The Welcome Return of Blue Collar Jobs

For many high school graduates in Texas and the Gulf Coast region, attending a four-year university is no longer seen as the only path to success. The area has recently experienced a sort of “industrial revolution” built around the energy boom, which created many petrochemical plants and miles of new oil pipelines. This has increased the demand for welders, process operators and instrument technicians — all of which require vocational skills that have, until recently, seen a decline in demand.

To meet this need, local community colleges have partnered up with companies like ExxonMobil, who contribute money, advice and equipment to train and recruit new students and faculty.

The shift is shocking to industry veterans such as Jim Hanna, who is the Senior Director of Human Resources at the engineering and construction company Fluor Corporation that is building petrochemical plants for Dow Chemical, Chevron Philips Chemical and Sasol. “I’ve never seen anything like it. For a long time, parents didn’t want their son or daughter to become a pipe fitter or welder, but now, the demand for non-college graduates with vocational skills is huge,” Hanna told the New York Times.

So, What’s The Point of Going to College?

This shift to community college comes at a time when some feel that the benefits of a four-year college degree are nearly outweighed by the costs. Oftentimes, the degrees students spend so much time and money earning don’t lead to jobs that offset the costs of student loan debt, which regularly amounts to $30,000 per student. This has created a generation of “boomerang kids,” who put off getting married, having kids and moving out of their parents’ homes due to this financial immaturity.

With entry-level welders making $16.50 an hour, experienced welders bringing in $30 and specialty welders commanding $55 to $100, it’s no surprise that students are questioning the point of attending an expensive four-year university. But, is this such a bad thing?

President Obama doesn’t seem to think so. In his most recent budget proposal, he suggests a sort of alliance between schools and industries by using community colleges to “prepare a greater number of young people for the 21st century work force and help drive long term economic growth.”

If you look at the trajectory of higher education in America, the shift to community college degrees and trade schools is inevitable. Perpetuated in the name of American tradition and societal merit, attending a four-year university is becoming increasingly out of reach for the “average” American. The educational accessibility that our country was once revered for is becoming more and more rooted in status, wealth and privilege rather than equal opportunity and human rights. The increased popularity and relevance of community college and trade schools brings our educational efforts back down to earth.

Do you think this educational shift is a good thing? Share your thoughts in the comments below or catch up with us on Facebook.