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College degrees: Some skilled
trades may require a more traditional
college degree. Nursing is a good
example. While often considered
a skilled trade, nursing also falls
into the healthcare/medical field,
an industry that tends to require
a great deal of formal schooling.
While aspiring nurses face far less
intense post-secondary schooling
requirements than prospective
doctors, registered nurses (RNs)
are required to hold, at minimum, an
associate’s degree in nursing (ADN)
and often must pursue a higher-
level degree (a bachelor of science
in nursing, or BSN) to open doors for
positions that offer higher levels of
responsibility and higher salaries.
As you can see, there is a bit of variety
when it comes to the educational
pathways necessary to pursue a career
in the world of the skilled trades. If you
have your mind set on a specific skilled
trade, it’s worth doing some research to
find out what the educational require-
ments might be for that job. Some
skilled trades jobs also require specific
steps to become licensed or certified
in the state where you wish to work,
additional steps you should strive to
learn about and understand before you embark upon this journey.
Your guidance counselor should be able to help you explore poten-
tial career paths and the educational steps you will need to take in
order to achieve them.