The new American Dream has parents rethinking college for kids: 35% are now open to trade school

Some parents are so concerned about today’s job market that they are exploring alternatives to a four-year degree, with one in three parents receptive to the idea of ​​their children attending a trade school instead, according to the results of a new survey by American Student Aid (ASA), which polled more than 2,200 parents of middle and high school students about their attitudes, perceptions and decision-making regarding their children’s post-high school plans.

The fact that 35% of parents believe vocational and technical education is the best fit for their children represents a big jump – from just 13% in 2019, according to the ASA. While parents still prefer traditional college for their children, it is much less so than in the past. The percentage of parents who prefer this decreased to 58%, a decrease of 16 percentage points from 2019.

And another study from the ASA this summer shows that it goes both ways: 70% of teens also reported that their parents are more supportive of forgoing a college education for something different, like trade school or an apprenticeship.

“Parents are waking up. College isn’t the same [return on investment] “It’s happened before, because the cost is high, and the outcome is uncertain,” Trevor Houston, a career strategist at ClearPath Wealth Strategies, previously said. luck. “Students now face the largest amount of debt ever recorded, but job security after graduation is truly non-existent.”

The average cost of college in the United States is more than $38,000 (including tuition, fees, room and board) per student per year, according to the Education Data Initiative, and the average cost of college has doubled in this century. Private schools always cost more than average. Meanwhile, more than 4 million Gen Zers are unemployed and blame their “worthless” college degrees.

Why is trade school becoming more popular?

One of the main reasons why trade school is a more popular choice for students is the strong potential return on investment, especially as college becomes more expensive and there are fewer traditional entry-level jobs available. Many can command six-figure salaries for recent high school graduates.

According to the National Association of High School Scholars, some trade jobs that don’t require a college degree and pay six figures include…

• Aircraft Mechanics ($135,628)
• Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ($132,275)
• Construction managers ($130,000)
• Industrial electricians ($122,500)
• Energy Technicians ($115,076)

Moreover, the need for these workers will continue to grow, especially as older generations working in the trades begin to retire, Julie Lammers, president and CEO of Student Aid of America, previously said luck.

“The aging trade workforce, increased demand for infrastructure needs, growing demand for real estate, and changes in U.S. energy production mean there are far more opportunities for skilled workers to fill the need,” she said.

Aside from trade school, students can also pursue apprenticeships, apprenticeship programs, boot camps, industry certifications, and professional licenses. Many of these things are just pennies in exchange for a college degree. A coding bootcamp can cost up to $7,000, and that’s just a one-time fee compared to nearly $40,000 for one year of college.

These career paths are made possible by trade schools, apprenticeships, boot camps, and other training and certification programs, which IBM calls “new collar jobs.” In October 2017, IBM launched its apprenticeship program to train people for new-collar jobs that prioritize skills over degrees and focus on in-demand job functions such as cybersecurity, design, data science, mobile development, cloud, artificial intelligence, and blockchain — all career paths that can also lead to six-figure salaries.

The Trump administration also this week announced the Tech Force program, which does not require a college degree or work experience for technology professionals who want to work for two years in federal agencies. If you are accepted into the program, you can earn around $150,000 to $200,000, given the demand for technology professionals in today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape.

“This is a clarion call,” Scott Kubor, director of the US Office of Personnel Management, said in a statement. “If you want to help your country lead in an era of rapid technological advancement, we need you.”