Trade schools just as good an option as college

The days of having a college diploma guarantee a good job have long been over. More and more, college graduates are not only seeing employers shrug their shoulders at diplomas, but also the job opportunities that are available to them often don’t pay enough to cover their student loan debt.

President Joe Biden, well aware of the college debt burden to graduates, promised in his presidential campaign to forgive $10,000 of student loan debt per borrower, but as of this writing, that has not happened.

While there currently is a pause on federal student loan repayments, that ends Aug. 31. It is not known if Biden will be able to fulfill his hopeful campaign promise.

For years, graduating college was considered the best, most respectable route to a good career. However, the burden of student loan debt is something that should be considered by every potential college student, along with the realization that many of the most secure, best-paying jobs are available for applicants who went to trade or vocational school instead of college graduates.

Additionally, along with good jobs with good benefits, often including a pension, which is a foreign concept to many college graduates, the jobs that require trade or vocational school are good for the country.

One of the things highlighted by the current state of world affairs is America’s reliance on others for things that we used to take care of on our own, such as manufacturing and infrastructure. These sectors, along with transportation, are expected to grow in coming years, and many of those jobs do not require a college degree. Instead, they require trade or vocational school.

The problem for too long has been the stigma about choosing trade school over college. For decades, a fouryear college degree has been looked at as the true path to success, but we are now seeing that college is not the best or most practical option for many.

Trade school programs usually offer certifications that take two years or less to complete — at a fraction of the cost of a traditional college. The Simple Dollar reported that the average trade school costs $33,000, compared with $127,000 for the typical bachelor’s degree. Additionally, if one tries trade school and then wants to attend college, academic credits from an accredited trade school often transfer, allowing that student to bypass some college classes and thus reducing the cost.

Trade schools typically offer classes in things such as carpentry, masonry, electrical work and construction management, as well as cosmetology; heating, ventilating and air conditioning; and computer-aided drafting and manufacturing. Vocational schools often offer niche training in things such as emergency services, culinary arts and medical or dental fields. All of these jobs are respectable and secure, and many pay more than a job one would get after college.

High school students seem to be realizing the value of trade schools, as evidenced by the increased enrollment at trade schools over the last few years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. It is now time for high schools to present trade schools as a respectable option.