College or Trade School? It’s a Tough Call for Many Teens

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal:

“The friction around the best path forward after high school is popping up around the country as anxious students and families try to figure out how to pay for four years of college. At the same time, business groups and state governments make the case for a free or much cheaper vocational education.

The conversation is being fueled by questions about the declining value of a college degree as well as the rising cost of tuition and student debt. Low unemployment and a strong job market are exacerbating an already growing skills gap, raising prospects for tradespeople like welders who are in high demand.”

Read the full article here

“ ‘Raelee was smart from the time she was a baby, from the time she was two nobody could dress her, she was always a leader and she had her own mind,” said Raelee’s mother, Beth Nicholson, a nurse. “I always expected her to go to a four-year college. That was my expectation.”

But when she was 14, Raelee rebuilt a car with her older cousin.

“We worked on it the entire summer and when we got it running it was the best feeling in the world,” she said. “I really like working with my hands.’ ”