Many in Gen Z ditch colleges for trade schools. Meet the 'toolbelt generation'

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Economy & Labor

Many in Gen Z ditch colleges for trade schools. Meet the 'toolbelt generation'

By Windsor Johnston
Published April 22, 2024 at 11:02 AM CDT


Diego Aguilar works at a trade center at East Bay Municipal Utility District in Oakland, Calif.

Sy Kirby dreaded the thought of going to college after graduating from high school. He says a four-year degree just wasn't in the cards for him or his bank account.

"I was facing a lot of pressure for a guy that knew for a fact that he wasn't going to college," Kirby says. "I knew I wasn't going to sit in a classroom, especially since I knew I wasn't going to pay for it."

Instead, at the age of 19, Kirby took a job at a local water department in southern Arkansas. He said the position helped him to develop the skills that helped him start his own construction company.

{snip}

[underpants]

1. Good for them.

[RKP5637]

2. K&R!!!

[awesomerwb1]

3. University graduate here (yay)

3/5s of the stuff I learnt is not applicable to any job I've ever had. Maybe even 3/4s.

Best option for a lot of kids.

[TheRealNorth]

4. While i support kids making the the choice that is the best economic interest....

For them, I am stunned by the anti-intellectualism today.

[Rebl2]

8. Are

you suggesting some young people that want to learn a trade makes them anti intellectual? I hope not. My husband worked as an electronic tech in the Air Force and also for the postal service. He is far from being anti intellectual. One of the smartest and kindest men I have ever met in my nearly 70 years.

[ms liberty]

5. Good. There will always be a need for plumbers, electricians and other trades.

And the money is good, too.

[snot]

6. On one hand,

I've been having a hard time finding anyone who knows how to do anything, other than old-timers too decrepit to do it; so I'll be glad if there re more young people with IRL skills.

On the other hand, I found my own college edu. as an English Lit. major invaluable!

[Warpy]

7. Following my advice

Get a skill that pays the bills.

Think about going on to that 4 year degree later.

Part time skilled work will pay one hell of a lot better than part time unskilled work if someone decides to go back to school full time. The less debt there is at graduaion, the better.

[bucolic_frolic]

9. If you took what you invest in college and buy growth tech stocks early

and work for 10 years you can retire at 30-35 with millions. The big names are known before they're big names. In the 1990s you bought Microsoft, Apple, Intel but had to dodge the tech crash 2001. In 2009 Amazon. Now you bet on AI. Somebody's going to make a lot of money. And it can be household names, too. Lilly was $60-90 6 years ago. Now past $700. META $88 in 2022, now $500. Wall Street doesn't want you to know.