A couple of recent surveys exploring the college vs. trade school question have provided the researchers — as well as parents and employers — some unexpected results to consider.
Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation conducted one such study: Voices of Gen Z, which compared impressions from Millennials back in 2003-2005 to that of the teens of 2023- 2024. One chart in particular highlights the change in attitude regarding post-secondary plans:
While the survey indicates that about 75% of students still expect to attend college at least part-time, the number of youth considering a jump into the full-time workforce has almost tripled in 20 years. Cost of education could certainly be a factor here, but the Gallup results posit another theory, as well. From the study’s press release: “Regardless of whether Gen Zers’ goals are to pursue a college education or a non-college pathway after graduation, most do not feel very prepared for their future endeavors.” According to the survey, only about a quarter of students feel “very prepared” to apply to and/or succeed in college.
THE EXCEPTION TO THIS, the press release continues, is when “middle and high school students have opportunities to learn job-related skills in school. This leads them to be more confident in their ability to succeed in the future.” Unfortunately, the survey revealed that only 25-30% of students are being offered assistance with any job-related skills or projects, not to mention opportunities to discuss pathways to success that may not require a four-year degree.
The Answer is Right in front of Us
Fortunately, the solution exists and is in place in school districts around the country: Career and Technical Education, also known as CTE. Some schools have the ability to house these skills-based and technical classes on each campus, and others share a common location with the other schools in their districts. In Lexington, South Carolina, for instance, students from all District One high schools can attend Lexington Technology Center (LTC). Students not already on site can take a bus or drive to the center to take courses ranging from graphic design, cosmetology, and culinary arts to robotics, small engine repair, nursing, welding, and firefighting.
The benefit of taking courses at a CTE center is that the cost is minimal, if not entirely free; this allows students to explore fields that they may not have had exposure to. They may ultimately realize that they have no real interest or skill in a chosen area, but this costs them virtually nothing but their time. They may, however, find a passion that they can pursue, possibly earning certifications that allow them to enter the workforce a step ahead of their classmates — all at a reasonable out-of-pocket cost. Additionally, as the latest numbers from the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) show, CTE concentrators are proving to be more likely to graduate high school than their non-CTE peers.
Why Skilled Trades? Ask a Pro....
Thumbtack, a service that connects homeowners to local service pros, recently surveyed both experienced tradespeople and young adults between 18-30 who are now living their post-secondary lives for a July 2023 study: Future of the Skilled Trades Report. For quite a while now, the term “blue-collar,” which is typically used to describe anyone whose livelihood depends on working more with their hands and less in an office setting, has been seen as a less-desirable moniker than its office-centered counterpart, “white-collar.” This long stretch of bad press has led to what is now being called a “Skills Gap,” which means that there are not enough young workers entering so-called blue collar fields to replace the current crop of professionals who will soon be entering their hard-earned retirement years.
Interestingly, regardless of decades of skewed public perception, skilled tradesmen (and women — a segment growing larger every year) by a strong majority (87%) indicate that they would not change a thing: they are proud of their work and many have found that they will be able to retire in comfort after years of earning solid pay with little-to-no educational debt. Some of them took advantage of the opportunity to be their own boss and started their own companies; while this path is certainly not the easy road, it has the potential to provide not only lasting income even after retirement, but also a family legacy if they succeed in drawing their children into the fold.
In addition to the optimism that skilled tradespeople express about their fields, young adults can see the benefits, too. Some, most certainly, would have pursued a different path if they had been given the chance in high school. This only supports the idea of encouraging ALL students to experience at least one CTE class in their secondary school career. There is no downside to allowing students to try one or two new things as they choose their electives; the upside could be a thriving career that begins at 18 instead of 21 (or older). But we don’t know what we don’t know, so if students get the chance to learn about a skill set that they have no opportunity in their daily lives to be exposed to, we should LET IT HAPPEN. Even the professed future M.D. might find that the robotics class holds real charm — he or she might even pioneer the next wave in surgical procedures with tech skills in automation. We should let new ideas have room to flourish.
College Prep and CTE: There is Room for Both
In this spirit, allow the kids to sign up for CTE classes. Encourage it. At the very least, have them experience activities like the Be Pro Be Proud Mobile Workshops that can be found here in South Carolina and in five other states currently. These Workshops travel to middle schools and high schools to allow students to experience hands-on and VR simulators featuring in-demand and high-paying skilled professions, such as CDL truck driving and welding; from there, teachers and counselors can remind them about all the cool CTE classes available to them right now and show them how to enroll in one for the next semester. We owe it to this next generation to help them find pride in a good day’s work, to stay out of educational debt, and to close the Skills Gap so that they can experience the same societal prosperity that previous generations have enjoyed.
Article reprinted with permission of Choosing Trades. For more content like this, visit Choosing Trades HERE.
