Summer’s over and school is back in session, but this fall, it’s not just for the kids. From South Carolina to Massachusetts to California, states across the country are experiencing huge surges in vocational and technical school enrollment among students in their 40’s and 50’s.
This should come as no surprise, given the state of the economy and the unemployment rate, but there are other less obvious reasons that probably share some of the credit for attracting more non-traditional sutdents into the trades.
One likely reason that the skilled trades are enjoying renewed appeal is that a plumber in China will be completely useless if your water pipes freeze and crack this winter — for the most part, skilled trade work cannot be outsourced to low wage countries. By contrast, employers are realizing that modern communications technology makes it possible to ship a great many jobs overseas, including engineers, bookkeepers, computer programmers and more.
Another possible explanation for increased trade school enrollment is the realization that these jobs can provide a very respectable living – in many cases, a journeyman willing to travel and work overtime can earn well into six figures.
And finally, popular culture must also take some of the credit for the skilled trade renaissance. Many new reality television shows, such as American Chopper, The Deadliest Catch and American Loggers, portray manual labor as a physically demanding, yet exciting and personally fulfilling life.
Are you seeing an increased interest in trade education among people over 40? What do you think is driving this trend? Share your thoughts on this subject by posting a comment below.
