Ask a High School student if they plan on going to College after graduation and chances are many will say, “Yes”. Ask them why, and youÂ’ll get the same old tired and rehearsed answers. “To learn a skill so I can have a career”, “So I can get a job making lots of money so I donÂ’t have to work hard” or this two, “To party and meet lots of girls (or hot guys)”, “To further my knowledge and help the World be a better place.” For the purposes of this article, we’ll not be talking about students who made the last two statements.
The cold hard facts are that not every High School student is cut out to go to college. Others do not want to go for what every reason. That being the case, why do we as parents go into debt with student loans and force our kids to do something they don’t want to do or that they are not ready to do. Others who do not have parents paying for their college will amass huge piles of student debt on a 4 year degree that Society tells them they must have. For some, it will take them a decade or more to pay these debts off. Others will be ruined financially, many for life, by these debts.
There are many Blue Collar workers in the workplace today who make way more than a person with a 4 year college degree. And whatÂ’s more is that these blue collar workers are generally a lot happier with their career choice than those with the 4 year degree.
How is this possible? Simple. By hook or crook, they obtained the skills to specialize in an industry where workers are paid a premium. Many went to Vocational Schools to learn their trade. Others went to Third Party training schools.
Ask yourself this, how many people do you know with 4 years or more of college that are working in a field that they actually have their degree in? I’m guessing not many. I know about 2 dozen people personally who have 4 years or more of college and only 3 of them are actually working in the fields that they obtained their degree in.
You see, this country has a growing need for specialty trades such as:
- Welders
- Fitters
- Nurses – and most anything in the Medical field
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Auto mechanics
- Machinist
- Machine operators
- electrical engineers
- HVAC Technicians
- and many others
Needs for these skilled tradesmen will only grow in the coming years.
Also, ask yourself when is the last time you heard about your Air Conditioner guy’s job being outsourced overseas? Many of these trades, well almost all, are recession and outsource proof.
It’s not uncommon for people with the above skills to start out making 40 grand in their first year with full benefits. And it keeps getting better as the wages and perks spiral up there. The demand is strong. Here in the Southern U.S. where I live, HVAC companies canÂ’t find enough trained technicians. Some companies have resorted to offering $1000 sign on bonuses and a company vehicle to employees.
Let’s not force our kids into something that is not good for them. I know, most of us want the best for our kids, but forcing them into a 4 year college to get a degree they’ll never use is not the best route for them. They can finish Vocational school normally in 2 years or less and be in the real world doubling their income over what a 4 year graduate will be making.
And what about the High School students who answered “To party and meet lots of girls (or hot guys)”, “To further my knowledge and help the World be a better place” to the question of why they were going to college….they turned out to be the Economist and tenured professors at small insignificant colleges that no one every heard of! They pay the Auto Mechanic who went to Vo-Tech $50 an hour to fix their 25 year old foreign sports car when it breaks down.
The Student-Loan-Guru.Com is a website designed to help people educate their self about paying for college or technical school. Student Loans come in all shapes and sizes and one type of loan is not right for all people. A student loan should help enhance the quality of college life and not trap you into years of indentured servitude! We have helpful resources dealing with finding the right student loan and how to pick student loan consolidation programs.
