Would a community college be better? When deciding whether students are ready for a four-year college, it’s important to look at their motivation and academic preparedness. “If a student has struggled academically and does not express interest or aspirations to attend a four-year university, then they may want to consider a community collegeuniversity transfer option,” Brasier suggests. “This option allows for the student to build their academic skills, improve their grade-point average and seek career guidance so they can best determine the right major choice and then start the university search process.” He notes that students may find their career path while studying at a community college. There may also be a financial benefit. “The amount of savings a student can have during a two-year cycle at a community college versus starting at a university can add up to over $20,000,” he says. “Community colleges also afford students the benefit of residing with family to save money, flexible course options and career exploration services for students who are undecided on a career path and/or who are looking for a new career path and/or retraining.” TIP
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Community college can save money.
EVEN TRADE
Learning a manual skill can lead to a lucrative career
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akotah Luke spent most of his 20s doing manual labor. He saw skilled workers building better careers for themselves and decided he wanted in. “Those guys got the most overtime. They got paid the most, and it was just cool to see them building these structural steel items,” he says. Luke opted for trade school — specifically, the welder’s program at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tenn. That two-year program landed him a job at RTE Machine and Fabrication in Tennessee. “The training helped. It opens up a lot more options,” he says. Four-year institutions aren’t for everyone. With college costs rising and a nationwide skills shortage in the manual arts, many find trade school an attractive option. The American Welding Society predicts a shortage of more than 450,000 welders by 2022. Overall, experts expect some 3 million job openings in the skilled trades by 2028, while unemployment among recent college graduates is at almost 7 percent in some areas. A hungry job market means a chance at greater job security. Cost can be another point in favor of specific training in welding, plumbing, electrical and other fields. “Student loan debt is crushing the younger generations,” says Mark C. Perna, author of Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations.
“In general, trade schools are much more affordable than traditional four-year colleges and universities.” Trade school tuition averages $33,000 in total, according to DegreeQuery.com, while four years of tuition and fees at a typical state college average $39,880. Starting salaries, meanwhile, don’t vary by much. A general electrician earns about $57,350 a year, and a welder earns more than $40,000 for entry-level positions. That’s not far off from the $49,700 starting salary of the average college grad. Still, trade school has its downsides. “Those considering trade school may also have to battle the negative stereotypes that are still out there about blue-collar work,” Perna notes. Also, some may not be temperamentally suited to manual work. “It’s important to understand your personal preferences before committing to a program of any kind.” For some employers, though, trade school graduates are a must-have. As CEO of manufacturing company WCCO Belting in Wahpeton, N.D., Tim Shorma depends on trade school graduates to keep production moving. “The hardest thing is to find people who like to do things with their hands, people who can roll up their sleeves and do hard mechanical skills: twist a wrench, drill something,” he says. “The majority of our jobs don’t need a four-year degree.” — Adam Stone
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