Journal Writing Project Why trade schools and construction jobs should be talked about

By Corinna Wiemerslage

College is being pushed and can be viewed as one of the only ways to be successful and make money in life. Because college is pushed so much and is viewed as a great opportunity to get a successful job, the statistics of how many students who graduate who will then go on to college are more than 50%. According to statistics reported by the Bureau of Labor, 69.7% of high school students who graduated went on to pursue college, and only 12% went on to pursue trade school.

But only six out of 10 students who attend college will complete the career path they are trying to pursue and get their degrees in that career. Many students who go to college end up not getting a job in the degree they pursued. The average amount of debt for a public four-year college is almost $27,000 for each student. 

Many high schools start to push college by doing college in the schools, which allows the students many opportunities to get a head start on college and save the students money. 

Many public high schools do not offer education in trade schools or construction careers. Construction jobs are not popular with students, especially females. Did you know that only 9.9% of the construction field consists of females? That means 90.1% of workers in the construction field are males. The stereotype of construction being a male-only work field is false.

You might wonder why more women do not go into the construction industry. According to studies shown, many females feel intimidated by being the minority on the job site or in the workplace. One other reason that construction jobs are not as popular a choice for a career out of high school is because construction is not widely talked about to the students. 

Many students during their senior year hear the question, “Where are you going to college?” instead of, “Which industry of trades do you want to pursue?” I believe that in high schools, trade schools and construction jobs should also be widely talked about, just like college options are. Each student should know the pros and cons about every career and education path that they have a chance to pursue. 

Not all of the trade schools are construction related. Some examples of education you can receive in trade school consist of air traffic control specialist, computer network architect, software developer, electronics engineer, construction manager, and computer programmer. The list goes on for trade school jobs.

Some construction jobs that are popular include construction project manager, plumber, electrician, civil engineer, solar photovoltaic installer, wind turbine technician and many other jobs and career options. 

I believe that trade school and construction jobs need to be advertised just as much as college is in school because it will show the students all of the different options that are available for them and all of the different career paths that they could choose. 

High schools that offer college in the school allow for the students to get a head start and is a great idea only if they want to attend college or pursue a career in another job opportunity. 

I think that college is a great option for students, but is not the only option. Students should know every option that they have to receive an education and have a job that will support them through their life. More options than just college should be pushed through the school systems and students should know every career option that they can go into.

Corinna Wiemerslage is a student at Kingsland High School. She is one of eight area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 21st year.