As the economy continues to recover, economists are seeing stark differences between people with high school and college degrees. Four-year college graduates are nearly twice as likely to have a job compared to Americans who just graduated high school and stopped there.
But economists say that doesn't mean everybody needs a four-year degree. In fact, millions of good-paying jobs are opening up in the trades. And some pay better than what the average college graduate makes.
Learning A Trade
When 18-year-old Haley Hughes graduated from high school this past summer, she had good grades; she was on the honor roll every year. So she applied to a bunch of four-year colleges and got accepted to every one of them. But she says, "I wasn't excited about it really, I guess."
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
I have two cousins, now in their late 50s, who own a small tool & die company with about ten employees. They have told me for years how difficult it is for them to find machinists (people who make precision parts and precision tools and specialized factory production parts) who are qualified to work for them. Seems that no high schools lean toward providing education or training for kids that could learn these jobs - jobs that consistently pay north of $50,000/year plus benefits.
ReplyDeleteIf the current lack of qualified employees continues, you can bet that the jobs will go to companies in countries where there is interest in such training and employment.
This has always been true. Even in the federal government the onsite electricians and the plumbers are making more than the mathematicians and the accountants.
ReplyDeleteIf the infrastructure fails all else can't function properly very long, if at all.