Careers without college: about two of every five high school graduates do not go to college. Many are finding opportunities with the trades and military - The Scoop - Brief Article

Careers and Colleges, Jan-Feb, 2003

With tuitions rising and the trades and military actively seeking talented young people, many graduates are nor raking a direct route to a higher education. Of the 2.5 million high school students who graduated in 2001, only about 60 percent headed off to college the next fall, according to a recent study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"When you learn a trade, instead of paying money out toward college you can be bringing money in," says A.J. Pearson, executive director of the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. Apprentices in the field of electrical contracting earn about $8 to $9 an hour while they are learning the trade. After completing a five-year apprenticeship, an electrical contractor can be earning as high as $60,000 to $70,000 a year.

"People have a misconception that this is just common, dirty work," says Pearson. "But there's a very technical aspect that requires a knowledge of basic algebra, and there's a pride in the craftsmanship required of this work."

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is another group that is actively recruiting. "In the next decade, 10 million new workers will be needed in manufacturing," says Wade Sayer, director of business education programs for NAM. "Manufacturing means everything from making potato chips to making computer chips and opportunities range from tool and die work to advanced robotics. Plus many manufacturers give tuition reimbursement to learn on the job."

Many students are also turning to the military for career training, as well as tuition assistance and scholarship programs.

For more information on careers that don't require college, check our these Web sites: electrifyingcareers.com, gettech.org, armedforces careers.com, and constructmyfuture.com