Trade School Gives You Skills that Pay the Bills

In the past 10 years, the advantages of attending a trade school have been more widely recognized as an alternative to traditional higher education. Despite this progress, there is still a stigma associated with trade schools as people tend to view it as the inferior option, as it is often considered a route for people who are not “good enough” for higher education. Yet, trade schools can lead to a lucrative career.

One of the most prominent benefits of a trade school is its significantly lower costs in comparison to a four year college. According to a 2023 U.S News and World Report article, the tuition would cost around $15,000 per year. This is substantially lower than most public colleges that charge $40,000 or more per year. In 2024, the Strada Education Foundation and the Burning Glass institute report 52% of recently graduated college students are unemployed and ten years later, nearly half do not work in a field that requires their costly degree. Yet, as of 2024, College VIne reports that 75% of trade school graduates are employed.

In our today’s technology driven world, a growing concern in the workplace is AI disruption, something trade jobs are more resilient in avoiding. Trade jobs usually require some human problem solving skills that machines cannot learn, such as electricity, plumbing, welding, and HVAC systems (heating,ventilation,air conditioning).According to the World Economic Forum in 2024, 40% of manual and technical labor will not be taken over by AI. Trade school can be an amazing option to alleviate the concern of this. When comparing this to more traditional technology-based careers, 70% will be replaced by AI in 2030, according to Goldman Sachs. As stability becomes rarer and rarer in employment, trade school remains a reliable path to take that will survive the future.

It’s common in young adulthood to juggle an excessive amount of responsibilities from education and employment to family duties. Since trade school programs range from six month to two years instead of four years or more of college, trade school saves time and gives students a more practical life course with time to manage their responsibilities, especially with their more flexible course options. Trade schools can provide practical skills that lead to rewarding careers and take up a fraction of a students time. As students, it’s important to recognize the available education routes and understand that a traditional 4 year college is not always right for everyone.