School of Thought: College not the only path
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STUDENT INTRO: This week's School of Thought was written by Parkersburg South High School sophomore, Carter Lockhart. When Carter isn't working with his mowing company or participating in a marching band activity, he enjoys spending his time hunting, fishing, playing card games, and listening to/learning new music.
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"What do you want to be when you grow up?" "Where do you want to go to college?" These are common questions kids my age get asked a lot. Often, people are surprised by my answer because, at this point, I don't feel that going to college will be in my future. When I say that, people automatically assume that I must not do well in school, or maybe I'm not smart enough to go to college, or maybe my family can't afford it so I'm not even going to try. The truth is: none of those assumptions are correct. I'm just planning to pursue a trade to earn a living. I have always made good grades, I take honors level classes, I've never been in trouble at school, and overall, I'm a good student.
So, why would I choose a career in a trade union over going to a college? This is a very big subject to talk about, especially while I'm currently in high school. Personally, I don't feel that everyone must go to college to be successful. One of my parents has a college degree and the other doesn't, yet both are very successful. My mother is a dental hygienist. She enjoys her job and makes a good living, but she had to spend many years in college and racked up a large amount of student debt to obtain her degree. It took her years to pay that debt off. My father co-owns a union construction company, he does not have any college level education. Neither he nor his business partner went to college, yet their business is doing well, they employ over forty people. My dad works hard and puts in many hours to support our family.
Both of my parents have always taught me that to be successful in life, you need to get good grades, be a leader, be willing to learn, be kind, be responsible, work hard, be trustworthy and dependable. These qualities are important in life regardless of whether you go to college or not, they just help make you a good human. I try my best to be all those things. I sometimes enjoy school, but I sometimes don't. I can't see myself spending years in college, sitting in classrooms, and studying because I enjoy being outdoors and working with my hands. I like to help my dad build things. We built our own home a few years ago and I was able to learn a lot of soft skills and life skills from that experience. Honestly, that is what made me start considering a future career in a trade.
I think it's sad that trades are often looked down upon and stereotyped as being for people who aren't worthy of college or who aren't smart enough to further their educations. There are many good job opportunities available in the trade unions, just as there are for those who know that college is for them. Young men and women can pursue a future in many different fields. This country will ALWAYS need trade workers. Plumbers. Masons. Electricians. Iron Workers. Laborers. Carpenters. These are just a few of the options available and these jobs come with health benefits and retirement savings plans. All these also offer apprenticeship programs and on the job training so you get paid to learn a skill. You still must apply and be tested into any of these local unions. There are still interviews and applications that you must pass in order to be accepted. These jobs allow people to provide for their families and can be a good source of income.
Just some quick numbers, right now journeymen positions in the various trades make between $25-$60 an hour, depending on the specific trade. Keep in mind that it cost them nothing financially to learn those skills. On top of their hourly wage, they have health insurance, dental and vision insurance, retirement savings, vacation savings, and union dues that are included in their benefit packages. How many years of college and what specific degree would one have to obtain to find a job making that much money on the hour? My parents have friends that have master's degrees and make less than $20 an hour. Was obtaining that degree worth that level of income? How much debt did they incur in getting that degree? Will they make enough money to pay those debts off? Is going to college worth all of the potential debt with the money you will receive for 4 to 8 extra years of schooling? Not to mention, we all know of people who have degrees and don't use them.
As of right now, I'm planning to pursue the carpentry trade. It interests me the most. I like the hands-on approach of construction. Carpentry includes many different aspects of the construction industry. You can frame walls and structures, put up drywall, lay flooring, woodworking, and painting to name a few.
A career in any of the trade unions would be a good choice for anyone who wants to earn a good living with benefits and doesn't think that college is the path for them.