“Students I have taught now make upwards of 190k a year with overtime(that is a lot of overtime mind you), the average is easily over 100k and the best part, no college debt!”
Their trade skills can also lead to even higher income. I know a carpenter who in his 20s saved his money, bought houses, fixed them up at night after work by himself, and flipped them. Once he assembled enough capital from his own sweat and labor, he started his own construction company. Today, in his 40’s he is a multimillionaire property developer. No college degree. Strong marriage and wife keeps the books for the business.
A neighbor, non-college grad, started at 18 as an apprentice welder. In his 20’s he started a welding company that today works on projects from schools to high rises as well as industrial jobs. He also has another business customizing vehicles for commercial applications. Another self made multimillionaire who has no degree but comes across as more well spoken and educated than most woke graduates of prestige universities.
A third acquaintance started in HVAC. Saved his money, went out on his own and has built a large commercial and residential HVAC business with over 50 technicians in trucks. He told me he would hire another 25 people today if he could find workers with skills. He said the evolution of the state’s 2 year college system from focusing on technical training to liberal arts was criminal.
One of our area 2 year state schools had an outstanding woodworking and cabinet making program. Every graduate was immediately employed upon graduation and most ultimately ran their own independent businesses doing finish carpentry, cabinet work or custom furniture. A new president of the college over a decade ago ended the program to shift funding to expand the liberal arts program. The rationale was the area furniture industry was in decline (moving offshore) so in the future there would be no demand for the graduates of the woodworking program. The ignorance of this “educator” is demonstrated by the fact none of the graduates of the program at the time were going to work in furniture factories, they were going into higher skilled jobs for which there is still huge demand today.
Professional educators have destroyed primary, secondary, and higher education over the past 60 years. They also destroyed technical and skilled trades training. The nation suffers greatly as a result.
And every year thousands of new graduates with a Jill degree,
(”doctorate”, ED.U) become administrators at colleges both two and four year as well as state universities.
It’s not just that, it’s lawyers.
Shop class is dangerous.
Table saws, band saws, joiners, routers all have exposed blades.
If you are not careful you can cut your finger off.
Hence the fact that all woodworking shops have the hot dog saw.
The liability is what kills a lot of these programs.
FYI, I have been a wood worker since freshman high school.
I turn 60 this year.
In high school a stoned classmate sawed through half of his finger on the band saw.
I have built countless numbers of furniture, designed and built my first house.
Repaired two existing houses since then.
I most recently built a pavilion on my current house to shade a patio for a hot tub.
Wood shop led to my 38 year career as a lumber broker.
When I retire I am sure I could make a living just from jobs off of my local Facebook town pages