Gone are the days when a college degree was a guarantee of a shining future.
Erin Valdez, the Policy Director for Next Generation Texas says pushing students toward a college degree has been going on for decades, but it's not for everyone. "The American Dream means to make your own way and to be successful the way you personally can give value. That can mean a lot of different things. " Plumbers, Electricians, Pipe Fitters and Heavy Equipment Mechanics make very good money...and the big freeze in February showed us how much we need them!
Great Paying Jobs Without a College Degree
Lingering student loans are making many college grads question why they were lead to get that degree. Valdez says the College for All policy is one of the reasons there weren't enough plumbers, electricians and truck drivers after the freeze. " Part of the problem starts in High School where students are not in a position to take the classes they need to lay the groundwork to take those kinds of jobs."
She says they are not anti-college - just once-size-fits-all doesn't make sense when tradesmen are retiring with few replacements in sight and college drop-outs are still saddled with debt.
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Drop out of college - Still have debt.Photo: iStockphoto