By Marsha Mullings
Going to College – earning a bachelor’s degree is one of the most important symbols of success in our culture. The demands of earning a degree prepare young adults for the responsibilities of adulthood and grooms them for the role of being productive citizens. Attending college is considered the logical move after graduating high school, a necessary step in the march towards social and financial independence. This belief is so ingrained in our society that to deviate from this path is deemed a missed opportunity and a waste of potential. The college degree is considered the best road to financial and social success.
Yet we are so immersed in the idea of college as the premier route to success that we have failed to recognize and expand other pathways to success. Individuals who forgo college and instead opt to learn a trade in a vocational school are often dis-missed as lacking in ambition. Vocational schools are viewed by many as alternatives to “real” schools, better suited to students who are failing in traditional colleges, or who are just not “cut out” for the college environment. This belief has been adopted by many parents who do not fully understand the value and benefits of vocational training, and are often the first to discourage their children from enrolling in vocational schools. This is particularly prevalent among parents with advanced and professional degrees, who prefer that their children follow their path.
It is easy to accept that parents want their children to succeed, and that they believe college is the best choice for success. However, we should not so easily accept the idea that college is the only path to social and economic success. In fact, we are beginning to see a stark reality for many college students: their expensive degrees may not produce a favorable return on their original investment. Many degree holders are indebted and will find it very difficult to obtain jobs that can help them to meet their loan obligations quickly. Those who are not graduates of top-tier universities may experience a slow progress towards financial stability, especially if they have started out with a heavy debt burden.
Vocational training offers many options for students and does not rule out the possibility of individuals engaging in formal studies later. Moreover, vocational schools are often considerably less expensive than colleges, have shorter programs and ultimately, do not produce the enormous levels of indebtedness experienced by many degree holders. The current labor shortage in the trade sectors is best addressed by recruiting and hiring individuals who have strong vocational training and are ready to undertake available jobs, without additional training. Many colleges have begun to adopt the model of vocational institutions by focusing on practical training and limiting the number of general courses. Nursing and hospitality studies are examples of this in the university system. This is a good step, but we should focus on developing premium vocational institutions that are highly competitive and offer a good alternative to college. We can begin by adopting some simple measures:
- Highlight the importance of vocational training as an excellent alternative to a traditional college education
- Diversify the routes to rewarding careers by mixing and adopting the best of both vocational and college systems
Colleges play an important role in developing and honing the intellectual and professional competencies of the individuals who will be our future workforce and leaders, but they are not the only good source of education and training. Vocational institutions provide a critical source of technical training that can complement the training provided by colleges. It is vital that we foster an environment where our vocational institutions are a complement to our college system, providing first-class training, and being a first-choice option for those who want to develop technical skills. Our society is better for having a diversity of training institutions that give everyone great options for academic and vocational education.
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