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Essay / Trade School and College: Exploring Career Pathways topic of trade school versus college. A large percentage of people currently working in the skilled trades are of retirement age, which will leave a huge gap in the workforce. This gap will increase salaries for these positions in the years to come. People currently enrolled in apprenticeship programs and technical degrees will soon be able to earn as much as someone with a traditional 4-year degree. As businesses continue to automate and technology advances, there will be a need for skilled workers to repair and maintain this new, highly technical and scalable equipment. Over the next five to ten years, demand for skilled trades positions is expected to increase steadily. Positions in skilled trades can be an extremely lucrative career path for anyone willing to work with their hands. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Trade School: The Growing Demand Skilled trades have existed since the beginning of civilization. This knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation. A skilled worker is someone whose job requires some specialized training and unique skills. Very little education is required to be accepted into an apprenticeship program with a company or union. Many skilled trade workers typically start out in apprenticeship programs, where they develop their skills with journeypersons who may also have completed apprenticeships or technical/trade schools. Manufacturing companies actively work to find qualified people who are familiar with their aging equipment. These companies may have either exclusive equipment or equipment more than 40 years old and specific to their activity. In many cases, they don't want to upgrade or get rid of these assets because this equipment has been depreciated for years but is still operating at a high level. However, a considerable amount of this equipment is very mechanical, and the training provided at most tech colleges does not teach students how to work, repair, or upgrade this type of equipment. This leaves many businesses with a skills gap that will continue to be a problem for employers in the future. Many have or need to place greater emphasis on their internal training and development programs as a short-term interim solution. The idea is that going to college and getting a degree will earn you more money. More and more parents are encouraging their children to move in this direction without any consideration of the earning potential and employment opportunities that coincide with jobs in skilled trades. There is an almost unspoken rule that earning a bachelor's degree is the first step in achieving part of the American dream. Students head blindly to college without any career idea in mind and start following the steps. We all understand that parents want to see their children succeed, but they can prevent them from pursuing great earning potential in specialized positions. Comparing the Costs of Colleges and Trade SchoolsThe cost of a 4-year college is more than double that of a trade school. The traditional college path for a bachelor's degree will cost between $100,000 and $130,000 on average. That leaves college-bound students continuing to pay off debt well into their 30s. The cost of trade school is around $20,000 for the degree and leaves the student in a much better situation. A more worrying fact is that, according to the Institute of Education Statistics, 40% of students enrolled in a 4-year degree will not graduate. Of the 60% who graduate, 64% take more than four years to complete their studies. This is much lower for a 2-year associate's degree at only 5% graduating within the 2-year time frame. Part of the problem is attributed to a lack of guidance and too many options to choose from. It is estimated that for each additional year it takes an associate student to complete their degree, they will spend an average of $15,933 in fees. This rises to $22,826 for a 4-year undergraduate student. According to U.S. News, that adds up to an average of $70,000 a year in lost wages and education expenses. This is a reality that must be taken into account when making the decision to enter the job market directly or to pursue studies to obtain a 4-year college diploma. There is an alternative to college that is driven by the immediate shortage of skilled workers across the board, and the demand for these positions will continue to grow. The main driving factor is the fact that more than 70 percent of the current workforce is nearing retirement age, making it a very lucrative career choice for all. In the construction industry alone, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, more than 243,000 jobs go unfilled nationwide. So, with the labor shortage we are already experiencing and the number of future retirees, workers find themselves receiving higher wages than ever before. If you look at the carpentry trade, home improvement spending last year hit an all-time high and is expected to increase throughout this year. On the manufacturing side, industries are growing and changing and are facing the reality that they are also losing a large portion of their technicians due to retirements. For every person who enters the trades, there are four who retire. They need a skilled workforce to operate, troubleshoot and repair their types of machines. Many of these companies are incorporating newer, more advanced equipment to streamline and automate their processes. Which makes businesses more efficient and more dynamic. This is a great time for people coming out of tech schools to get involved with these companies to fill the gaps in their rosters. Benefits of College Education Many companies use co-op and in-house training programs to train interested candidates to meet demands. of the post. Companies like SC Johnson have taken a proactive approach to this dilemma by partnering with area technical colleges to ensure that the training programs currently in place will meet the needs of upcoming positions. They went further by re-establishing their partnership with local high schools to reinstate co-op programs for mechanical and electrical students. Students chosen for this program will be paid while training with qualified technicians to develop their skills and competence in the trade. This is an excellent opportunity forstudents to evaluate this as a career choice to pursue and allows the company to observe the abilities of individuals. It’s truly a win-win situation for both the student in the program and the organization. They begin their operations training as operators, learning multiple lines running various pieces of equipment. This is essential for teaching them the functionality of the equipment and how each part works. These learnings are then transferred to assist in troubleshooting and repairing equipment as technicians. After high school, they will have the opportunity to stay in a college co-op program for another two years while they are enrolled in a technical college to earn their degree. degree. At companies like SC Johnsons, this degree is fully paid for by the company. At this point, it's more of a learning program for them. They work full time during the first shift, but are excused and paid during in-class study hours. They rotate through each department and are paired with a senior maintenance technician for a fixed period of time. During this time, they practice their teachings, maintain their training documentation and signatures, and log their hours to obtain their journeyman license. After completing the programs, they will have the opportunity to obtain full-time employment within the company. All time spent participating in each of the high school and college cooperative programs is considered part of their seniority. This is just one example of what companies are doing to close the gap left by an aging workforce. There is another topic that someone should look at when thinking about trade degrees versus 4 year degrees. Most of the jobs you would get with a 4 year degree would be salaried positions. This is the opposite of skilled trade positions, where most are paid hourly. We need to compare hourly jobs to salaried or exempt positions, both in terms of benefits and complications. With hourly positions, you get paid for the time you spend on the job, and in many cases you have the opportunity to earn overtime and double time. The amount of wages earned from overtime can represent a significant portion of your annual income. I've had several conversations with several managers, and one of their biggest complaints is the number of hours spent dealing with work-related issues. They spend on average between 50 and 55 hours per week completing their tasks, whether at work or at home. They are still on call and some of them will have worked 40 hours by the start of Thursday. They must work across multiple teams to support training and other company initiatives. When problems arise, they step in to fix the situation until it is resolved. In one case it was stated that they arrived at 9 p.m. and worked until 11 p.m. the next day. These are often things that people are not prepared for when they enter positions like these. Now let's see what the average salary is for a middle manager, which is around $95,000 per year. If we round the number of hours worked per week to 53 and multiply it by 52 weeks, we get a total of 2,756 hours worked per year. This brings a manager's salary to just 34.47 per hour. Looking at things in this mansion, it's not much to be on call all the time with the requirement to work outside of shifts.work. The starting salary for most electromechanics, pipefitters and instrumentation technicians exceeds this amount, averaging $36.50 per hour. When you look at salaries this way, which is the best choice. Many people in leadership positions have been burned out by their companies expecting them to work more hours, some longer than listed here. It appears that some companies treat people in salaried positions as tied to the company at all times, with no off switch. All of their hours can add up to a low to moderate bonus at the end of the year if their department meets its goals. Often, they end up self-destructing or leaving to look for better opportunities. Find companies that embrace a better work-life balance. However, in general, if an artisan works on weekends, he or she will receive increased day-to-day wage incentives. Once his shift is over, he is not required to take his work home or work hours longer than his specified shift. He can leave his job at work and go home. So, let's recap both. If someone were given the opportunity to take either position presented, would they prefer to adjust their hours, work any shift or long hours, or would they prefer to work a set schedule and be paid more for hours worked outside of your normal shift? Pay is just one of the benefits of working an hourly schedule other than what you would likely receive with a 4-year degree. Benefits of Trade School I should clarify that I am not opposed to anyone pursue a 4 year degree, but I say many people overlook trade school options as an option for their future. The earning advantage to graduate will allow you to earn more money in the long run according to various studies. This is extremely important as most students choose careers that will either provide them with higher incomes or better market value. Many people return to college later in life because they see the benefits of continuing their education. These individuals see the benefits of higher pay within the organizations they work in that comes with a degree. In addition to higher pay, this may lead to a change in career path, advancement in your current career path, and possibly early retirement. Add to that the understanding that gaining knowledge on one or more topics is never a bad thing. It keeps your mind sharp as you age and opens your world to new things you might never have thought of. This happened to me during my university studies and in subjects that did not interest me. Completing this adventure has shown me that I love learning and it is something I will continue to do throughout my life and career.Lifetime earnings between academic and professional positions are changing rapidly. I'm thinking of the electrical field, and with 2-5 years of experience, one could easily reach a position earning between $75-80,000 per year. I know many people in skilled trade positions who make over $100,000 a year with a little overtime. I've heard many managers talk about how many people in their department make more than them. I understand that this is not always the trend, but my company pays upwards of the pay scale to not only recruit qualified people, but.-5023612.
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