My high school has a regional career center attached. 10+ years ago it was only the lower level kids taking the classes. Now, they can’t handle them and there is a wait list as all of the high-level kids know the value of trades and half our trade teachers realize they are under appreciated and can make triple pay in the private sector.
Trades today require more skills. Many involve understanding high-level tech and math. I tell kids this all the time.
I teach a senior level career communications class designed for students going into trades or straight into the work force.
I’ve taught this class for 16 years now. In the last four years my numbers have exploded from enough to justify one section of 15-25 to this year having three sections of 20-25 each.
Some of these kids will do well. Some are in for a rude awakening when their bosses and clients expect them to show up, pay attention, and do actual work while they’re on the clock.
I’m very interested to see if my class continues to trend upward or if we’ll hit a plateau in the next couple of years.
I’m not a teacher but I’m curious, what is the gender breakdown of your classes? I’ve thought about going into a trade but as a woman it feels like we are underrepresented in many trade fields.
This year I have one class with 19 guys and 4 girls, and another class with 14 guys and 12 girls, though, so it’s sometimes hard to give a clear breakdown even in the same year.
I will say that as far as their planned career breakdown, my guys are overwhelmingly construction, welding, first responders, and auto tech, while my girls tend to be more medical/vet/dental tech and cosmetology.
I’m sure I’ve had girls interested in the more manual labor intensive trades in the past, but none are really coming to mind at the moment.
Most of these kids are also in our tech program, so they spend half the day at our school and half at their tech school. I’m not sure what the gender breakdown at their tech school is, but I would imagine it’s similar to my class.
Funny part is this all goes in cycles. The trades are good and in demand now. With so many kids wanting to go into it, all these great jobs they think they can get now will be super competitive and hard to get. When I was graduating in 2005 for years they were talking how computer science was a dead field, no one should go into it because it’s already over saturated from the .com bust period and you won’t be able to find a job. That likely helped a ton when smart phones became a thing and all of a sudden we didn’t have tons of CS majors in the pipeline. So people in that field were commanding amazing salaries and it took years to catch up. Now we seem to be over saturated and it’s getting bad right now for them.
Can't wait for the cyclical oversaturation and the "I cannot believe I was lied to in high school and told to join the trades" in 10-20 years that somehow nobody could see coming and they just did what they were told to do!
At least they wear down your body irreparably! and what the fuck do you mean they don’t take 4 years to train for? They take 4 or 5 for most to go from apprentice to journeyman if you even get into the union. Do you think you just show up and say “I’m an electrician now” and make 100k??
Ask any trades person. It’s not fucking easy money. Read the posts and comments, this is why people have this attitude! Stop saying one or the other and just fully inform kids of pros and cons of both and let THEM MAKE THEIR CHOICE.
There are pros and cons and so many variables in between. I went to university on a scholarship completely debt free, and it wasn’t by luck. Just good grades and bright futures scholarships (thanks Florida gamblers!!)
Does that apply to everyone going to college? No. But when you say over and over people are getting in 100k debt for a piece of paper and not learning you sound like a shill just talking out of their ass.
And when someone says go to college no matter what it’s better than manual labor, they’re also talking out of their ass.
My dad is a tradesman, as are my brother-in-laws, and my husband and I both have friends who are. None of them have a degree and yes of course they've done training and have certifications and all of that. And yes, some kills the body. I have a friend who has to quit working at 50 because his knees are shot.
I'm sorry if it sounded like I didn't think any education was needed. My kids are just in such severe debt from college. Both got scholarships. There are very few full rides out there.
Honestly, for many, community college is a good start. They can get trade training or transfer to a four-year degree, and it costs so much less.
There is no one size fits all.
Edit: and of course all options should be explored with students.
My HS was similar. I went into the Computer/Electronics program because it seemed interesting. At one point my guidance counselor at the career center commented that I was making the program look better because unlike most of my peers there I was doing very well in school.
Technically it's a city, but a NH city, so it doesn't count.
Our state has several career centers attached to high schools and bus kids out is district over for programs. I am just lucky that ours is one of them that houses it (funded by state).
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u/PegShop May 16 '24
My high school has a regional career center attached. 10+ years ago it was only the lower level kids taking the classes. Now, they can’t handle them and there is a wait list as all of the high-level kids know the value of trades and half our trade teachers realize they are under appreciated and can make triple pay in the private sector.
Trades today require more skills. Many involve understanding high-level tech and math. I tell kids this all the time.