Since 1977, John Zimmerman has gauged the economy's fluctuations by the number of students coming through the doors of his vocational school on Madison Avenue.

"When the economy gets soft you'll see people going back to school or getting their skills refreshed," said Zimmerman, owner and president of MTI College, a private for-profit technical school in Sacramento. "And we're certainly seeing it now."

Enrollment is up 18 percent compared with a year ago, he said.

With unemployment numbers rising, vocational schools across the country are reporting a similar trend as people look for skills that will give them an edge in a constricting job market. According to the Career College Association – a national group that represents 1,400 private trade schools – enrollment is up between 10 percent and 20 percent compared with last year.

"People who are either unemployed or fearful of becoming unemployed are choosing our schools to get their additional education," said Harris Miller, the group's president.

Most students at trade schools such as MTI or Heald College prepare for entry-level jobs in health care, business or technology. Many are lured by television commercials that promise a speedy education that leads directly to a lucrative career.

But private vocational schools are expensive – between $10,000 and $30,000 for one to two years of training. And in California, they are unregulated.

"The issue with proprietary colleges is that the quality of them varies significantly," said Deborah Frankle Cochrane of the Institute for College Access and Success, a Bay Area student advocacy group.

"It can be hard to figure out what you're getting on the way in."

Cunina Agard, 30, feels like she knows what she's getting from Western Career College on Folsom Boulevard. She's learning to become a dental assistant.

She decided to pursue the training after her business as a wedding planner slowed down last year. When times are tight, people will skip hiring a wedding planner, Agard figured. But they'll still take care of their teeth.

"Now that the economy is bad, you definitely need to have some type of a skill with a degree," she said.

Agard's eight-month training program covers technical skills like taking X-rays and making dental impressions, as well as administrative skills like using telephones and computers.

The $16,000 education is preparing her for state exams she must pass to earn a license as a registered dental assistant. It won't result in an academic degree – such as an associate's or bachelor's degree – recognized by a traditional university.

Similar training – plus academic credit – is available at the public community colleges for a lot less money. Sacramento City College offers a certificate in dental assisting for about $540. It also offers an associate's degree in dental assisting – the same training plus general education courses that allow students to transfer to a four-year college – for about $1,200.

"We offer exceptional education in both transfer and career education at a very low cost," said Susie Williams, spokeswoman for the Los Rios Community College District.

The dental assistant program at City College takes two semesters – or about nine months – if a student goes full time, and it's competitive. This year, 30 students got in – out of 85 who applied, Williams said.

Other career programs at Los Rios colleges – in health fields, computer science, business, graphic design and automotive technology – aren't as hard to get into, Williams said.

Still, many classes have waiting lists and community college can take a long time.

Getting through school quickly is enticing to students who turn to the private trade schools. Even before the economy faltered, Amber Young decided she needed some job skills – quickly. After seeing commercials on TV in 2002, she registered for an MTI College program to learn to become a computer support specialist.

Call The Bee's Laurel Rosenhall, (916) 321-1083.