As the end of my senior year has been approaching, I have had an interesting journey as to why I decided that I don’t think college is for me. As student debt continues to grow around the nation, it leaves some kids hopeless as they think college is their only route or chance for getting a higher education. But they should not dismiss getting into the trades. If you enjoy physical labor and seeing the products from your work, trades could be for you. There are many career paths that are considered trade: electrician, plumbing, carpentry and landscaping. But there are some careers that are trades that some people don’t even know about. Dental assistants, paramedics, phlebotomist, respiratory therapists, and clinical laboratory technicians are all also considered trade careers.

But how do you get into a trade? Typically, you would go to a trade school, usually for two years. But during those two years you are also working on the job, getting real life experience. That is where trade schools differ from college in a big way. Also trade school is cheaper than your typical college. The average trade school will cost $3,600 to $14,500 per year, while college per year has an average cost of $35,000 per year. There are wide variations on price depending on the type of institution you attend and the program you choose.

In trade schools, about 96.6% are men with the remaining 3.4% being women. Salaries after trade school vary widely depending on the path and specialty you decide to go down. If you own your own business that salary has the potential to increase even more. The sky is really the limit depending on the amount of work and time you are willing to commit. 

The reason I want to go into the trades is because I love the fact I will be fixing and building and just being productive. After doing research and talking to multiple companies, many of them are willing to pay for my schooling because so many trades are desperate for workers. There has been an increase in pay for many of the professions as well.

At the end of the day, the decision is up to you. Both college and trade schools are great routes and will take you where you want to go in life as long as you work hard.  Regardless, you need to be happy with the decision you make and be thinking about your future plans.