A Time for Trade Schools
“Although college might be a road that some students enjoy, higher education is not an infallible route toward financial stability, nor is it the sole route toward a meaningful and profitable career.” - Intellectual Takeout
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I am grateful for the college education I have, but there are a lot of people out there who either cannot afford it, or who really aren’t cut out for classroom work. Far better to get a trade where they can earn a living, and then perhaps choose to get more of a traditional academic education if they like.
Plus, it’s awful hard to outsource things like plumbing, driving a truck, and electrical work to China. :^)
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
Story of a seminary graduate: This is an absolutely true story (not in a Fargoian sense) (the name has been changed)!
- Sam graduated from an unaccredited Bible college
- Sam’s college is now defunct (one of these (Clearwater CC, T Temple, Pillsbury, Northland University))
- Sam attends seminary and graduates
- Sam has no job (finds work as a security worker on the night shift making little more than minimum wage)
- Sam has a friend who attended technical college and received certificate in HVAC
- Sam’s friend makes a living and provides for himself
- Sam is sad
I attended a missions conference with a fellow church planter who also works in HVAC. The HVAC career has enabled him to be a bi vocational pastor. I have a pre teen son with dyslexia who wants to be a plumber. We were at a home show and he talked to many plumbers who had booths there and had numerous “job offers” to be an apprentice once he was old enough. A college education can provide a lot of opportunities, but it definitely is not the only route to consider.
The military acted as a trade school for me in law enforcement/investigations/management, which is why I have the job I have now.
Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.
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