From guitarmaking to fitness, the new face of trade schools

The Arizona Republic ^ | Oct. 23, 2003 | Lindsey Collom

[decimon]

Trade schools once meant auto mechanic institutes and beauty schools.

But specialty schools are opening at a record pace, fueled by dual forces of a lagging economy and demands for more technically savvy workers.

In Arizona, more than 170,000 students enrolled in career-training programs last year, studying everything from guitarmaking to personal training to computer repair. That's a 58 percent increase from the previous year, and schools across the board are seeing influxes.

[decimon]

Via JoanneJacobs.com

Apollo College is not regionally accredited.

An increase in trade school enrollment sounds to me a good trend.

[Huck]

I wonder how much luthiers/guitar repairmen can actually make. I love the guitar, but I doubt that job pays much. Be cool to go to Tennessee and work for Gibson.

[anniegetyourgun]

Corinthian, Apollo, EVCI....wouldn't want to attend one, but sure wish I had invested.

[dasboot]

About 150 private post-secondary institutions are training a third of Arizona's workforce

How long before the gubmint tries to kill this free-market flower?

[decimon]

Corinthian, Apollo, EVCI....wouldn't want to attend one, but sure wish I had invested.

If my need were for a job and hadn't $50,000 or so in addition to several years then trade school would look pretty good.

IMO, higher education has become not only a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. but something of a racket. It's mostly about learning a trade so why not trade schools?

[Who dat?]

I love the guitar, but I doubt that job pays much.

I read somewhere once that Eddie Van Halen supposedly made his own guitars – at least early on.

That paid a bundle.

But I suppose he “graduated” from the guitar making end of things…

[decimon]

About 150 private post-secondary institutions are training a third of Arizona's workforce

How long before the gubmint tries to kill this free-market flower?

C'mon man, we're not socialists here, we're...uhhh, fascists. We'll find a way to control 'em and fund 'em. :-)

[Lloyd227]

"I wonder how much luthiers/guitar repairmen can actually make"

Like any other craft, it depends how good you really are and how much of your heart you put into it. One of my contractors is a high end guitar freak and he keeps telling me about the guy that built two of his guitars. Look up Kim Walker on the web. The guy charges anywhere from $3000 to $30,000 PER GUITAR and he has a waiting list of over 5 years of work.

[longtermmemmory]

trade schools are the wave of the future. Univesities (with feminist studies, anti-american history, hate whitey social programs, two tier grade paths, affirmative action racism) are producing a product which is pushing them out of relevance. Soon universities will be relevant only graduates with good grades who need self validation by supporting those same intellectual black holes.

[perfect stranger]

I think that luthiers(read "acoustic"), guitar makers/repairmen would need much more knowledge of woodworking and acoustics than someone producing an electric guitar. I am not trying to knock the makers of electrics by saying that, they have specialized knowledge as well.

There are some that have made a name for themselves in both trades(for electrics see vintique.com I think he's one of the best).

Me personally, I wouldn't want to be around them all day. What the heck would I do to unwind after a long day of stringing up about 200 Fender Jazz basses?
....I know I wouldn't want to play one.

Now let's talk about how annoying it would be to work for DOD and test flanger pedals from 9-5. :)

[Rebelbase]

A guy in my town had a successful business repairing high end guitars as well as mandolins and fiddles. Made enough to put his kid through college and buy a beach house in Charleston, where he has since relocated his business.

[RippleFire]

bump

[decimon]

Univesities (with feminist studies, anti-american history, hate whitey social programs, two tier grade paths, affirmative action racism) are producing a product which is pushing them out of relevance. Soon universities will be relevant only graduates with good grades who need self validation by supporting those same intellectual black holes.

Distance learning and "testing out" are two possibilities for those wishing an undergraduate degree without the problems you mention. Excelsior College, Charter Oak State College and Thomas Edison State College are three accredited schools that allow you to complete a bachelor's degree through testing.

[anniegetyourgun]

I have no problem with trade schools and I'm glad to see the competition in the field of education. My comments were personal. (And I still wish I had invested in many of these enterprises - many of which are now at their 52-week highs!) I personally wouldn't attend one, because I'm not interested in pursuing trades professions. I also believe (even as bad/liberal as the traditional higher education institutions have become over the last 30 years) that completion of such a degree is still an indication of a certain stick-to-it-and-see-it-through mentality. At this point, business is glad to have the skilled trades people in skilled trades jobs, but will generally look to people with 4-year or advanced collegiate degrees when it comes to corporate leadership.

Having said that, I hope that tech/trade schools will spawn a number of self-employed folk. Their lack of a collegiate degree(s) is no longer a factor when they plan to be their own boss.

[decimon]

I have no problem with trade schools and I'm glad to see the competition in the field of education. My comments were personal. (And I still wish I had invested in many of these enterprises - many of which are now at their 52-week highs!) I personally wouldn't attend one, because I'm not interested in pursuing trades professions. I also believe (even as bad/liberal as the traditional higher education institutions have become over the last 30 years) that completion of such a degree is still an indication of a certain stick-to-it-and-see-it-through mentality. At this point, business is glad to have the skilled trades people in skilled trades jobs, but will generally look to people with 4-year or advanced collegiate degrees when it comes to corporate leadership.

I wouldn't argue with anything you've written but have a different take on things. Obtaining a college degree is an expensive and time consuming affair without any guarantee of a financial payback. For many, the trade school route is a reasonable one for worthwhile employment and can be the first step in an educational bootstrapping in preparation for an uncertain future.

I believe the fact of longer lifespans is changing the rules. Planning for a single career leading to retirement becomes less viable as we look to longer work lives as part of our longer lives. There may now be more phases to life and they can't all require expensive and time consuming preparation.

[VxH]

"We've all been brought up on television to believe that we would become millionaires and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly realizing that fact. And we're very pissed off."

LOL.

[Huck]

Is that why you are angry? You want to be a rock star?

[VxH]

It's a quote from "Fight Club" - have you seen it?

[Huck]

I saw it once quite a while back. Strange movie. I didn't really get it until someone splained it to me, then I got it.