More on the “Is college necessary?” debate
I wrote recently about whether or not a college degree is a necessary foundation for career and financial success. Now, comes another interesting argument in the “Is college necessary?” debate.
According to a recent article in The Washington Post, a growing number of college-educated men and women are leaving the typical post-graduate law school, grad school or corporate career path and becoming skilled manual laborers instead. From plumbers and pipe-fitters to electricians, jobs in the trades are in demand, have great employment outlooks, and deliver paychecks that often meet or exceed salaries in jobs requiring a college degree.
As a testament to the growing popularity of skilled-labor jobs, competition for the apprentice programs is becoming fierce. According to the Post, apprentice programs in the Washington, D.C., area are swamped with applicants. The electricians’ union program, for example, has 2,500 applications for 100 slots.
There will always be value in a college education, as evidenced by another recent article, this one from The Wall Street Journal. But so, too, will there always be other career options for those not interested in a college degree.
