How do you feel about your teen going to trade school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I would feel like I failed my child. Yes, someone needs to do plumbing but I do not want my child to be the one. There, I said it.

Ugh. DCUM’s gotta DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Probably depends on the trade. A concern would be the physical toll some trades can take on the body and the potential for injury.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the kid. If it's a good fit and they've thought about it and researched it, I'd be fine. A skilled trade can be a solid career, although they can also be physically demanding. So I'd strongly encourage some accounting/business classes, too, to help them be a successful businessperson and also more career flexibility as they age. And I'd encourage them to keep reading and studying other subjects-- you don't need a degree to keep learning history, politics, literature, etc., to enrich your mind and your free time.

[Anonymous]

Trades will eventually be replaced by cheap immigrant labor or ai/robots

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dental hygienist daughter makes $65.00 an hour with six weeks paid vacation.

Wow!
I’m a lawyer making 50/hour. I don’t get paid when I go to the bathroom, so I’m certainly not getting paid vacation. And of course I’m didn’t start my wonderful career until I was nearly thirty and in debt.

[Anonymous]

I wish I had the kind of intelligence required for a trade. I’m in debt and sit at a desk all day. I’m bored and boring.

[Anonymous]

As long as they can pivot into a supervisor/office position by their early 30s, when the physical toll starts showing up.

[Anonymous]

I would be surprised and sort of wary because he is the epitome of impracticality it seems. I can’t picture him doing anything quickly and well. Well maybe cooking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably depends on the trade. A concern would be the physical toll some trades can take on the body and the potential for injury.

My uncle did flooring. He made good money, but his body did take a beating. I guess the same could be said for sitting in an office all day? That doesn’t do your body any favors either.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As long as they can pivot into a supervisor/office position by their early 30s, when the physical toll starts showing up.

Early 30s? Unless there’s an accident there’s no reason for someone to be out of shape. Sitting at a desk doing Computer work causes carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, poor posture and weight gain. Every job has pluses and negatives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends on their abilities. If they are a top student, high test scores, etc. and can get into a great college, I’d be disappointed.

If they are a mediocre student, I’d fully support trade school.

It isn’t that one path is better than the other, but I would want my child to find a path that suits their abilities and talents. Yes the world needs great plumbers and welders, but it needs great doctors and computer programmers too

People throw around being a doctor like anyone can do it as long as they have top scores. That’s not true. It takes a certain type of person to become a doctor, a certain personality type. And anyone interested in working with their hands would be bored to death sitting in front a computer.

There are students who want badly to be a doctor and they work hard towards. There are students who want to build things or fix things, that’s where their talents and abilities are even if they were valedictorian.

Welders who work industrial can earn $200,000 after experience. It’s plain snobbery to be upset at your kid having a goal as welder. I’d be happy.

More than 90% of the people who get into medical schools will be doctors who see patients.

Will they all be good at it? No. But it's nearly true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trades will eventually be replaced by cheap immigrant labor or ai/robots

So will a lot of office work. There are computer programs that can easily help you with your taxes. Programs that have every form to create your own estate planning documents plus necessary forms to file with court for a simple probate or dispute. Entry level jobs have already been replaced by computers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daughter is forgoing college and enrolling in trade school fall 2025 to be a welder.

We are thrilled and support her 100%.

The world needs more tradespeople.

How would you feel if your teen said no to college and wants to join the trades?

I would bribe her to take some college courses on the side so that door isn't completely closed and some intellectual growth happens while trade skills are being achieved.

[Anonymous]

That's amazing, OP, and thank you for being supportive! One of my children is likely to get an associate's degree, leaning towards something like med tech, but I would encourage her to go into a trade if she wanted that. There's so much demand for tradespeople, it's a lucrative career and if you're good, you'll always have a job.