For years there was a massive push for young people to go to college and earn a four-year degree. While choosing a path that requires a college degree is a remarkable accomplishment, one thing that happened was a dramatic drop in young people being trained in the technical trades.
Technical and trade positions are now in high demand because there is a serious workforce shortage. Additionally, these are well paying jobs with solid benefits. The average salary for an HVAC technician is over $48,000.
In addition to being a well-paying job, it is a growing field. It is predicted that the demand for HVAC technicians will grow another twenty-two percent by the year 2022. This isn’t the only field with a growing demand.
It is predicted that the demand for bakers will increase seven percent by the year 2024. There is also a growing demand for chefs, pharmacy technicians, medical assistants, and medical billing specialists. The common theme is that all of these professions require certification and training, but not a college degree.
Another advantage is that most vocational and technical positions are available anywhere. Yo don’t have to live in or near a big city to be able to find a job. Plumbers, HVAC Technicians, mechanics, hair stylists, medical assistants are needed everywhere in the country.
Technical schools or a vocational school offer most of the certifications needed to enter these professions. There are specialized schools too. For example, you may go to a culinary school or a school for baking and pastry. These specialized technical schools eliminate the fluff and general education requirements allowing you to focus solely on your future profession.
Because they eliminate the extras, vocation schools typically offer shorter degree programs. Instead of going to college for four years, you can be ready for the workforce in eighteen months. The shorter period and more focused classes also means they are less expensive than traditional colleges, which enable you to enter the workforce with little to no student loan debt.
While going to college is a big achievement, encouraging young people to get a college degree when they aren’t sure what they want to do is irresponsible. It is also illogical for students to go to college to get degrees in liberal arts or humanities without knowing exactly what they are going to do with that degree and what the job market looks like.
While a student may love studying psychology, a bachelor’s degree in psychology does not translate to a well-paying job or even career position. These kinds of degrees do not prepare you for the job market, they only prepare you to continue your education. Psychologists or professors of psychology have advanced degrees. They do not stop with a bachelor’s degree.
Another thing to consider is the amount of debt you will get yourself into with a traditional college education keeping mind the expected starting salary for the position. It is not logical to put yourself in $100,000 worth of debt if the career you want only pays in the low $30,000.
Vocational training is less expensive, takes less time, and the leads to well-paying jobs that are plentiful. The higher the demand for these positions gets, the higher the pay will be, the better the benefits will be, and the easier it will be to get a job right out of school. Looking into technical schools instead of a traditional four-year college is a smart career path if you find something you want to do.