College versus trade school: Is “versus” the right word?

We see the topic a lot in the news lately. High paying trade jobs are going empty because they don’t have the skilled employees to fill them. This recent article we shared has been flying around Facebook…shared from one person to another: High-Paying Trade Jobs Sit Empty, While High School Grads Line Up For University. This is important stuff on the minds of many – perhaps it’s on your mind too? But for many of us we think of it as either/or…either college OR trade school. Is it really college versus trade school?

Yes, for many years now students have been told that a college degree is the ticket to success. And yes, studies show that over the life of an average college graduate, they will earn more. BUT, we can’t ignore the great high paying/high tech trade jobs out there. More importantly, we have to think of what makes our kids tick – how their strengths, values, preferences, and traits may match up to ALL the future careers out there! (Hello, Guided Self Assessment can help figure that out!)

Every student is ultimately heading toward a career.

Today’s careers are not necessarily on a straight path.Trade careers may include some post secondary education. Some college degrees aren’t tied closely to a particular career. I do know that college-bound students achieve A LOT by spending part of their high school day in career-tech schools, gaining experience & exposure they’d get nowhere else. (Click here for a short blog I wrote about these amazing “super electives.”)

That’s why we have always included career-tech education as part of our message IN ADDITION TO the other, more traditional college-bound educational options out there like AP or IB or College Credit Plus. They each have their place. Your child can blend any/all of these options into what works best for them!

I host free coffee chats for parents of 6th to 10th graders so they can invest the time to learn about the offerings at these career-tech schools. (Click here to RSVP. Seats are limited.)

Students can’t take advantage of what these excellent schools offer without your understanding of the programs. I hope to see you at one of these chats very soon!

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