By Stacy Cruz
Staff Writer
While most Costa students plan to attend a four-year college, certain high school students favor the idea of attending a trade school for a more career-specific educational experience after high school.
Trade schools, also known as technical or vocational schools, are institutions that teach skills necessary for a singularly focused career path or occupation. Trade schools offer degrees in various subjects and give hands-on training for specific careers, therefore differentiating them from community colleges and standard four-year universities, where it can be hard to create opportunities to gain real-world experience in a particular career.
“Trade schools allow a student to prepare for one specific career more quickly than at a more traditional school,” College and Career counselor Caryn Ramirez said. “You do not need to take general education requirement courses like you would need to at a four-year university or college, and trade school students can be out of school, working and making money more quickly than graduates of traditional colleges and universities.”
Trade schools provide education for jobs as automotive technicians, medical assistants, hair stylists, interior designers, electronics technicians, paralegals and truck drivers. According to Ramirez, trade schools offer programs that four-year universities typically do not offer.
“I would suggest that students be realistic about the education they really need,” English teacher Bradi Everett said. “If you do not actually need to attend a four-year college or university to get what you need in your life or in your projected career path, then do not go to a traditional university or college just because the competitive community you are surrounded by is pressuring you to do so.”
According to Ramirez, the majority of Costa students plan to earn a four-year college degree rather than attend a trade school. According to SimplyHire.com, a website that compiles comparative career-related data, a trade school graduate will make an average of $42,000 per year. Over the course of 30 years, the difference in earnings between a trade school graduate and a college graduate is about $90,000 total, with college graduates generally making more money than trade school graduates. However, an important point to note when comparing potential incomes is that college graduates will likely also have to pay off student loans.
“I believe trade schools are a good option for students wanting to start working in a specific career,” Ramirez said. “The hands-on experience and job placement programs offered by trade schools are a major draw for students.”
While trade school degrees tend to cost around $33,000, university bachelor’s degrees cost about an average of $127,000. Trade school students also have access to a wide variety of financial aid options, including loans, grants and privately funded scholarships.
“People underestimate the value of trade school and its ability to get one into a high-paying career with minimal financial investment,” Everett said. “I know many people that attended one and went right into a career they love, so college was not really necessary for them.”
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