When families think about preparing for a career, a four-year degree isn’t the only path.

Across Central Texas, communities depend on nurses and other health care professionals, first responders, professional drivers, skilled technicians, and many others to keep things moving. For students preparing to enter the workforce — or adults considering a career change — training for many of these careers is available close to home and can take two years or less to complete.

At McLennan Community College, those options range from two-year associate degrees to short-term Express Path programs that can be completed in weeks or months. Some of MCC’s shortest workforce training options take just a few weeks, including programs in logistics, production, truck driving and health care.

For recent graduate Kyla LeBlanc, her path is leading toward a career helping children right here in Waco.

A Career Close to Home

Kyla graduated from MCC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program in summer 2026 with an Associate of Applied Science degree. She is now preparing to take her national board exam, the next step toward becoming a certified occupational therapy assistant.

And she already knows where she hopes to put those skills to work.

Kyla plans to stay in Waco and become a pediatric occupational therapy assistant, helping children develop the skills they need for everyday life.

Her story is one example of how education and workforce training can lead from the classroom to a career in the community.

Kyla is also one of thousands of students who reached an educational milestone at MCC during the past year. During the 2025–2026 academic year, MCC awarded 2,640 degrees, certificates, and other credentials. Of those, 1,401 were in fields identified as high-demand statewide or within MCC’s region.

More Career Options Than You Might Think

Those credentials represent a wide range of career paths.

Among MCC’s largest award-producing workforce programs last year were Certified Nurse Aide, with 213 awards; Professional Truck Driver, with 143; Associate Degree Nursing, with 74; and Fire Academy, with 70.

Students also prepared for careers in areas such as vocational nursing, criminal justice, radiologic technology, respiratory care, and occupational therapy.

Some of these careers begin with a two-year degree. Others can start with shorter-term training designed to help students develop specific skills, prepare for certification, or enter the workforce sooner.

That range of options can make workforce education work for students at different stages of life — whether it’s a high school student exploring career possibilities, a parent looking for an affordable path for their child, or an adult ready for a career change.

Short-Term Training Can Open Doors, Too

Continuing Education is one of those options. These programs offer shorter-term workforce training outside of a traditional degree path and can help students prepare for specific careers, certifications, and industry credentials.

In fact, more than 99% of MCC’s Continuing Education credentials awarded last year were in fields designated as high-demand statewide or regionally, giving students another way to build skills for careers employers need.

The amount of time needed varies by program. Through MCC’s Express Path options, some workforce programs can be completed in just a few weeks, while other pathways lead to certificates or associate degrees that take longer.

Having those options allows students to choose a path that works for their goals, responsibilities, and timeline.

Preparing for What Comes Next

For many careers, completing a program is only part of the journey. Students may also need to pass certification or licensure exams before entering their profession.

MCC’s Certified Medical Assistant program offers one example. All 12 graduates from summer 2026 earned their Associate of Applied Science degrees and passed their national certification exams, continuing the program’s 100% student pass rate since 2021.

For students like Kyla, the next step is similar: complete the education, prepare for the required exam, and turn that training into a career.

That is where workforce education becomes more than a credential. It becomes a nurse caring for patients, a first responder serving a neighborhood, a professional driver keeping goods moving, or an occupational therapy assistant helping a child become more independent.

Building Careers — and Community

For families considering what comes after high school, or adults wondering whether it is time for something new, there isn’t just one way to build a career.

A path might begin with short-term workforce training. It might include a certificate, professional credential, or two-year degree. And for many students, it can begin close to home.

For Kyla, that means taking the next steps toward becoming a pediatric occupational therapy assistant and building her career in Waco.

Across MCC, other students are taking their own paths toward careers in health care, public safety, transportation, and other fields communities rely on every day.

Each path may look a little different. But together, they show just how many ways an education can move from the classroom into the community.

Ready to explore what your path could look like? Explore MCC’s Express Path programs and discover short-term training, certificates, and other career-focused options designed to help you enter the workforce sooner.