Vocational school has long been the
grubby younger stepchild of America’s educational system, but its
Cinderella moment may have come. Today, even Ivy League academics are
speaking out in favor of practical, skills-based education. Although the
U.S. is making strides in getting more young people into college, a
growing chorus of experts says that when it comes to education, one size
does not fit all. A recently published report by the Harvard University
Graduate School of Education has added fuel to the debate by concluding
that the U.S. needs to embrace vocational education as a viable
alternative to college.
Plenty of jobs don’t require a bachelor’s degree
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists the 30 occupations expected to have the most growth between 2008 and 2018. Of those 30 occupations, 75 percent do not require a bachelor's degree. Some who went to college and earned a four-year degree have found themselves working in jobs that don’t even require them. In a blog post for the Chronicle of Higher Education, economist Richard Vedder writes, "Some 17,000,000 Americans with college degrees are doing jobs that the BLS says require less than the skill levels associated with a bachelor's degree.” This group of bachelor's degree holders includes 317,759 waiters and waitresses; 85,205 truck drivers; and 65,412 carpenters.
“The great numbers of high-paying jobs of the future that are claimed to require college graduation and high academic skills for all high school students are a hoax," declares Dennis W. Redovich, retired director of research, planning and development at Milwaukee Area Technical College. "The majority of the jobs of the future in Wisconsin and the United States are low- or average-paying jobs that require short-term or moderate-term on-the-job training."
Although there’s no question that holders of a bachelor’s degree, on average, earn more than those with only a high school diploma, the reality is that getting in to college is not the same thing as graduating. Forty-three percent of the students who enroll in a four-year college fail to earn their bachelor’s degree six years later, the U.S. Department of Education reported in 2010. At community colleges, where students are supposed to graduate within two years, only 29% earn a degree in three years. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States has the highest college drop-out rate in the world. Many of these dropouts were simply not engaged with the classes they were taking, asserts the Harvard report, Pathways to Prosperity.
However, in the future there will be even fewer job opportunities for high school graduates with no other education, the report says. A certificate or associate degree from a vocational school can get someone started in a career with a solid salary and benefits. In fact, 27 percent of people with post-secondary certificates or licenses – which have fewer requirements than an associate degree – actually earn more than the average bachelor’s degree recipient, according to the Harvard study.
Learning to appreciate skilled labor
Yet there’s an ingrained prejudice in many quarters against manual labor, even the kind that is highly skilled. “A gifted young person who chooses to become a mechanic rather than to accumulate academic credentials is viewed as eccentric, if not self-destructive,” writes Matthew B. Crawford in his 2009 book Shop Craft as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work.
“The trades suffer from low prestige, and I believe this is based on a simple mistake,” Crawford goes on. “Because the work is dirty, many people assume it is also stupid.” He can vouch that it isn’t – having earned a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of Chicago, Crawford now owns a motorcycle repair shop in Richmond, Va. When an excerpt of his book was published in the New York Times, Crawford became an informal spokesman for a new generation of skilled laborers.
Considering the expense of a college education today, prospective students should take some time to reflect on what type of education would work best for them. For those who aren’t stimulated by traditional classroom study but enjoy working on tangible projects, and want to get into the workforce and start making money quickly, attending one of the many vocational schools that are available nationwide and online could be the right decision.
Plenty of jobs don’t require a bachelor’s degree
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists the 30 occupations expected to have the most growth between 2008 and 2018. Of those 30 occupations, 75 percent do not require a bachelor's degree. Some who went to college and earned a four-year degree have found themselves working in jobs that don’t even require them. In a blog post for the Chronicle of Higher Education, economist Richard Vedder writes, "Some 17,000,000 Americans with college degrees are doing jobs that the BLS says require less than the skill levels associated with a bachelor's degree.” This group of bachelor's degree holders includes 317,759 waiters and waitresses; 85,205 truck drivers; and 65,412 carpenters.
“The great numbers of high-paying jobs of the future that are claimed to require college graduation and high academic skills for all high school students are a hoax," declares Dennis W. Redovich, retired director of research, planning and development at Milwaukee Area Technical College. "The majority of the jobs of the future in Wisconsin and the United States are low- or average-paying jobs that require short-term or moderate-term on-the-job training."
Although there’s no question that holders of a bachelor’s degree, on average, earn more than those with only a high school diploma, the reality is that getting in to college is not the same thing as graduating. Forty-three percent of the students who enroll in a four-year college fail to earn their bachelor’s degree six years later, the U.S. Department of Education reported in 2010. At community colleges, where students are supposed to graduate within two years, only 29% earn a degree in three years. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States has the highest college drop-out rate in the world. Many of these dropouts were simply not engaged with the classes they were taking, asserts the Harvard report, Pathways to Prosperity.
However, in the future there will be even fewer job opportunities for high school graduates with no other education, the report says. A certificate or associate degree from a vocational school can get someone started in a career with a solid salary and benefits. In fact, 27 percent of people with post-secondary certificates or licenses – which have fewer requirements than an associate degree – actually earn more than the average bachelor’s degree recipient, according to the Harvard study.
Learning to appreciate skilled labor
Yet there’s an ingrained prejudice in many quarters against manual labor, even the kind that is highly skilled. “A gifted young person who chooses to become a mechanic rather than to accumulate academic credentials is viewed as eccentric, if not self-destructive,” writes Matthew B. Crawford in his 2009 book Shop Craft as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work.
“The trades suffer from low prestige, and I believe this is based on a simple mistake,” Crawford goes on. “Because the work is dirty, many people assume it is also stupid.” He can vouch that it isn’t – having earned a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of Chicago, Crawford now owns a motorcycle repair shop in Richmond, Va. When an excerpt of his book was published in the New York Times, Crawford became an informal spokesman for a new generation of skilled laborers.
Considering the expense of a college education today, prospective students should take some time to reflect on what type of education would work best for them. For those who aren’t stimulated by traditional classroom study but enjoy working on tangible projects, and want to get into the workforce and start making money quickly, attending one of the many vocational schools that are available nationwide and online could be the right decision.
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