The Truth About Trade School
How Trade Schools Have Become A Boosted Alternative to Four-Years
As seniors prepare to accept their diplomas and move onto the next chapter of their lives, seeking higher levels of education through college becomes an increasingly daunting task. Increased tuition costs, competitiveness, and an immediate need for jobs has made the task of four-year college plans less appealing. In the 2019-2020 school year, the average tuition and fees cost for public four-years was about $9,400, about 13% higher than what it was during the 2010-2011 school year.
Along with cost, competitiveness has risen with an 150% increase in four-year college applicants over the span of the past two decades. Additionally, low employment rates have made four-years less appealing. As a result of the rickety nature of four-years, alternative lifestyles to the traditional four-year college pathway have resurged in popularity. Two-year colleges and trade schools have become more common in the face of the daunting four-year college. Two-years can offer a quicker graduation timeline, lower tuition costs, and more flexibility for completing a degree.
These stark contrasts to the previously mentioned blockades of four-years provide more peaked interest among applying students. But what do two-year degrees offer in comparison to four-year degrees? When getting an associates degree, students go in to specialize in a trade that ranges from dental hygienists to air traffic controllers to cosmetologists. Immediately after enrolling into college, students embark on their journey to certification through lecture and a lot of hands-on work.
Trade students can usually expect to finish in one to two years, depending on their area of expertise, and are in high demand as a result of the 2008 recession and a general lack in certain professionals. Professionals like HVAC professionals, carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, and electricians are in demand. Though salaries do tend to be lower on average, in the face of shifting four-year efficiency, two-year colleges have become a viable alternative to the traditional four-year route.
Though some trades are in higher demand than others, employment is needed across most if not all areas of expertise. It’s just a matter of choosing the right fit.
