Is vocational ed still available in a meaningful way?
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Anonymous
| DS (15) is not academically inclined and school is a real struggle. He's intelligent but has several LDs that have made traditional academics a challenge. He has great visual/spatial skills and can build and put together things with ease. I think he will be happiest (and most financially secure) if he can learn a skilled trade---like carpentry, or electrical work, etc. Where does a modern-day teenager go to figure out what type of skilled trade work they'd be most interested in? |
Anonymous
| Where do you live? MCPS has a vocational high school with carpentry, electrician, auto mechanics, computer repair etc . . . |
Anonymous
| We live in DC. |
Anonymous
Which one? |
Anonymous
| It's now called Career and Technical Education (CTE). I know Fairfax County has a very strong CTE program, but I don't know about DC. |
Anonymous
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Here is a link for DC schools
http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/College+and+Careers/College+and+Career+Planning/Career+and+Technical+Education |
Anonymous
Thomas Edison, kids can be bused there from any school in the county for a 1/2 day of vocational classes. |
Anonymous
+1 DH went there 30 years ago. It's still an excellent program. DH was a terrible student. College would have been a nightmare for him. He is now one of those people who has found success doing what he loves. Because he loves his career, he's very good at it. Because he's very good, he's very successful. And of course translates into financially secure. Contrast this with my brother who was also a terrible student. My parents were insistent that he go to college. At 45, he's still trying to figure a job. Good tradespeople are in demand. Look at all the postings on DCUM for people seeing a plumber, handyman, electrician etc. College is not for everyone. Good for you for looking at other options for your son now. |
Anonymous
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PP, thanks for sharing your husband's experience. I discovered Thomas Edison five years ago and have been to countless open houses since then. My son, who struggles terribly in school despite supports, was accepted and is starting there in the fall. I feel very relieved for him that he will finally have something to look forward to each day.
To the OP, You can go to the school website and get information on the programs. I also recommend the open houses. In some cases, kids who go there come out with the certifications they need to start working and some programs offer college credit. I was very impressed with what I saw. |
Anonymous
Good luck to your son. I'm sure he will enjoy the program. It's a hard decision to make in this area where it seems that every child is taking multiple APs and going to college. It sounds like this is right decision for your son. Kudos to both of you for recognizing that there are other fantastic paths to HS graduation and a good career. |
Anonymous
DC actually has excellent programs that are aimed to put students in high wage jobs right after high school. They consider high wage to be making enough to support a family of 4, as one's career progresses. If your child doesn't go on to college, s/he will be offered opportunities to achieve certifications that make him or her more marketable for jobs, or more attractive to post-secondary institutions (if they decide to ultimately pursue that path). You should ask for a meeting with their office, where youe child can sit in. |
Anonymous
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You can always do trade school after college.
If it can afforded, college is for everyone. Everyone is better off having gone to college. |
Anonymous
That is not true. Many people go to college and have huge loans, then can't get decent jobs. It's even worse for people who obviously aren't cut out for college; not everyone is. So they take a few classes or semesters. Have loans, but no degree. Now they are worse off than they were when they began. That being said, everyone should go to some sort of schooling after HS. Career and Technical Education (what used to be called Vocational Ed) is perfect for so many people. And you can get an excellent job, making good money without all the debt of a college degree. |
Anonymous
He can always do college after trade school if he chooses and will probably be able to pay for it using his skills. |
Anonymous
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From acteonline.org
A person with a CTE-related associate degree or credential will earn on average between $4,000 and $19,000 more a year than a person with a humanities associate degree. 27 percent of people with less than an associate degree, including licenses and certificates, earn more than the average bachelor degree recipient. The skilled trades are the hardest jobs to fill in the United States, with recent data citing 806,000 jobs open in the trade, transportation and utilities sector and 293,000 jobs open in manufacturing. Health care occupations, many of which require an associate degree or less, make up 12 of the 20 fastest growing occupations. STEM occupations such as environmental engineering technicians require an associate degree and will experience faster than average job growth. Middle-skill jobs, jobs that require education and training beyond high school but less than a bachelor's degree, are a significant part of the economy. Of the 55 million job openings created by 2020, 30 percent will require some college or a two-year associate degree. |