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found, are thinking less about their college experience (moving
away from their parents, living on campus, enjoying the social
aspects of college) and more about post-college employment—and
about making choices in their studies to better prepare themselves
for their careers of choice.
These trends dovetail perfectly with what the trades have to offer.
The skilled trades are unique in that, for decades, most of the
industries that make up the trades have been offering the type of
career-focused training and employment-geared education that
today’s students really seem to be seeking. With more students
opting out of the four-year college path and putting increased
emphasis on career training, it’s only natural to assume that more
students might find their way to the skilled trades.
The Elephant in the Room
In spite of how perfectly the skilled trades align with the
things that today’s students say they want, there is still
an elephant in the room, and it’s the same stigma that has
followed the skilled trades for decades. Even now, there
is still a misconception among many students—as well as
their parents—that the skilled trades are not the right path
for high-achieving students or that they don’t offer the
types of gainful career opportunities that someone might
be able to access by attending a four-year college program
and earning a bachelor’s degree.
This scenario has many experts in the skilled trades asking
big questions. “How can we rewrite the narrative around the
trades so that students who are thinking twice about the
traditional college path see that they have an opportunity
here?” “How do we break the stigma that has followed
the trades for so long?” “How do we take advantage of
this particular moment in time so that we can reach the