Why Gen Z Is Now Embracing Trades and Vocational Learning Over A College Education

The Average Joe ^ | 06/25/2024 | Noah Weidner

[SeekAndFind]

Remember when everyone would tell you once you had a degree, you’d be set for life? Turns out, they meant you’d be set for a lifetime of disappointment instead. Back in 2009, over 70% of recent high school grads attended college. Today, enrollment is down over 15% from its peak, with more students opting for trade jobs over office gigs. Not even cringey TikToks from the Big Four accounting firms can convince them otherwise…

Career detour: In a recent survey, over half of Americans said they believe a college degree isn’t worth it. Many young people are taking their high school diplomas straight into the workforce, embracing on-the-job training and trade work. These options offer disillusioned new grads an alternative to a costly college degree — one that pays now, not later.

• According to WSJ’s Te-Ping Chen, a shortage of skilled laborers has pushed up wages — with some industries like construction now paying new hires more than professional services workers.
• The trades, once seen as “dirty” or “low-end work,”, have gained new appeal thanks to technology.

Jack of All Trades

Today, more than half of workers aged 25-34 do not have a four-year degree — a trend expected to continue if new grads keep choosing alternative education. However, based on historical data, college earners make over double what their non-degree-holding colleagues make. So why is Gen Z choosing a new path?

• Layoffs at large employers and a weaker hiring market for white-collar workers have forced young people to reconsider the job stability and opportunities available to graduates.
• A new study shows that 52% of new graduates end up underemployed one year after graduation — while about a third of US companies have dropped degree requirements.

Pay up, or get paid: After four years and tens of thousands in tuition, APLU finds that you could make a median starting salary of $60K — or spare the time and expense with a trade gig. According to Indeed, high-paying trade jobs include dental hygienist ($99K/yr), construction manager ($88K/yr), and aircraft mechanic ($82K/yr). Moreover, President Biden says there are thousands more high-paying jobs that don’t require a degree, suggesting that you could end up wealthier and wiser without the cap and gown.

[ansel12]

If you are too independent and free to survive in the office world of whatever type and their cancel culture, then go into a trade, and assuming you are a go getter who wants money and has a natural draw to running things and taking challenges, then start your own trade company.

[Robert357]

It is important for young people to find “careers.” There are lots of college degrees that can lead to a career. There are also lots of trade schools, apprenticeships, and self education that can lead to a career.

It is also important to understand that many college degrees, some trade schools, and learning will not lead to a viable degree.

[Reno89519]

Either education route is good and should be to maximize the ability and interest of the kid. I always hate seeing people diss one route or another, especially those discouraging people from going to college.

Consider the result of American kids not going to college, all those jobs and industries will be staffed instead by H1B and foreign kids taught that the way to advance is by getting a good education.

Personally, I'm the only one of 18 full, half, and step siblings in my family to get a college degree. My single most important goal is to see that 100% of my kids go to and graduate from college.

[MinorityRepublican]

Young men are abandoning the University system and they’re not joining the military either. So that leaves the trades for them. The only place where they can still act like “men”.

[Angelino97]

More young straight white men are entering the trades. They've realized that government and corporations don't want straight white men.

Young women are still entering college in record numbers.

[vpintheak]

Fantastic! Get out there and earn it!

[jimtorr]

I got an Air Force job and security clearance. I parlayed that into a job with a defense contractor and over a 30 year career made far more than my sister the RN.

Now I have a pension and she does not.

The majority of my generation of my extended family ended up in medical careers, with the major exceptions of myself, my cousin the State Department weinie (the exception in the dept, very conservative) and my cousin the postal worker.

Yes, we are all boomers.

[jimtorr]

I meant to add that I stayed with one company my entire civilian career. That is important for the pension route or the 401nk, for those who can stand to stick it out.

[Lean-Right]

The key to a long and
productive career is to
find something that
peaks your intrests,
and keeps your drive
alive. If you love what
you do, it’s no longer
a job. It becomes a
passion.
46 years as a mechanical
designer (non-degreed)
earned me a top secret
security clearance and a
job that paid $155,000/yr.
But one must have the
passion and drive to get
there, and to strive to
be one of the best there is.

[Cowgirl of Justice]

Years ago, in Charlotte, I was at a hair salon and was talking to my stylist. She actually took cosmetology courses at her high school in her senior year!!! Nine months of classes- which saved her thousands of dollars in tuition at a cosmetology school and she was able to get employment immediately. She said that landscaping courses and architecture courses were also offered.

High schoolers would be able to walk off the stage at graduation and directly into employment. Can you even imagine teenagers and young adults in the prime of their lives starting life without the burden of useless college courses and hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt???

4+ years of tuition, housing and a loss of your youth is too big of a price to pay for people who would be better suited and happier in a trade instead of a desk job. So many college students NEVER are able to use the worthless degrees that give them nothing but a millstone around their necks. Millstones that FOREVER destroy their credit and prevent them from purchasing a car, a home and other luxuries. Many are prevented from getting a good job, apartment and have the fear of creditors catching up to them.

I would rather my taxes pay for this than the crap they are pushing on children now.

[equaviator]

If you enjoy the work you do but hate the business you’re in then you might want to have a Plan B.

[maddog55]

I wonder if those now attending trades and vocational trading means they’ll actually have to do manual labor when they graduate... I’m sure I pissed a few off when I said manual labor.. is it non gender specific labor now?

[CodeToad]

“I meant to add that I stayed with one company my entire civilian career.”

Luck, and weasel politics. Most companies ditch long term employees.

[ro_dreaming]

Moreover, President Biden says there are thousands more high-paying jobs that don’t require a degree, suggesting that you could end up wealthier and wiser without the cap and gown.


Now, we ALL know that if lyin' Biden says it's, it's TRUE!

[Vermont Lt]

Someone who is focused, driven, and intelligent can succeed at whatever they set their minds to.

For too many years the “get your ticket and companies will just hand you $100k” mindset has run education. I am stunned at the number of young folks who think they “deserve” a good income just because they went to some mediocre college.

There is no substitute for hard work and trying to add value to whatever company you work for. That will supersede “education and training” every day of the week.

[Lizavetta]

Cutting out shop class (wood, auto, welding), vocational training, etc. sealed the fate of so many who had neither the means nor the capability (for whatever reason) to go to college. Voc classes were a way to learn a skill with which they could support themselves.

But no, the college industrial complex took care of that. Principals removed classes that didn't contribute to "high test scores". I could cry when I think about how many young men (mostly) have been cut off from being able make a living because of this utterly stupid decision.