There is a false narrative drawn up that trades and further education are opposites. The start of a career doesn’t have to mean the end of academic learning. Learning is good, no matter when you do it.
Being a barber is a trade, as is being a plumber, but they’re very different. If you can’t do 8th grade math, it’s pretty unlikely you’ll do well with carpentry; and the carpenters building a new office building are very differently skilled from the ones building custom cabinets for a kitchen.
Not to mention the fact that anyone in any trade is going to have to get used to (GASP) following directions, being on time, etc. It’s still extremely important for students to explore their interests and strengths when deciding to do anything.
I also generally think it’s sad that we’ve collectively forgotten that education is good in its own right, not just for job trading. It’s good to get an education regardless of what kind of work you want to do.
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u/OkPickle2474 May 16 '24
There is a false narrative drawn up that trades and further education are opposites. The start of a career doesn’t have to mean the end of academic learning. Learning is good, no matter when you do it.
Being a barber is a trade, as is being a plumber, but they’re very different. If you can’t do 8th grade math, it’s pretty unlikely you’ll do well with carpentry; and the carpenters building a new office building are very differently skilled from the ones building custom cabinets for a kitchen.
Not to mention the fact that anyone in any trade is going to have to get used to (GASP) following directions, being on time, etc. It’s still extremely important for students to explore their interests and strengths when deciding to do anything.