“Perhaps we can start asking our politicians to begin putting money into trades education again.”
I know in our area there has been a renewed focus on this in the past ten years or so. I live in a nice suburb, full of doctors and lawyers. Our high school is easily the best public school in our part of Massachusetts.
Every day a bus comes to our high school to pick up a growing number of students who are whisked away to the Vocational High School in the next town over. There, these kids learn the trades.
Within 10 miles of my home there are two community colleges that focus on skills based learning. One does a great job with computer networking, electrical, and HVAC training. The other is an award winning facility for CNC machining—working with places like Pratt and Whitney to place the graduates in really good paying jobs.
These programs are full, with decent sized waiting lists.
The environment in our area is changing. There is still a big focus on “college” in my town, but I like seeing that there are more and more opportunities for the trades being promoted. The BIG thing is the kids going into the trade programs are NOT looked down upon by their peers or the teachers. There is a recognition that not everyone is cut out for the college track—and that is OK with everyone.
I’m glad to see that voc ed is growing in your area. My husband and I were college grads, as were my 2 son’s wives. One son did some college, but has now enlisted and will have medic training (his mother and her mother work in medical fields.) My military son’s firstborn enlisted after high school, and has drifted in terms of long term goals for several years since mustering out. I am told he has settled on a life interest and is seeking entry into high quality universities (age 25). A third grandson has decided on a military career and is in the process of enlisting in some speciality. So there will be 3 grandsons with GI bill college money available. My fourth grandson is still in high school. They have all realized that immediately entering college may not be the best choice in the short run. Both of their fathers have successful businesses without college.
If you are doing anything to promote voc ed, please do not forget the value of encouraging women in these fields. As a woman I have been renovating houses I own for 30+ years. I have only hired people for plumbing, electrical, metal work, and major roofing and addition construction. I have done carpentry, interior wall and drywall work, porches and decks with a hired helper. Also floor tile. ceramic and vinyl, and much wall repair and painting in 100 year old houses on my own. When my son dropped out in the 10th grade I had him help me build a small deck. Now at age 50 he has his own construction/electrical co.
It is encouraging that a non college track is no longer being looked down on in your area and others. Considerable wider education can be gained on the internet, libraries, and adult ed. College is needed for specialties like medicine, law, and science that need laboratories and large specialized libraries. The GI Bill is an important way to avoid a huge college debt. What we need is for the current public education system to catch up with the fast changing field of higher education.