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When I was in high school the only option it seemed for students was to go to college. At no point did I see anybody talk about going to a two year community college to learn a trade and or get a certificate in something so you have the skills somebody would be willing to pay money for because they can't do the job themselves. It was always the traditional four year school that always seemed to ring in student's ears and this is even preached into children's minds in the elementary school grades today.
At no point during my time in high school did I even see one little poster or some sort of message about learning a trade or a teacher talking to a classroom full of students about learning how to do something that can make them earn a decent living. It was always about getting that good ol' bachelors degree and that tradition seems to continue today.
Regardless if you did well in high school or not, there seems to be more talk applied to going to a traditional college instead of going to trade school and actually learning a skill that can help get you a job. From what we've seen or read so far with some people going to college and paying money and either not graduating or graduating and getting a degree that doesn't give them any marketable job skills, wouldn't trade school have been better?
Why is it that trade school isn't being pushed more to students? Society such as teachers, parents, and politicians, seem to think we need more college graduates but in reality we need people who know how to do something that can make them employable. I'm all for learning, but spending tens of thousands of dollars in getting a degree in something that doesn't have any marketable value which leaves the student to get low paying job because they don't have any skills is insane. No one wants to work for nine dollars an hour at some place.
Having said that, do schools need to do a better job of pushing other options for students such as trade school? What do you think?
When I was in high school the only option it seemed for students was to go to college. At no point did I see anybody talk about going to a two year community college to learn a trade and or get a certificate in something so you have the skills somebody would be willing to pay money for because they can't do the job themselves. It was always the traditional four year school that always seemed to ring in student's ears and this is even preached into children's minds in the elementary school grades today.
At no point during my time in high school did I even see one little poster or some sort of message about learning a trade or a teacher talking to a classroom full of students about learning how to do something that can make them earn a decent living. It was always about getting that good ol' bachelors degree and that tradition seems to continue today.
Regardless if you did well in high school or not, there seems to be more talk applied to going to a traditional college instead of going to trade school and actually learning a skill that can help get you a job. From what we've seen or read so far with some people going to college and paying money and either not graduating or graduating and getting a degree that doesn't give them any marketable job skills, wouldn't trade school have been better?
Why is it that trade school isn't being pushed more to students? Society such as teachers, parents, and politicians, seem to think we need more college graduates but in reality we need people who know how to do something that can make them employable. I'm all for learning, but spending tens of thousands of dollars in getting a degree in something that doesn't have any marketable value which leaves the student to get low paying job because they don't have any skills is insane. No one wants to work for nine dollars an hour at some place.
Having said that, do schools need to do a better job of pushing other options for students such as trade school? What do you think?
Absolutely! I come from a long line of trade/blue collar workers and I am also married to one (my husband is an electrician), so I have nothing but respect for them.
College is not for everyone and given today's economy college in no way guarantees you a job. College however does guarantee debt (unless you have financial aid or a scholarship). I think it is sad that trades and blue collar work is now looked down on. Our country and everything in our lives was created by a trade/blue collar workers, not by people sitting in some office.
When and why did being blue collar become a bad thing?
I think that students should be given many options. Good trade schools will give you the training you need to succeed in today's high tech manufacturing sector.
In the worst economy in 80 years, there's a lot of companies who want to hire, but the people don't have the right qualifications. Forklift drivers these days need several safety courses completed before they ever begin driving them.
For some people its a chicken or the egg problem, but a trade school is cheaper than a four year university to what amounts to a technical position.
We do a huge disservice to our current high school students by not exposing them to the trades/skills occupations and training that are so necessary in today's workforce. As the previous post stated, so many companies need people that can do, fix, repair, build, maintain facilities and equipment and we are not developing the workforce for these highly skilled technical positions.
As a former career occupations coordinator in an affluent high school, I speak from experience. Seeing students succeed in skilled training programs and get jobs that require high level reading and math skills is as rewarding as having the student get into a competitive college. I always welcomed the representative from the technical schools, armed services, and specialized programs into my classroom to expose the students to the options they had besides the 4 year degree.
We can boast that we send XX% of our students on to 4 year colleges, but we don't track those who actually return for their sophomore year, graduate and end up working in their degreed field.
We do a huge disservice to our current high school students by not exposing them to the trades/skills occupations and training that are so necessary in today's workforce. As the previous post stated, so many companies need people that can do, fix, repair, build, maintain facilities and equipment and we are not developing the workforce for these highly skilled technical positions.
As a former career occupations coordinator in an affluent high school, I speak from experience. Seeing students succeed in skilled training programs and get jobs that require high level reading and math skills is as rewarding as having the student get into a competitive college. I always welcomed the representative from the technical schools, armed services, and specialized programs into my classroom to expose the students to the options they had besides the 4 year degree.
We can boast that we send XX% of our students on to 4 year colleges, but we don't track those who actually return for their sophomore year, graduate and end up working in their degreed field.
I agree.
It amzaes me at the amount of people who now do not know how to do anything other than sit behind a desk and push papers. I know when my husband was laid off in 2009 it was his skill (as an electrican) that kept us going. If had had worked in some office pushing paper we would have been up a creek.
My husband went to 4 year trade school in order to get his license but I still find people who have the attitude that this is some how not equivilent to going to college nor is it as valued as a college degree.
While some college degree's that are needed, most just equal out to an expensive piece of paper.
The educational/financial aid complex doesn't make as much money off people who go into trade schools. The graduates do not leave school with thousands of dollars of loans to pay back, so they are free to do as they like. There is a reason why student loans cannot be wiped out during bankruptcy proceedings.
I've begun telling my students that they need to make sure they can do something that can't be outsourced. A good example of that is plumbing. Learn a skill, get certification, and take business classes so that you can eventually be your own boss. That's what my students are hearing more and more.
Now there is an article in the New York Times saying that the master's is the new bachelor's degree. It is a matter of credentials creep. Now that everyone is expected to have a college degree, it is devalued. Thus, it is necessary to incur even more debt to get an advanced degree. In the meantime, the individual is not usually a full-time worker and the colleges get even more money.
"we talk about millions of 'shovel ready' jobs for a society that doesn't encourage people to pick up a shovel"
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