3634: We Shouldn't Discourage Our Kids From Trade School by Kalen Bruce of Freedom Sprout on Education Choices

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[00:00:56] Welcome back to our Sunday bonus episode, where I share an article with you from a different podcast in our network. Today's episode coming from Optimal Relationships Daily. So with that, here's Greg with the post and commentary as we optimize your life. We shouldn't discourage our kids from trade school by Kaylin Bruce of freedomsprout.com

[00:01:23] Good parents make sure their kids get into a good college. They may pay their way or help them pay for it, but either way, college is a must for any kid who wants to be successful, right? I'm sure you've judged by the title of this article that my answer is, no. There is a stigma surrounding people who don't go to college. Even as the world becomes more BA and MBA saturated, we still preach, go to college, get good grades, and you'll be successful.

[00:01:53] If only it was that easy. If only success was just about financial prosperity. This mindset is misinformed. College doesn't always guarantee success, and frankly, college simply isn't for everyone. The choice is ultimately your child's, but you're here to guide them along. For example, too often we discredit trade schools. Meg St. Esperit highlighted this trade school stigma in an article for The Atlantic.

[00:02:19] Meg shared a story of a kid who was basically forced into medical school and ultimately ended up dropping out and going to a trade school. It's simple. We make too many decisions based on the monetary value. There are a lot of blue-collar jobs that pay as much or more than white-collar jobs. This is when people would chime in with how hard blue-collar jobs can be on your body, and while that's true in some cases, it's not always the case.

[00:02:46] A good friend of mine just finished his time in the military and got a welding certification that will garner him $90 an hour in California, which I know seems like minimum wage for California. But still, that's pretty good. A U.S. news report showed the average physician makes around $200,000 annually. Here are the specifics. Physicians made a medium salary of $194,500 in 2018.

[00:03:11] The best-paid 25% made $208,000 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $88,630. If we assume a 40-hour workweek, and we take the average of $200,000, that's around $90 an hour. So here we have two people doing something they love, I would assume, and making the same. And while many blue-collar jobs like construction can be hard on your body,

[00:03:40] I think we'd all agree that welding isn't so tough on your body. I can hear the negative Nancys now. Where is he earning $90 an hour welding? That's just one example. Yeah, I get that. My point is, the jobs trade schools enable you to get are often thought of as lower-class or second-rate jobs, when in reality, it's just a different path. And regardless, it's not all about money. Your child's future

[00:04:07] I've talked about the question before, should your child go to college? I don't think college, or even trade school for that matter, is a requirement for a successful life. We want our kids to be happy and to do what they were meant to do. Your kids have a purpose, and that doesn't always mean going to college. Sure, sometimes that's exactly what it means, but we need to have intentional conversations with our kids to figure out what they really want to do, not what we want them to do.

[00:04:37] If a trade school is something your kids would excel at, encourage them to chase the dream. When you consider how much less expensive trade schools are, generally speaking, and when considering how much more quickly they will be in the workforce, the financial upside is still looking pretty good. Forbes published an article with the top 25 two-year trade schools to get started on your research if you think your kids would be a good fit for trade schools. We can't talk about trade schools without bringing Mike Rowe,

[00:05:05] the former host of Dirty Jobs, into the conversation. He's been a huge advocate for trade schools and community colleges. Mike says, The simple truth is, quote, We're lending money we don't have to kids who can't pay it back to educate them for jobs that don't exist anymore. End quote. And he's right. Quote, My advice is don't rule out a community college or a trade school. That's what I did. I graduated at a community college, and it was the best thing I ever did.

[00:05:35] End quote. The choice is theirs. Whether your child wants to become a doctor, lawyer, welder, graphic designer, or any other career path, it's up to them in the end. I think we all want what's best for our kids, and sometimes that means letting them make a choice we don't agree with. Out of our five kids, I wouldn't be surprised if one or two went to college, one or two started a business, one went to trade school, and one joined the military.

[00:06:03] As long as their decision is intentional, we will let them determine their own path. You just listened to the post titled, We Shouldn't Discourage Our Kids from Trade School, by Kaylin Bruce of freedomsprout.com. When you need to build up your team to handle the growing chaos at work, use Indeed Sponsored Jobs. It gives your job post the boost it needs to be seen and helps reach people with the right

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[00:07:25] I was just having this discussion yesterday about how the college bubble is bound to burst soon, given how expensive it is and that trade jobs are making a comeback. Of course, there's still a lot of emphasis on strictly pursuing classically higher paying jobs like doctors and lawyers at the moment. But these two are bound to clash soon. And when they do, I think that trade schools are going to make a significant comeback. But in the meantime, as Kalen says is most important,

[00:07:52] is supporting your child and letting them embrace their own choices. If you do feel particularly strongly about your child entering a certain field, well, channel your energy into explaining to them why you feel that way and what you feel the perks are. Explain your concern, but don't demand their participation. And you may want to balance this out by asking them for two to three fields they're interested in that differ from your preferences and promising to help them find just as much information,

[00:08:22] good and bad, about that field as you've shared about your field of choice. This is a really great way of balancing and embracing your child's choice, assisting them in what they want, yet also sharing your thoughts as a concerned parent that wants them to succeed. And that is going to wrap up the week for ORD, everyone. Many thanks for spending these last five days with me. Go out there, have a wonderful weekend, and I sure hope you come back and join me again for a new week of relationship content on Monday,

[00:08:51] where your optimal life awaits.