On Wednesday, The Dallas County Career Technical Center played host to Go Build Alabama representatives as they spoke to students about the value of learning a trade.

Trade and vocational schools have been seen as underrated and are often frowned upon for a long time.

Part of the American dream was to go to a four-year college, obtain a degree and get a job in said field that you would work for years and years and then, and only then, would your life be ready to begin for the “Autumn years of your life.”

Careersschoolnow.org states that the stigma, which they call undeserved, is rapidly changing.

Why is that?

For one, the cost of advanced education is skyrocketing, and the remnant amount of debt is something that stays with some graduates for life.

“It’s no secret that those with bachelor’s degrees or high have larger earning potential than those who stopped at a high school diploma,” according to an article comparing vocational schools and colleges on careersschoolnow.org. “However, when you weigh in the heavy-duty loan that has to be paid off once a job is secured, the bachelor’s degree doesn’t seem so fancy anymore. It might actually be a burden.”

The website claims that trade school graduates are able to get into the workforce quicker than four-year graduates.

This can be as quick as six weeks for nursing assistants, medical assistants and CDL drivers with a qualified certified skill.

Data collected and analyzed by the Alabama Department of Labor’s Labor (ADOL) Market Information Division shows that the most online wanted ads were for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, registered nurses and retail salespersons, with 5,242 ads placed for those occupations in October. 

“The Help Wanted Online (HWOL) data is compiled from all online job postings in the state, including those posted on the state’s free online jobs database, www.joblink.alabama.gov, and other sources; such as traditional job boards, corporate boards and social media sites,” according to November reports from ADOL. “There were 36,825 online ads this month, of those 12,841 were new ads.”
The ADOL added heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn a mean wage of $19.99 per hour, registered nurses earn a mean wage of $28.43 per hour, and retail salespersons earn a mean wage of $13.55 per hour. 

The bottom line is that the four year college path is not for everyone, and it is something that shouldn’t be frowned upon if students don’t take that route.

It has been proven that these vocational jobs yield great opportunities for lives to be lived comfortably in almost half the time for certification and astronomically lower schooling fees.

This does not mean that four year colleges should go away, not at all.

Four year colleges are able to cater to students that have different interests, career path goals and for some the college experience.

Both sides should be nurtured, but it solely depends on where the student will grow and enjoy the most.

We must allow our students to choose their post high school path whether that is trade school or college and universities.