and pushing kids into college no matter what, and the current situation is the result. It was done deliberately, some by people who truly thought it a good idea, a bunch by people who are idiots or crooks pushing to make colleges happy no matter what it does to students.
Son learned to be a machinist, got his first job before he finished the classes and never looked back. And for quite a while he was, in his 30's, the youngest guy in the shops he worked at, and those shops were desperate to get more people. In his early 40's he was still the youngest guy in that shop. And they can use a lot more.
Bless Mike Rowe for his work and what he's done to push the trades, and it's working.
My nephew went to a trade school and is doing very very well. The son of a friend quit school at 16 and went into welding and fabrication and now runs his own small very profitable company. When I was in high school in the 60's all the counselors would only promote college and university and the real successful among us ignored that and went into business for ourselves and put the counselors advice to shame. Some wasted four years of their lives going to a college or university for an education they never used but had to pay for. More and more kids are going to tech schools and finding that it is a debt free way to a great future. And yes, Mike Rowe has done more for this country than any of those demented counselors ever did.
ReplyDeleteJamie K. Wilson did a column on the loss of education in the trades last fall: https://pjmedia.com/jamie-wilson/2025/11/24/the-jobs-americans-wont-do-try-the-skills-young-americans-werent-taught-n4946369
ReplyDeleteAfter two years wasting my time in college, I joined the AF because I had no idea what degree to pursue. Did my 4-years active duty and left as a Biomedical Repair Technician with a bachelors in business through University of Maryland. Walked into a nice big community hospital and tripled my E4 pay . Fast forward 10-years later and now I'm running the place.
ReplyDeletePoint being - a trade skill AND a degree can go hand in hand depending on what you want to do. Figured having an actual marketable skill was still a better option than just a degree on the wall just in case.
I know several guys who did something similar and when their companies downsized, they took off their manager's hat and went right back to bending wrenches and are actually much happier for it.
Somewhere along the way, America decided that a four-year degree was the only respectable answer to the question of what comes after high school.
ReplyDeletePrior to Griggs v. Duke Power Company, a company could specify the requirements needed for employment. After that ruling, a four-year degree became the qualification criteria because companies were no longer to specify their own requirements. I personally compared the college degree to a union card; having one doesn't mean you'll be employed, but not having one means you won't even be considered.
Steve
School guidance counselors are totally useless. They tell everyone to "go to college" and never discuss lower cost options, ROI, or what to study. The most important decisions they leave up to the whims of an 18 year old.
ReplyDelete-Generic
All part of the multi year plan to turn out more little communists, and homosexuals trained in school and colleges.
ReplyDelete“Bless Mike Rowe for his work“, amen.
ReplyDelete