In a recent article in the Ventura County Star newspaper, Peter Shedlosky, a high school counselor reminded readers of the limited options in high school for students not planning to attend a 4-year college. In fact, national statistics tells us that that 70-75% of high school students will NOT go on to complete 4-year college programs.
Slashed education budgets have resulted in elimination of vocational training programs and shop classes from high school. Some schools are also eliminating career technical education programs and replacing them with college prep programs.
Readers shared Shedlosky's concern for the lack of skills training in high schools. Here were some of their comments.
- "Instead of college prep, high school students should be taught practical skills like personal tax preparation, how to invest and maintain personal records."
- "Skills like construction, welding and so forth are great skills. Getting a degree in Sociology is pretty expensive and lets face it, does not really prepare you for good, solid earning potential."
- "In my day, trade schools flourished, along side community colleges and 4-year universities. Where have they gone?"
Certainly vocational training continue to offer great options for high school graduates who want to gain good marketable skills and begin in hot careers in a relatively short time.
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