I just ran across an article on Treehugger about vocational education. Because my son went to a votech school part time in high school {and learned a TREMENDOUS amount}, I thought it was totally worth a post.
The article made several points about how we used to offer woodworking, metal shop, etc. in school and moved away from it as the push toward preparing every child for college became popular. Now, we have kiddos who are missing practical skills that even if they don’t carry with them into a job, they will use them in everyday life. Furthermore, kids that don’t fit the college mold would have the skills to get a job right outside of high school.
I also loved that Treehugger made the point that there a LOTS of kids who would benefit from working a few years before going into mountains of debt for college. It reminds me of a Ted Talk with Sir Ken Robinson , where he suggests that not all humans are designed to go to college right away {or ever, in my opinion}, and the push results in adults that don’t have a skill and don’t complete a college education.
Finally, the article suggested that if we trained kids in technical trades, we might be able to bring manufacturing jobs back the to U.S., stimulating our own economy and reducing the amount of transporting of goods.
While vo-tech never would have been in The Girl’s wheelhouse, I am so glad Monkey Boy had the opportunity to do it. He has a naturally mechanical mind. So, if you can’t tell, I am pro-votech. 🙂 How about you?
~Mavis
Jennifer says
We also need more opportunities to learn a craft (aside from woodworking), such as pottery, leather working, metalsmithing, etc. Many kids, such as my 17yr old son, have a talent for this type of craftsmanship. But, not many opportunities to learn the mastery of it.
My son does not really fit the mold of college. He will be a senior this year, with no idea as to where to go after high school. It’s kind of a scary time.
Brianna says
That article seems right on to me. I choose college right after high school and ended up graduating with a BS and with $80k in student loans, no job skills, no direction towards any jobs, internships, or anything. I felt like college is a business and they don’t care afterwards. My brother worked a few years after high school, went to a Vocational local college, had a welding job in his field they hooked him up with while he worked on his associates in welding. He did much better than me. I have yet to ever get paid for my Bachelors and I have worked for a few companies where those with even a GED become promoted above me. I paid my $80k in student loan debt off by my 30th birthday and that is my greatest accomplishment from college! I would have done it differently and I will let my kids choose and not feel pressured to go to a college. I took a lot of advanced placement classed in high school and graduated in the top of my class and I regret pushing myself so hard academically because I had no clue how to cook, sew, carpentry, weld, auto maintenance or anything that was not an academic class. I wish I would have taken basic carpentry class, a home economics, and an auto maintenance class. I might be book smart, but I lack in the vocational areas significantly and it’s terrible. I married a man who has strentghs in those areas and it compensates for my lack. He is often gone or deployed and I have to rely on others to ‘fix’ things when he is gone. I had to have someone assemble a crib, fix a shelf, change my oil, fix my flat tire, hang curtain rods, etc…..it sucks, but I can tell you all about the bacteria growing on your countertop. Not really useful.
Melissa says
YouTube can be a great teacher! I never thought of myself or my husband as handy, and our degrees and careers are more academic/people skill oriented, but don’t be afraid to try and push yourself – hopefully one positive from college was learning how to learn and to be a lifelong learner-you can do it!
Cheri says
I am from a family that considers college very important, and no relative has been to a trade school to my knowledge. However, it seems like a great idea to me that they make a comeback. My daughter is about to enter college, and through the search and enrollment process we learned that colleges have tripled in inflation since I was in school. That’s tripled! It doesn’t make sense to push college like we used to but instead to encourage kids to look at the option that’s best for them. One former neighbor of mine is about to enter Yamasaki (hope I said that right) motorcycle school. It’s not college, but since when is there shame in learning a trade? Our country was built on trades. Definitely they need a comeback.
Jillian says
Another great thing is the credit hours are much cheaper and they still have classes like english, psych etc. I know many students go to vocational or community college as far as they can then transfer the credit hours to a university. Great way to save some $$$
RaeAnn Stone says
Oklahoma, where I live has a wonderful vocational school system. My son took telecommunication and was inspired to get his degree in Electrical engineering. Even if a student is college bound, learning a trade to help support him/herself during college or to fall back on are important life skills.
Marie says
The Trades have finally realized that they no longer have enough people to rwfill the ranks of plumbers, electricians, construction workers, erc. They have been holding career fairs to entice young people into those career paths again.
Deb says
Skilled tradesmen frequently make way more money than individuals with degrees in liberal arts and “studies” of various kinds. Many young people are being steered into staggering debt to acquire college educations that are not particularly useful in the real world. I know (and agree!) there are legitimate arguments about the value of learning but modern university educations are not anywhere near the classical educations that one used to receive….the sorts of classes offered now tend to discourage exploration and thinking “outside the box” because such ideas might be offensive to someone. Not everyone….in fact, not most people, need or want or will value a college education. Everyone, however, needs additional education or training in order to expand their mind, learn a skill, and participate in a valuable and enjoyable career. We have looked down our noses at people with talent and ability who work with their hands for too long. I vociferously agree with the return of voc-tech education!
Heather says
In the Midwest we still have Ag and vocational classes at the high school level. In addition to these, I would like to see high schools offer training for CNA’s and EMT’s. These types of careers give young adults skills to live where ever they choose, but if it means they stay in my small town, all the better. It takes all kinds to make communities grow and thrive. College used to be for “expanding your horizons” and “giving you a different view”. With all the social media outlets, you have to choose to be detached. Most young adults have friends, real and virtual, to help expand the horizon. I don’t see any reason to pay 30K a year, if you want to be a welder. Don’t send your kid out the door without skills. We all have them, teach them.
pamela sheppard says
where did they go?
Cindy Heil says
I am a vocational teacher in the largest vocational school in PA, and we have fantastic opportunities for students to learn skills and get jobs, many attend college after they have worked in industry after their high school vocational training and decide they are ready to further their education. I do feel as a teacher many high schools do not encourage students to attend vocational training, and in fact tell students they can’t go to college if they attend vocational school for half day, they discourage the students who may want to attend by not allowing them to take higher level high school classes or a foreign language class, and present vocational training as an alternative for kids who they feel they can’t make academically successful in home school, or students with behavior issues. There needs to be a shift in thinking by academic teachers, guidance counselor’s and parents, vocational training is not what it was 25 or 30 years ago, it is based in current industry standards and incorporates technology and practical employability skills all young adults can use in college or employment. I hope to see a surge in support for vocational education as it can benefit many individual students and the country’s economy.
Jodie says
I have 4 boys aged 19-24. Two of them went to a technical school as part of their high school experience. One is a heavy equipment deisel mechanic and he participated in a diesel program. He was able to get training (that was provided to him at no cost) and has a great career at 24. My 22 year old son took an auto painting course and it helped him get a job at an auto body and most recently a job painting airplane parts at a very large airplane manufacturer. Both of them are able to support themselves and have very useful skills, and no college debt. Best of all, they enjoy what they do and that wouldn’t have happened if we forced them to go to college.
Kristina says
I’m enjoying hearing everyone’s take on this. In our rural community, we have a very large FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter, over half of the 750 students at our high school. The kids take agricultural courses to prepare for HS graduation and maybe college, but the program also offers welding, woodworking, mechanics, as well as more agricultural vocational skills like crop science and animal science. FFA is nationwide. We’ve got some FFA kids who go to ivy league schools and the University of California and other universities and community colleges, and some who go on to work in the trades and agriculture, and some who start in the trades and then move on later to university. It’s a good system. It’s funny, in an ag community like ours, you have so many parents and especially grandparents, who want their children to get a degree and have an opportunity for a job that isn’t so physically punishing as farming… Lots of notched ears in my community amongst the middle-aged and older, Mavis!
Leslie says
From Mike Rowe’s 2011 testimony at Congress:
“Right now, American manufacturing is struggling to fill 200,000 vacant positions. There are 450,000 openings in trades, transportation and utilities. The skills gap is real, and it’s getting wider. In Alabama, a third of all skilled tradesmen are over 55. They’re retiring fast, and no one is there to replace them.”
Anonymous says
We knew from the get-go we were not going to pay to send our three kids to a 4 year university. We told them we would support their higher education goals by welcoming them to remain at home while they worked part time to earn their way through our local community college.
Our two oldest received their AA degrees in business and accounting, with fully transferable credits, with no debt. They have always been employed full time while earning their degrees. They have good careers and will always be able to support themselves and their families.
Our youngest had no desire to attend college and looked at several vo-tech taught trades. He took a production job and with his hard work and good work ethic, has moved into management. At 24 years old, with no college education, he has a trade and was sought out by a corporate head hunter and now pulls down a salary greater than his parents with college educations. He will always be able to support his family.
People have to stop associating college degrees with higher intelligence. After all, 50% of college graduates graduated in the bottom half of their class, right?
What really irks me is my in-laws attitude. They seem so much prouder of their other grandchildren with the four year degrees and $100k in school debts, who are working at barely above minimum wage jobs because they have no skills other than test taking.
Lisa MTB says
Agreed. I think this would benefit younger and older generations (working people and retirees may be interested in some of the classes, too).
Linda says
My grandson, 16, mentioned to me rather apologetically that he is interested in HVAC training through the vocational program starting in his junior year. The reason he was apologetic is that I am a retired college professor. However, I think it is a great choice for him because he is good with his hands, and really isn’t interested in formal education. I’d be crazy, after teaching for many years, to think that every person needs or is cut out for a college education. And “not being college material” isn’t an insult any more than saying someone “doesn’t like to garden” would be an insult. You don’t need a college education to fix a car, and having one won’t help you when you need a mechanic. We don’t need a cookie-cutter workforce for a world that is increasingly diverse. What we need is a strong K-12 system that helps parents and children identify where they can best make a contribution by educating them in math, science, reading, language and thinking skills. If they get these skills, in high school they’ll be identify where they want to fit in. Before 9-11 I used to take my college freshmen through the local automotive plant. Some were immediately convinced that college was where they wanted to be, others were intrigued by the mechanization, still others wondered why we were there at all. There is no “one size fits all!”
Shawn says
Excellent, excellent point, Mavis.
I am happy for the push for folks to get their education. That’s the route I went personally. But it’s very unfortunate that the work of the hands hasn’t been pushed as strongly. We devalue it in comparison to college education, and I wonder if that’s one of the main reasons we’re so unhealthy as a nation…since so many of us sit at desks all day long!
And plus, if anyone owns a home, having vocational skills like woodworking really, really comes in handy. I guess it’s why college types like me are sometimes watching vocational types on YouTube to learn about how to take care of my home, you know?
There really is something about the work of the hands that’s very fulfilling. I know you know this well from all of your gardening!
Sarah says
My husband and I have moved into farming. He grew up on a farm and was pushed to attend college. He still works as a computer programmer, but his certificates were earned through continuing education at a local tech school. I have never used my degree. Thankfully we both graduated with no debt due to working through school.
We decided to turn to farming after talking with his father and his stating he planned to retire. There are many programs offered now for young people looking to farm. Many people don’t realize but nearly 75% of all farmers in America are age 60 or older. It’s hard work, but the life we live is so rewarding we don’t mind.
tina says
Love this idea. Not everyone is meant for college. We need other options. I have a kid that wants to go into a trade, not college. I wish there were more opportunities.
Sharon says
So agree with your point, Mavis. My son went to college straight from high school, attended college for five years because he couldn’t settle on a major, racked up 40K in student loans, and left school 1 year shy of graduation. Now hard-working at Home Depot and loves it, Too bad he didn’t do this in reverse …..
AlysonRR says
I like what I know of the English system, where young people can choose to become apprentices when they leave school at 16, while others concentrate on up to three college prep-type classes through age 18.
My son was interested in the regional voc-tech school (computers – animation, graphic design, video gaming), but even though it is only half-time, the schedule for other courses did not allow for him to do advanced English, history, and mathematics classes if he chose the voc-tech program… None of us were sure enough of his ultimate plans after graduating when he was 15, so we didn’t want to cut off options.
CtBargainMom says
Love this article! College isn’t for everyone. Traditional high school isn’t for everyone either. Parents need to,with the help of their teens, make the best choice for their kids education….without worrying so much about what other friends & parents say. Other parents should keep their mouths shut about the choices made.
My hubby is a tech school and state university grad. He’s always had a good job, works hard and he has a really good reputation in his industry.
By the way….private colleges aren’t the only way to succeed either….nothing wrong with community college and state universities – the effort made is what counts too