As the average cost of college in the United States soars, more young people are being drawn to skilled trades. It’s part of a career rethink among members of Gen Z, who have been called the “toolbelt generation.”
As the average cost of college in the United States soars, more young people are being drawn to skilled trades. It’s part of a career rethink among members of Gen Z, who have been called the “toolbelt generation.”
Trade school tuition is already skyrocketing. In my home area hair school is $12,000 and a journeyman’s license will set you back $25,000.
Getting education in a trade is cheaper for now but is quickly catching up to a university degree. Once they hit parity will there be an advantage? I guess AI isn’t coming for plumbers anytime soon.
That’s not “hair school”, that’s for a cosmetology license. Dated a teacher at such a college, very eye opening.
They have to handle dangerous chemicals and know their effects, how different people will react, how to act in emergencies, etc.
Sitting on the couch one night I was trying to explain something, mumbling to myself:
“Uh, damn, what’s the opposite of a exothermic reaction?”
“Endothermic.”
“How did you know that?!”
Pretty crazy what all they have to know.
Oh I wasn’t trying to throw shade by any means, in my state they are the same license. My point is when I was in college, there was a large cosmetology school across town that was like $1500 to complete your license. It was seen as a cheaper alternative to college, with a decent career path. Now that same program is nearly 10x as much, it’s still cheaper than college but not by much.
But complain about college tuition to most boomers and they will tell women hair school is only $100 and candy bars are a nickel.
States should have a “hair cut only” license for like $20 and a few hours of training. No coloring, no chemicals, scissors and hair only. Guess that would be ripe for abuse though.
The other issue is that skilled trade firms don’t want to hire new graduates because they don’t want to train anyone. Plumbing school is one thing, but getting out there and trying to shutoff a toilet that’s spewing shit can’t be taught. The only people making miney in the trades are those who opened their own shop 30 years ago. We need electricians and plumbers and pipe fitters, but no one wants to hire or pay new ones.
I think there are still opportunities for people just finishing, but that’s in areas with strong unions which isn’t much of America unfortunately.
Same with welders they don’t want to hire them straight from school either.
You must be talking about those private trade schools. My son is currently in night school for his master plumbing cert, and it is only 2k a year, with his boss sponsoring him.
I come from a red state that is waging war on all public education, especially higher education. They have slashed budgets and closed many programs including trades. They did a similar thing to the universities after 2008, it is part of what is forcing tuition to skyrocket.