Free Republic

A growing number of students are saying "no" to a traditional four-year college, instead choosing trade schools or apprenticeships after high school. Part of this has to do with the increasing cost of higher education. ... U.S. News reports that the average student debt is $30,000 for a recent college graduate. At 23 years old, Brady Woodel makes more than most recent college grads. Without a four-year degree, Brady takes home $25 an hour, while the average entry-level college grad makes $20. “When I came out and got my license, I would have earned as much money as I would...

The next time there is the need for a plumber don’t be surprised if the person carrying a tool box is a woman. That is because American women are getting the message that a degree in Women’s Studies can be worthless while a plumber’s certification provides a good paying job.

Last week, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao announced her Skills to Build America's Future" initiative. This is a "nationwide outreach and education effort designed to attract young people and transitioning workers to" the "key" occupations of the [near] future: "skilled trades." This initiative, understandably, was proclaimed with little fanfare. While President Bush looks toward Mars, Ms. Chao can hardly be proud of her decidedly pedestrian prophecy that "construction laborers, operating engineers, carpenters, iron workers, cement masons, bricklayers, truck drivers and many other construction related crafts are among the trades expected to see the greatest demand in workers over the next...

<p>Trade schools once meant auto mechanic institutes and beauty schools.</p> <p>But specialty schools are opening at a record pace, fueled by dual forces of a lagging economy and demands for more technically savvy workers.</p> <p>In Arizona, more than 170,000 students enrolled in career-training programs last year, studying everything from guitarmaking to personal training to computer repair. That's a 58 percent increase from the previous year, and schools across the board are seeing influxes.</p>