For decades, society promoted one message louder than almost any other: success meant earning a four-year college degree. High schools, parents, counselors and employers encouraged students to follow a university path as the primary route to career stability and financial success. In the process, skilled trades and technical education were often overlooked as equally valuable and rewarding career pathways.
Today, we are finally seeing a major shift in thinking—and it is long overdue.
Across the country, technical schools, apprenticeship programs and skilled trade training opportunities are receiving renewed attention and respect. Industries such as flooring installation, welding, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, manufacturing and construction are once again being recognized as essential careers that provide strong incomes, stability and long-term opportunities without leaving young people buried in debt before they even begin their careers.
For years, students were often made to feel that attending a trade school somehow meant settling for less. The conversation became “college versus trades” instead of recognizing that different careers require different types of education and training. Both pathways provide tremendous value to society. Some professions absolutely require traditional university education, while many others benefit greatly from hands-on technical training, apprenticeships and learning while earning income in the workforce.
The problem was never education itself. Rather, the problem was the belief that every student needed the exact same path regardless of personal strengths, career goals or economic realities.
The results of that mindset are now impossible to ignore. According to national education statistics, the average cost of a four-year college degree in the United States can range anywhere from approximately $80,000 to well over $200,000 depending on the institution, housing and living expenses. Many graduates leave college carrying student loan debt averaging $30,000 to $40,000, while others owe significantly more. Some spend 10 to 20 years repaying loans while working in careers that may not provide the financial return needed to justify the investment.
At the same time, industries that rely heavily on skilled labor began facing severe workforce shortages.
Now, educators, workforce agencies, community colleges and even universities are beginning to recognize the importance of technical education again. Enrollment declines at many four-year institutions are occurring at the same time interest in trade schools and apprenticeship programs is increasing.
This new awakening is exciting. Young people today have opportunities to enter skilled trades with lower training costs, shorter educational timelines and immediate employment opportunities. Many skilled trade professionals earn salaries that compete with—and often exceed—those of traditional four-year degree careers. Just as importantly, they can begin building their futures earlier, often without carrying overwhelming debt for decades.
Help support our efforts to make the flooring industry a viable and rewarding career choice for young people.
Kaye Whitener is executive director of the Floor Covering Education Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting recruitment, training and retention of floor covering installers. For more information, email kwhitener@fcef.org.
