Trade School VS College

YuccaFlatsRanch · #1 03/18/12, 05:25 PM

Which do you think wins??

Trade-school grads in hot demand for manufacturing jobs - Mar. 14, 2012

Darren · #2 03/18/12, 05:30 PM

A trade school education that leads to a job as a electrician or other craftsman will enable to person to always get a job if they're willing to travel. A lot of professional jobs that need college degrees can be outsourced to another country via the internet.

topside1 · #3 03/18/12, 05:34 PM

Hi I'm 53 and a full-time student for over two years at a large university. From what I've seen more than half the students are wasting time by believing that a B-degree will find them high paying employment. Boy are they confused and so are their parents. I'm in the trenches, witnessing the battlefield and would repeatedly recommend a trade school path for most individuals. If you decide to go to college you better pick a school of study that's in clear demand....Topside

TenBusyBees · #4 03/18/12, 06:08 PM

I think both have their place. Especially if one is following his/her talents and heart and not the necessarily the $$$.

Some of my children are very much "college material." A few of my sons are are not. One of my sons has every intention of going to farrier school as soon as he turns 16. I can see another one of my sons becoming a mechanic or even drive otr. My oldest very much wants to attend the Coast Guard Academy. Another plans to attend the local university and degree in forestry. It's just how they are "wired."

When I was a soon to be hs graduate the big push was for computers... gotta get a degree in programming, that's the wave of the future. Now those jobs are a dime a dozen.

When my sis was graduating the medical more specifically nursing was the big push. She is an RN. Her hours are terrible, she's on her feet the whole time, money is tight because lack of weekly hours, and essentially she hates her job. She feels stuck because she has vested so much time though.

We were expected to go to college after graduation. Period. College wasn't for me and had a lot of resentment being there. I absolutely do not use my degree. It in no way benefits that path I've chosen. We aren't pushing college but we aren't discouraging a higher education either. Our hopes is whatever path our children choose they are happy with it and find some type of fullfillment.

I think the big push for trade schools is like any other job field push. It's needed now. The carrot of big bucks is waved in front of people. The job force then becomes saturated.

Callieslamb · #5 03/18/12, 07:44 PM

what is the person's skill area/level? What do they want to do? Those answers will answer your questions. We need skilled trades people and we need college educated people.

plowjockey · #6 03/18/12, 08:15 PM

CNC machining is a very hot career area, around here.

Cabin Boy · #7 03/18/12, 08:41 PM

I agree with TenBusyBees - each have their place. But what has been irrefutable for the past several decades is that the more education you get - whether it's trade school or college - the more money you'll make. Yes, there are cases of high school drop outs making millions and folks with PHDs who are broke - but you only hear about them because they are the exceptions.

I kinda see it from both ends of the spectrum. I started in college but got too busy working and raising a family to finish. I finally got my BA degree when I was 35 and then wound up finishing a Masters degree right before I turned 40. Now this is not always the case, but I would not have gotten my current job, which I've been doing for the past five years, without having my MBA. So again, it depends on the industry, company, job etc...

But education of some sort is very important. I would say we are currently in a swing towards vocational education, so I would probably lean a bit more toward trade school now - that may change in a few years- but whatever the route, a good education will only make you more marketable.

pancho · #8 03/18/12, 10:45 PM

I have a college degree and went through two trade schools.
Either one will be alright. You just have to make a wise decision about what you want to go to school for. If you are going to invest the time and money for either the job you plan on getting should be worth the effort.
The problem I had was I never really decided on what I wanted to be. I tried many different jobs. If you are lucky enough to know what you want to be you are already ahead of many people.
Now I am retired and never really found out what I wanted to be.
I think retirement may be it.

LFRJ · #9 03/19/12, 02:20 AM

If undecided about the direction of your college studies, go to a trade school (a good one). Select a trade you'll like and that has some future. It (may) always be something to fall back on. No guarantees though these days, but it beats having no trade at all. College will always be waiting for you. You can sign up when you're ready, and if you're fresh out of H.S, waiting a bit might be a good idea.

If you absolutely know what you wish to study in college, go for it, but augment your studies with practicums, internships, volunteer work in your field, etc, etc. It's going to be competitive out there when you finish, no matter what you study.

Gone are the days when you could be a professional student.

HermitJohn · #10 03/19/12, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pancho

Now I am retired and never really found out what I wanted to be.
I think retirement may be it.

You got that right. I like to putter without worrying if its useful or economically productive. Just has to be interesting.

Racing the rodents to fetch little green pieces of paper seemed to be one of the most life wasting endeavors ever devised.

hiddensprings · #11 03/19/12, 09:45 AM

I agree with Topside. College students and their parents have very high expectations for what a college degree will do for them. There are thousands of kids that graduated in the last several years with degrees in Business Administration that are not finding jobs that cover their student loan debt. Colleges and Universities are BIG BUSINESS. They do an excellent job selling their degrees but give little info on what a 4-year degree really does for a 20-ish kid with a college degree. A 4 year college degree have become what a high diploma used to be. It doesn't set anyone apart from the crowd anymore.
I think trade schools are a great option. So is the military. Not everyone needs to go to college to be successful.

HermitJohn · #12 03/19/12, 10:00 AM

We are well on our way to a big "education loan" bubble. These are forever, you cant get rid of them in bankruptcy. So what happens when lot kids with 100k+ loans cant make payments cause they cant get jobs that allow a life plus making big payments on school loan?

And the military is way over hyped as way to get training for a job. Vets coming back into civilian world are finding employers dont want them. First not the kind training the employer wants, plus employer usually is not a vet so kinda afraid the vets had their brains jiggled too much from all the bombs and will go postal. Risking your life to go fight in a stupid war just on promise of free education and civilian job opportunities isnt most sound reasoning anymore than paying a fortune for college degree.

Community college and trade schools, who knows, suppose depends on the cost. Going deep into debt for any education seems pretty stupid to me. If you can do a pay as you go with no debt, then probably ok, requires lot debt, then its no go far as I am concerned. Loans that are bankruptcy proof should give anybody out there some consternation before accepting them. DEBT IS A BIG GAMBLE! Especially forever debt.

Belfrybat · #13 03/19/12, 10:00 AM

Either is a good choice. My beef is there are scholarships for university study but none for trade school, which appears to make trade school a step child. If I had megabucks, I'd set up scholarships for HS graduates to go to trade school. Many of their courses are a year and at that point a person is ready for the workforce vs. 4-6 years for university. Obviously there are no guarantees for either, but at least a person has more opportunities for earning a decent wage in less time with trade school.

wes917 · #14 03/19/12, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hiddensprings

I agree with Topside. College students and their parents have very high expectations for what a college degree will do for them. There are thousands of kids that graduated in the last several years with degrees in Business Administration that are not finding jobs that cover their student loan debt. Colleges and Universities are BIG BUSINESS. They do an excellent job selling their degrees but give little info on what a 4-year degree really does for a 20-ish kid with a college degree. A 4 year college degree have become what a high diploma used to be. It doesn't set anyone apart from the crowd anymore.
I think trade schools are a great option. So is the military. Not everyone needs to go to college to be successful.

This me. I got a business degree at the worst time possible in 2009. Fortunately for me I was a certified welder working as a Boilermaker when I was in b school and still have that position today. I looked everywhere for a job to no avail and would be way better off without that school loan hanging over my head seeing that I have the same position as I did without it. I could however enter management at my current company if I was willing to move to a different location, but I would have no say where I would end up and I don't like the idea of not having a choice or a clue where I would end up. Its not fair to my family.

bajiay · #15 03/19/12, 10:19 AM

I am in school right now and I have already racked up a hefty price tag. I did go to a trade school several years ago, and I think they are a good thing. I had a great experience there. I am just continuing to build upon what I have already learned. I still have a year and a half to go, but hoping that I can start working in the next few months to start paying down the student loans. I know it will take awhile to do, but the things that I have learned, and the experiences that I have had while being in school, are all well worth that price tag.

Ozarks Tom · #16 03/19/12, 10:22 AM

The push for everyone to have a college degree, and the accompanying disdain for "getting dirty", has diminished the pool of competent trades people greatly over the past decades.

In days past, a job that entailed manual effort wasn't thought of as menial, but good honest work. I believe a good deal of work ethic disappeared with it.

My advice to young people, not necessarily stellar academics, is to learn a trade that doesn't require using their body as one of their tools (every see an old carpet layer?).

Anecdotally, a good example of someone who shouldn't be in a trade is my stepson, who I had to regularly remind which way to twist on a bolt to tighten/loosen it. He's now an anethesiologist MD. I just hope he doesn't have to adjust too many valves on the equipment!

machinistmike · #17 03/19/12, 10:26 AM

college vs. trade school is only a question you can answer. Do you like to make things, use your hands to physically build things? Trade school is probably a better path. If you don't like physical labor then college is probably a better path. I have friends that are up to their eyeballs in college debt with a piece of paper that is only good for wiping their rearends and they can't find a job in their field of study. I have been lucky enough to, not only have a job during this economic downtime but steadily earn more money each year. The best part is that I have paid for my tech school education 2 yrs after graduating. Best thing you could do is something you enjoy because you'll be working for the next 20-30 yrs unless you figure out how to grow a money tree. If you do figure out that money tree I am interested in starting up a tree farm.

Hagler's Farm · #18 03/19/12, 10:32 AM

To be honest I lean heavily towards the trade school and real life expirence route. I work in an industry that HIGHLY promotes a batchlors degree, but it's not required to actually get a job, I'm a Commercial Pilot. While there have been some positiones that I've been exluded from due to not having a 4 year degree, I still have a good secure good paying job. I obtained my training and expirence locally and in the real world. What I have found though is that many of my co-pilots coming out of big universities may have the book smarts, but lack the ability to translate that into real world activity, basically they lack comon sence in my opinion. To top it off as stated above they come out with a piece of paper at the end, the bill, which is as stated above in the $100K+ range. When you start out only making $20-30K/ yr that's pretty tough to swallow. My training was less than a quarter of that. Plus on top of my training the time I would have spent in college was actually spent working in my industry from the ground up gaining real word expirence and knowlege.

The other part to this is that it seems everybody is aiming to be chiefs right off the get go and we're not making enough indians. They're all coming out of college expecting things to be handed to them on a silver platter. The reality is that we need more hands on people, more doer's, you can't have a sustainable economy if you don't actually MAKE anything, provide something of substance.

Now on other hand there are careers that actually do require a degree, and obviously there's no getting around that if your going to be say a doctor, engineer, chemist or such. If that's what you really want to do, go for it.

It seems to me though that for many college has become more of an exirence rather than something to gain expirence and too me that just too much money to spend for alittle "culture".

Seeria · #19 03/19/12, 10:38 AM

Frankly, if I were able to do it all again I'd take learn a few trade skills and get some real life experience in them all. Specialty and grunt work are always in demand. Middle management, business degrees, what not--not so much. Besides, I'm STILL paying off years of college and do work that has NOTHING to do with the degrees. Save money, time, learn a valuable skill good in all economies. Also makes you more in demand when SHTF for America.

big rockpile · #20 03/19/12, 11:02 AM

Funny I went to a Trade School that they are now calling a College.

I will still say Trade School.

big rockpile