Trade School or College: The Pros & Cons (Part 1)

Lately, you may have noticed the increased attention in media and print on the rising cost of a four-year education while high paying trade jobs sit empty and ready for the taking. For the next several weeks, we will be running a multi-part series considering the pros and cons of college vs. trade school education. VAA members should note the support that both paths receive from the association. The Richard J. Schreck Scholarship award provides selected students with a $5,000 check to use toward expenses at their selected college, university or trade School. The VECAT Asphalt Technology Apprenticeship program and Associates Degree program both support students enrolled in educational programs supporting a specific trade.

 

For many students, going to a four-year college is the automatic choice when they graduate from high school. The reason for this is obvious – higher income. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, a bachelor’s degree accounted for an average of $16,900 in additional income per year compared to a high school diploma ($30,000 versus $46,900). Over a 30-year career in the workforce, that’s more than a $500,000 difference in earnings. These numbers may not paint the whole picture, however. Due to the increasingly high costs associated with a college education, as well as other drawbacks, more and more people have been considering trade school as an education alternative. 

 

So, what exactly is a Trade School? Also known as technical or vocational school, a trade school is an educational institution that is generally focused on a specific skill or trade that is taught in a shorter amount of time than more traditional colleges and universities. The more streamlined approach of a trade school allows the curriculum to directly focus on developing a specific skill set or knowledge base for a career rather than receiving a more generalized education incorporating a wide range of skills and knowledge. For this reason, trade schools usually take less time to complete, have smaller classes, and a more hands-on curriculum which is ideal for growth and future upward mobility opportunities.

A bachelor’s degree at any four-year institution will take four years on average of study. That does not consider specialized degrees, programs that have an immediate path to a higher-level degree (masters, Ph.D.), a residency component, or the occasional student who chooses to "draw out" his or her college experience. Earning this type of degree means that people who are entering the job market after high school and college aren’t doing so until they are at least 22 years old. Advanced degrees shave some time off a person’s career and perhaps put a point in the court of the trade school program where students are experiencing real-world, hands-on education. A four-year degree will require students to remain in a classroom where he or she also must take a variety of classes outside of the chosen path of study to satisfy college credit requirements.  Is the time and expense of  "forced" extra classes and added knowledge that doesn't pertain to your interest and path of study worth it?  That’s for the student to decide. 

Join us next month for the second part of this series where we will be looking at cost benefits between trade schools and a four-year university.