The fall season isn’t just an educational time for children returning to grade school.
It also can be a learning experience for adults as well.
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth projected earlier this year that a variety of fields will see growth through 2016. They range from engineering to management, medical services, computer systems and more (view the full list under “Publications” at www.milmi.org).
Statewide unemployment is still at one of the highest rates in the country, but a variety of Downriver colleges and trade schools are providing educational training opportunities looking to move up in their job or make a career change into one of the growing fields.
Baker College of Allen Park
Address: 4500 Enterprise Drive (near Outer Drive and I-94)
Website: www.baker.edu
Starts: Sept. 27
Cost: $205 undergraduate, $360 graduate (per credit)
Focus: Undergraduate degrees are available in business administration, health sciences, engineering/technology, information systems, education and human service, culinary and automotive/diesel. Graduate degrees are available for a doctor of business administration; master of science in information systems (management information systems); master of business administration (areas of study include overview – MBA, accounting, finance, general business, health care management, human resource management, information management, leadership studies, and marketing); and a master of occupational therapy.
Detroit Business Institute–Downriver
Address: 19100 Fort Street (near Sibley Road in Riverview)
Website: www.dbidownriver.com
Starts: Oct. 11 for day classes, Nov. 8 for night classes
Cost: $9,460 to $11,700 per year based on program and time of classes
Focus: Due to high demand from students and its personal goal of small classes sizes (15 or fewer students), DBI is only offering medical assistant and medical office programs this fall. In other semesters, administrative assistant, medical billing, computer office specialist, legal administrative assistant, medical office specialist and legal administrative specialist programs also have been offered. Don’t be fooled by the small, strip-mall entryway; the school extends to nine full-sized labs and classrooms.
Lifton Institute for Media Skills
Address: 16630 Southfield Road, Entrance Five (between Allen Road and I-94)
Website: www.liftoninstitute.com
Starts: Sept. 13
Cost: $9,000 for 512 hours of training in a focused track over a 12- to 15-week span
Focus: Media-centric training in production; art; hair and make-up; wardrobe; camera, light and grip; sound; and editorial all are available.
Stautzenberger Institute
Address: 16630 Southfield Road, Entrance One (between Allen Road and I-94)
Website: www.sitoday.net
Starts: Oct. 6
Cost: $7,290 for full certificate program
Focus: Certificates in massage therapy, medical administrative technology; medical assisting; medical billing and coding specialist; personal fitness trainer; phlebotomy technician; and a continuing education series are available.
Wayne County Community College – Downriver Campus
Address: 21000 North Line Road (west of Allen Road in Taylor)
Website: www.wcccd.edu/WCCCDcampus/Downriver
Starts: Aug. 23
Cost: $67.65 for district residents, $100 for nondistrict residents (per credit).
Focus: Accounting, automotive service technology, business administration, business information technology (e-commerce, office specialist), child care training, computer information systems (computer database specialist, computer network administrator, computer programming specialist, computer support specialist, systems administrator, Web administrator, Website designer), Criminal justice, emergency medical technology, fire protection technology, machine tool technology, manufacturing technology (numerical control technology), and pre-physician assistant programs are available.
(Contact Chris Jackett at [email protected])