I love this and my husband (a high school teacher) tells his students this all the time. Many of them (especially the boys) have no interest in college and many have a hard time getting through high school. We live in a rural area with a very high poverty rate. A lot of men in our area do manual labor, or have become contractors, electricians, plumbers, and have pursued other hands-on jobs (my college educated husband wishes he had the skills that most men have around here !😂). I see these young men at my husband’s school and really feel for them. So many of them would benefit from a trade that required skills that “actually do something in the world” and with their own hands. We are encouraging our son to pursue a trade (electrician would be a great fit for him). I myself had no interest in college and went to a trade school and became a cosmetologist right out of high school and started my own business. It was a great paying job for me in that stage of life.
Far too many people go to college, but the trades are not a substitute: you have to remember that a lot of people get injured doing manual labor. Not being able to somehow adjust to white collar norms doesn't seem like much of an excuse to forego the earnings opportunities that a college degree will give you. Also, males outperform women in college: they end up majoring in higher earning majors. The idea that college and white collar work somehow favor women doesn't make sense.
I have an 11 yo & 9 yo girls & mention to,them as college being a choice but not the only one.
I used to teach high school math to working-class boys. They went into the trades and/or the military. College had nothing for them.
I love this and my husband (a high school teacher) tells his students this all the time. Many of them (especially the boys) have no interest in college and many have a hard time getting through high school. We live in a rural area with a very high poverty rate. A lot of men in our area do manual labor, or have become contractors, electricians, plumbers, and have pursued other hands-on jobs (my college educated husband wishes he had the skills that most men have around here !😂). I see these young men at my husband’s school and really feel for them. So many of them would benefit from a trade that required skills that “actually do something in the world” and with their own hands. We are encouraging our son to pursue a trade (electrician would be a great fit for him). I myself had no interest in college and went to a trade school and became a cosmetologist right out of high school and started my own business. It was a great paying job for me in that stage of life.
Far too many people go to college, but the trades are not a substitute: you have to remember that a lot of people get injured doing manual labor. Not being able to somehow adjust to white collar norms doesn't seem like much of an excuse to forego the earnings opportunities that a college degree will give you. Also, males outperform women in college: they end up majoring in higher earning majors. The idea that college and white collar work somehow favor women doesn't make sense.