Training Helps Students Retool : Courses: A number of local institutions offer vocational programs with classes both day and night. Subjects range from computers to baking.

Most jobs listed in classified ads want people who already know how to do something.

An insurance company wants a data processor who’s worked on IBM computers. An electronics shop needs a VCR repairman. An auto body shop is looking for a mechanic who can tune up cars and take out dents. Or a veterinarian wants an assistant with experience caring for animals.

That’s fine for people who have the know-how. But what if you don’t? Consider taking some vocational school courses.

There are scores of vocational training schools in the San Fernando Valley area and more than 100 in Greater Los Angeles that offer full- and part-time programs, with classes day and night. Some award occupational certificates--for completed course work--after a few months of study. And in some classes, students do internships at real businesses so they can learn new skills firsthand.

The bad news is that some schools are very expensive.

Basically, there are three kinds of vocational schools: Low-cost programs are offered by schools tied to community or junior colleges and charge as little as $6 per course. Some big-name universities, such as Cal State Northridge and UCLA, oversee more expensive vocational extension courses. And the greatest number of trade schools are privately run and tend to charge the most--to complete some, course work will cost more than $10,000.

So do some research before signing up for a class. What is the instructor’s work experience? What kind of classroom equipment does the school offer? If you want to learn about personal computers and the classroom has 30 students and only five PCs, you won’t spend much time at the keyboard.

Look into job placement assistance for graduates. Make sure that you know the exact cost of tuition--sometimes state residents or veterans pay less--and the cost of books. Investigate the possibility of student aid. The Yellow Pages carries a list of trade schools. Or check your library for catalogues or brochures.

Listed below is a sampling of vocational courses available at some local schools:

Cal State Northridge Extension:

One new offering is an extensive personal computer skills certificate program. Designed for both beginners and computer veterans, these courses teach how to use IBM and Apple computers, plus a variety of software including Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect and Windows. The aim is to not only make students computer literate so they have basic skills and can write letters, memos and do desktop publishing, but to equip them with the computer skills needed by legal secretaries and paralegals.

Each student in class gets a computer terminal. A single course usually meets five times for three hours per session. One hundred hours of computer instruction, or six to seven courses, are needed to earn the certificate. Students pay from $65 to $225 per course, or $995 for the complete PC program.

“This seems to be one of the few things that is recession-proof,” said Marcella Tyler, director of public relations for CSUN’s Office of Continuing Education.

Los Angeles Trade-Technical College:

This school got its start teaching sewing classes during World War I. Now it has 14,000 students and a variety of low-priced classes in everything from cooking to computers, auto mechanics and plumbing.

“Our year-to-date enrollment is up 8%. Our curve goes up as the economy goes down,” said Sharon Tate, dean of academic affairs.

One program specializes in computer maintenance so that students can be hired to set up entire computer networks. Other PC courses cover data processing, word processing and spreadsheet programs. Other popular programs are radio communications and electronics.

Tate says the Federal Aviation Administration has hired Trade-Tech’s best radio technology students at $24,000 a year to keep airport radar equipment working.

The school also has auto mechanic and body shop classes, and students in this program work (for free) part of the time in a garage to get their hands dirty. There are also trade courses on air conditioning, electrical and plumbing. One exotic program teaches fashion design and incorporates computerized pattern-making.

California residents pay $6 per unit; the maximum cost per semester for them--no matter how many courses taken--is $60. Some programs take two years to complete.

Valley College, Van Nuys:

The two-year college offers a wide curriculum, including an occupational certificate for those interested in joining a fire or police department. There is also graphic design, accounting, nursing and tool design, also a broad array of business courses with certificates in banking, real estate and marketing. Valley College also has various computer science classes, which cover many different programs, including microcomputers and various computer operating systems.

One of its most specialized courses teaches biomedical equipment technology so students learn to be technicians capable of repairing high-priced hospital equipment.

There is also a consumer electronics program for those who want to repair TVs or VCRs. The United Auto Workers union recently sent some soon-to-be laid-off General Motors workers to take these VCR-type courses in hopes of finding new jobs, said Tyree Wieder, Valley College’s vice president of academic affairs.

California residents pay $6 per unit, up to a maximum of $60 per semester.

Pierce College, Woodland Hills:

This community college opened in 1947 and is best known for agricultural classes, but it offers dozens of vocational programs. One popular course is animal health technology, which trains veterinarian assistants.

There are also commercial and industrial art illustration courses, and a full sampling of business courses, including accounting, marketing and business management. Pierce offers computer programming, microcomputer, networks and repair courses.

The best students might get “hired either by computer manufacturers and put out in the field as representatives, or become computer network managers,” said Bill Norlund, Pierce’s vice president of academic affairs. Other courses cover drafting, engineering and machine shop technology.

Pierce’s associate of arts or science degrees require four semesters of study, while its occupational certificate programs can be completed in as little as one semester.

California residents pay $6 per unit, up to a maximum of $60 per semester.

UCLA Extension:

The school recently beefed up its business computer offerings. Courses cover oft-used business programs such as WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft’s Excel, Word and DOS; another focuses on Apple Macintosh computers; still another teaches Next computers, the new company run by Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs. For intermediate computer students, there is desktop publishing and graphics courses. Prices range from $265 to $395 per course.

It also offers certificate programs for fitness instructors. Plus there’s a three-stage course to become a pastry or baking chef--the price is $595 for each of the quarter-long courses. Graduates can look for jobs as “a pastry chef or bread chef or assistant at a restaurant or in some cases at catering companies,” said John Watson, the school’s public information representative.

West Valley Occupational Center, Woodland Hills:

Part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, West Valley has 60 programs that lure between 12,000 and 15,000 students a year. Like most trade schools, West Valley offers computer literacy and software courses, both for beginners and advanced computer users.

The school also runs a semester-long baking program to train people to work in supermarket bakeries. In addition, it teaches nursing, computer-assisted drafting, cosmetology and electronic technicians.

One of West Valley’s most extensive offerings is in automotive repair, covering everything from tuneups to suspension work, automatic transmissions, smog tests--on both domestic and imported cars. A full-time auto program usually lasts nine months.

Fees per course range from $10 to $20.