Loren Lippincott
It’s graduation season, and high school seniors everywhere are looking to their futures and making plans for higher education and whatever career path they will choose. A recent Georgetown University study stated that by 2027, 70 percent of all jobs will require college or trade school training. As the economy becomes more reliant on technology, it is obvious that specialized schooling becomes ever more important. The question then becomes whether to pursue this training in a trade school or a traditional college setting.
Although nearly 75 percent of graduates have a career in mind following high school, only 13 percent feel fully prepared to choose their path to getting there. Rather than a four-year college many are choosing tech or vocational schools to hone their mechanical or technical skills and knowledge. In Nebraska, these schools commonly offer 16 career clusters of specialties that can be subdivided into as many as 79 career pathways. These careers vary and can include everything from welding to nursing. Here in Nebraska and across the nation, businesses are in dire need of these specialty services, which translates to high-paying jobs for those trained in those specialties.
Meanwhile, colleges and universities offer studies in areas such as business, healthcare, social science, history, engineering, biomedical sciences and many others. There is a serious need for people trained in these areas as well. For instance, the U.S. currently graduates 100,000 engineers a year, whereas China turns out 2 million engineers a year. We need to regain our competitive edge in these disciplines.
When comparing college versus trade school education, the relative costs must be considered. A college or university degree requires approximately 120-128 credit hours, whereas a trade school is about 60 hours. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln charges about $373 per credit hour and there are other charges, like books, room and board, health insurance, parking fees and so on. On the other hand, Central Community College in Grand Island charges $112 per credit hour. Many students will attend a community college to get basic credits before later attending a university. Both community colleges and major universities are working to make this a more seamless transition.
One advantage of universities over other schools is the presence of ROTC programs. If one is interested in becoming a military officer, this is an excellent way to go. Another option would be to skip college or university education and go directly to one of the U.S. military academies, provided one is accepted. If a high school sophomore or junior is interested in attending one of the service academies, it would be wise to contact a representative online to begin learning about this avenue. Service academies act as the universities for the various branches of the military and those who attend essentially get a full-ride college scholarship, and also get paid while attending. The criteria to get accepted at an academy, however, is tough, requiring a high GPA in high school and involvement in sports and student leadership.
Ironically, the cost of a college education keeps going up while at the same time society’s view of college is going through a generational change. Prior to the COVID pandemic, average tuition costs were increasing 8 percent a year and doubled in nine years, outpacing wages by eight times. As a nation we now have a 1.5 trillion dollar student debt crisis on our hands. Meanwhile, a national poll of businesses showed 67 percent of them had a negative view of college’s influence on graduates.
With these factors in mind, it is wise for young people to plan carefully as they take the next step in preparing themselves for a career. Once on campus, study disciplines are essential, and it’s important to put what one learns into practice. A recent study showed only 26.3 percent of college graduates end up in a job in their area of study. Honing skills through part-time jobs while in college can help. Putting one’s skills and talents to work can help students find their niche. That conforms to something the philosopher Aristotle said more than 2,000 years ago: “What we learn, we learn by doing.”
Loren Lippincott represents Legislative District 34 in the Nebraska State Senate. Read his column in the Nance County Journal.