Skilled trade gap widens even as college costs soar

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In the past 40 years, the cost of college has increased, on average, an astonishing 161%. As millions of young Americans head back to campus for the fall semester, the college dream is not what it used to be. University students nationwide are facing skyrocketing college costs and are struggling to pay.

In 1979, the average annual cost to attend a four-year college was $11,505, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By 2021-22, the total price, including tuition, fees, room and board, and adjustments for inflation, increased to $30,031.

Parents and students are now considering alternative options. Trade school, community college, and apprenticeship interest is growing.

The Decline Of College Enrollment

Undergraduate college enrollment is declining due to costs and aftereffects of the pandemic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the drop since 2018 is the biggest ever. People are also changing their views on the need for higher education.

As of 2019, only about half of U.S. adults considered a college education “very important,” according to a Gallup poll. This is down from 70% in 2013.

That number declined further in 2023, with four in ten parents saying their children must earn a college degree. Attitudes about the necessity of college are shifting. There has been a growing interest in trade school programs over the past few years.

More people are studying to be mechanics and repair workers. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, enrollment in these programs increased 11.5% from 2021 to 2022. Construction courses grew by 19.3%, while culinary grew by 12.7%.

Rising Costs of College

Costs remain at the core of the discussion around college and as a barrier to entry for many. Seventy-five percent of Americans believe people do not attend college due to unaffordability. This statistic is according to a survey by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

According to the Federal Reserve, student loan debt in the U.S. is over $1.75 trillion – and that’s making many students think twice about going to college. Compared to a traditional four-year degree, trade programs are often more affordable. According to Indeed, two-year programs at private trade schools average $15,549. Parents are becoming more open to considering what the trades have to offer.

Jonathan Sanchez, co-founder of Parent Portfolio and father of two, is ready to support his children if they head into the trades. “We’re small business owners and already teaching our kids the power of being your own boss, controlling your own time, and not being capped on how much money you can make,” he said. “Another financial benefit is avoiding the sizable amount of college debt.”

The Increasing Skilled Trade Gap

Despite surging demand for skilled workers, supply doesn’t quite measure up to demand. Even with increasing trade school enrollment, the worker gap is a concern. According to NPR, the application rate for technical jobs like plumber and electrician has dropped by 49% between 2020 and 2022.

While the number of open trade jobs has continued to grow, the number of students interested in applying for them hasn’t. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, aging workforces and a “massive” shortage of skilled workers pose an issue for many trades.

Matt DiBara, CEO of The Contractor Consultants, points out the social stigma around skilled trades, “If you go out with your friends and tell them you’re involved in a skilled trade like plumbing, there’s no excitement or prestige associated with it,” he said. “In fact, it’s almost as if you should be embarrassed about it as if you’ve somehow made a wrong choice in your career path.”

The current skilled worker shortage has been decades in the making. In the 1980s and ’90s, career and technical education saw a stark decline, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). As academic requirements for high school graduation increased, the value of the trades declined. Many schools removed vocational courses entirely from their curriculums.

The decades-long push for high school graduates to prioritize academics has succeeded. Although Gen Z is on track to be the most well-educated generation yet, the lack of skilled workers and tradespeople is concerning.

Skilled Trade Misconceptions

While 85% of young people value a skilled trade career, only 16% are likely to consider such a career, according to Stanley Black & Decker’s inaugural Makers Index report.

Misconceptions about the trades seem to drive the lack of incoming youth, according to Stanley Black & Decker. Pay progression and quality of life are vital to young students — but there’s a widespread misunderstanding about what the trades have to offer.

Young people underestimate the earning potential of work in the trades. According to the Makers Index report, only 42% of young people think skilled trade workers earn at least $50,000. Half of current skilled trade workers with less than a decade’s experience earn at least $50,000 to start.

According to the report, another cited factor included the alleged poor fit of skills due to “outdated perceptions” of what a skilled trades career entails. According to the surveyed students, skilled trades rarely worked with cutting-edge technology — although, in reality, most of those in the workforce say they do work with advanced tech.

Improving Skilled Trade Awareness

A component of the skilled trade gap is the lack of exposure to individuals in trade professions. The misconceptions about trade work stem from a lack of education and introductions to those doing the work.

“Educators at the middle and high school level are not promoting trades as an option to students and parents,” says Brian Keating, Director of the Joint Apprenticeship Training Fund at the United Service Workers Union.

“Exposure to trades and tradespeople is vital to supporting future generations of skilled workers,” explains Jean Eddy, President of the American Student Assistance.

“In the middle school years, beyond exploring careers using digital tools like ASA Futurescape, opportunities include job shadows, worksite visits, career fairs, and “meet a professional” experiences,” she says. “These opportunities allow a young person to uncover the wide variety of career possibilities in front of them and begin to think about what might align with their interests.”

Solving the skilled workers shortage will likely be a decades-long quest. But the trades aren’t on their own. Efforts to revitalize career and technical education are growing nationwide.

One high school district in California has added more than 200,000 square feet of space for technical training programs. Lively Technical College in Florida is working with local high schools to create a dual-enrollment program. A bipartisan Arizona bill hopes to further incentivize dual enrollment across the state. If passed, this bill would benefit both students and schools.

Incentives like these can help students discover how rewarding a trade career can be. This awareness can help us reduce the worker gap and build a younger workforce.

This article was produced by Blue Collar Brain and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.