Gen Z is Quiet Quitting Higher Education for Trade Schools
The young men and women of this country want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They are beginning to chart a new course that doesn’t include indoctrination programs from elite colleges and universities.
Early last year, The Independent Review published an intriguing article: Hyperpoliticization of Higher Ed Trends in Faculty Political Ideology, 1969–Present.
The authors, Phillip W. Magness (senior research faculty and director of research and education at the American Institute for Economic Research) and David Waugh (managing editor at the American Institute for Economic Research), assessed complex data obtained from surveys that evaluated the political views of higher education faculty [e.g., Carnegie Commission on Higher Education Faculty Survey (1969–1984), UCLA-Higher Education Research Institute Faculty Survey (1989–2016)]. The information confirms trends that Legal Insurrection has long noted: Since 2001, 2001 higher education faculty positions have taken a hard, and “professors on the political left are now approaching a supermajority.”
While their findings are interesting, a question they pose about the future consequences of this development is prescient.
A hyperpoliticized academy does not bode well for students, faculty, or anyone interested in serious learning. For many students and for an increasing share of the general public, this has turned the educational experience from one of intellectual pursuit into pure activist sophistry. The only remaining question, then, is how long the public will continue to pay for a university system that no longer aligns with its values or educational priorities.
The answer is: Not much longer.
Courtesy of many independent websites and social media platforms, potential new students can see for themselves the toxic learning environment created by professors and administrators pushing progressive ideology focused on racialism, climate cultism, antisemitism, “gender-fluidity”, and all the other dogma elements that strip away reason, logic, self-responsibility and human dignity. The price for all of this insanity is tens of thousands of dollars for a four-year degree, with some programs at the elite and super-progressive institutions being in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Unfortunately for the leftists dominating American higher education today, graduating students still have to earn a living. So, Gen Z is beginning to vote with its feet and is opting for 2-year trade schools free of hyped-up moral outrage and outrageous expenses.
Community colleges offering vocational programs witnessed one of the highest numbers of student enrollment in fall 2023, as students opting for higher education showed a slight improvement overall from declines seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Those community colleges with a focus on vocational programs saw registrations climb 16 percent, an increase of 112,000 students, substantially higher than the rate seen before COVID, when it rose 3.7 percent. Associate degree programs jumped more than 2.2 percent, to 96,000 students.
The interest in vocational education began to see increases in sign-ups going back to three years ago, Jennifer Causey, senior research associate at the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, told Newsweek.
“Since Fall 2021, vocational programs have started to see upticks in enrollments, and specific program families such as Mechanic Repair Technologies grew 11.2 percent this fall alone,” she said.
One factor is that many young Americans considering their future careers are opting for certifications rather than degrees.
Confidence in colleges is falling, and the perceived value of on-the-job training and shorter-term licensure or certificate programs is on the rise, according to a study cited in a March 2024 article by Inside Higher Ed.
Conducted by the marketing research firm Edge Research and HCM Strategists, a public policy and advocacy consulting firm funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the report noted that although 58% of high schoolers and 51% of non-enrolled adults in 2023 believed “you must have a college degree to earn a ‘good job,’” 69% and 65%, respectively, believed certification is enough.
One example of this trend comes from the Independent Electrical Contractors Southern Colorado, an electrical apprenticeship school in Colorado Springs.
Executive Director Dale Weis said registration for programs is up 30% compared to this time last year. He said their programs offering skills in the electrical industry are almost full for the upcoming school year, which he said doesn’t normally happen until August.
“We’re adding two more classrooms this year to accommodate those new students,” said Weis. “It’s an earn-while-you-learn program, which means that the student is working full time for an electrical contractor during the day, and they attend school one night a week for four hours.”
Weis said over the past 15 to 20 years, many electrical professionals have retired from the industry, creating a large deficit of skilled workers in the trade.
It must be noted that gender is not fluid in electrical safety, which may add appeal for potential students.
When was the last time a trade school closed because of a “tentifada” protest? How often to plumbing instructors ask for pronouns? Would welding masters for their trainees to read materials related to “whiteness and microaggressions“.
This country’s young men and women want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Thanks to reports from independent news sources and evidence on social media, they are beginning to chart a new course that doesn’t include indoctrination programs from elite colleges and universities.
According to new research more Gen Zers are choosing trade school to learn skills and degrees are looking more of a hassle. I discussed this and the rising increase of suicide rates amongst those in trades with NTD news’ Sean Marshall. Full story here: https://t.co/o3R36ncEk4 pic.twitter.com/6CG7itwNqY
— Stephanie Alston (@Steph_R_Alston) July 17, 2024
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
to pass the plumbers course you need to flush dei down the toilet
I was an HR guy in a previous life and watched the devaluation of the college degree over a couple decades. Any type of degree used to be an indicator of willingness to do work, an ability to learn assigned work , and generally speaking an ability to do basic analysis, organization of information, and to report it in written form. You could expect even an English Major or History Major to be a useful addition to your company, after reasonable job specific training.
However, Pell Grants and Government guaranteed loan generated a market opportunity for colleges to go after a broader market. Sadly, this necessitated adding courses for students who would not otherwise qualify for college. So remedial courses were the first: imagine a remedial high school level English or mathematics course….in college. Later, of course, came the esoterica of Women’s studies, etc.
In the end a college degree became of zero value in assessing the abilities of a potential employee outside those in STEM.
A college degree became a participation trophy and just an advanced placement extension of high school.
Mike Rowe has been preaching this route for decades, good to see that it is paying off.
I’ve thought for a long time that this is where the US has to go to remain prosperous and competitive, and frankly I’m happy that youngsters are getting the message way faster than I thought would happen.
Indeed. We need more people who can build and fix things, fewer people serving coffee or working in HR or academia.
We also need fewer “activists”, “advocates”, “community organizers” and other such USELESS people.
My niece’s husband is an electrician., He specializes in backup generators and automatic transfer switches. He stays busy and clears over $200k a year.
Imagine not taking on a boat load of debt instead providing ur self n family a good income providing a service that ppl will pay for.
Basically, the cost of a college education exceeds any salary benefit from the college education. The greedy college administrators have priced their product out of the market.
That’s what I have advised my son to do (and I have a PhD). I said it was far from a good route to take–really went to sh*t during my program. They have overproduced “credentialed” people and there aren’t jobs for them, especially the more worthless degrees.
I work in Ship Repair. Right now we’d hire a 5 year old if they could hold a welding torch. It’s that busy.
Most places have their own apprenticeship programs and welding schools. Unfortunately, some of this generation just don’t want to get up that early (actual words from a subcontractor).
that eliminates me – I have essential tremors. I was under the house sweating some copper fittings on a water supply line with torch. Left hand started shaking as I am sweating the joint with the copper joint about 4 inches away from the 2×8 floor joist. Good thing it was only 1/2, so it was only 30-40 secs to get joint hot enough for the solder to flow in.
Been that way for a long time. I was stationed at Pearl back in 2004 and went on some business on a ship in the yards. The guy we talked to told me that it was practically impossible to find good welders. He even said that if I found one to send him their way. If a welder was hard working and showed up to work on time and didn’t call out sick all the time, the sky was the limit!
I can’t blame them and I’ve seen it myself. Neither one of my nephews elected to go to college. One is a business owner and he works on turbo diesels in the other is a maintenance tech in the Air Force. Personally I wouldn’t have joined the military with someone like Joe Biden in charge, but it’s not my life.
At least he’s learning a useful skill he can take elsewhere.
As has been said, sunlight is the best of disinfectants.
The shining of the light of truth on the colleges and universities is a wonderful development, one capable of breaking the widely accepted assumption that a college education/degree is needed in order to succeed in life. For many, the contrary is true, as little value is derived from expensive college eductions.
University payrolls are bloated with useless, excess administrators; Deputy Assistant to the Special Deputy for the Dean of ?. Then there’s the demographics, not enough Students graduate HS to sustain the current # of Professors much less admin. That’s why many of.them look to bring in foreign Students who can/will pay full freight on tuition.
There’s another trend.
Sort of like Home schooling networks in Washington State are bursting at the seams, CONSERVATIVE colleges where there is ZERO tolerance for woke crap are thriving.
Another theme- the faux-conservative ones that let the gender confused loon that shows up and wants to run the show lose enrollment faster than shit through a goose- because their target customers aren’t having it.
also- watch them up their marketing for international students…
top dollar tuition. 4x the cost and willing to have less freedom.
Plus your dorm costs go way down if all your students are willing to live in tents on the quad.
Gen Z is getting smart. I definitely wouldn’t go to college today unless I was professionalizing as an MD, or lawyer or engineer or a STEM field. I would join the military, signing up for a trade, do my time and walk into an apprenticeship. I’d be making money hand over fist.
I flunked out of college in 84, joined the workforce as a lowly material handler in a local textile mill. I accepted a position in maintenance two years later in 87, and it turned into 37 years of a career for me.
There is indeed a huge influx of young trade workers coming up through the ranks and my responsibility now is to pay back a debt to those that willingly shared information with my young self, and pay it forward to a new breed.
Let’s assume you’re an American teen, and let’s assume you’re not particularly good-looking or athletic or artistic.
If you get a freaking entry level job at a fast food restaurant, and you do a decent job, they’ll train you to become an assistant manager. Just don’t be a jerk. You’ll get promoted.
Meanwhile. learn Spanish. Or Mandarin. Or Arabic. Or whatever. This will take time and commitment, but if you start in your mid-teens then by the time you get to your mid-twenties, you’ll be a valuable employee who knows the restaurant business and who can communicate with customers and coworkers who don’t speak English well.
Plus!! the added bonus: you’ll never really have to deal with the pedophiles and race-monger grifters. Except maybe as customers.
And you won’t have thousands in student debt. Or in student regret.
The thing that most people seem unable or unwilling to grasp is that most people who work as faculty in most colleges and universities ……… they’re just not that impressive. In America, we’ve been conditioned to believe that you can’t learn to wipe your butt properly unless we learned how from a guy with a PhD — but most of us figure it out anyway.
(Wasn’t intended as reply to scooterjay)
Let’s assume you’re an American teen, and let’s assume you’re not particularly good-looking or athletic or artistic. If you get a freaking entry level job at a fast food restaurant, and you do a decent job, they’ll train you to become an assistant manager. Just don’t be a jerk. You’ll get promoted.
A friend’s grandson started out at the bottom rung in a restaurant, proved himself to be a responsible & competent sort, and at age 19 is a restaurant manager earning $6000 a month.
I think one important factor for young people to seek a trade rather than a degree is because of what they have to pay for repairs on their cars, computers and if they own a home those repairs. Most repair shops of any kind are running at close to $100 an hour and most out-of-college jobs don’t come close to that. To me the perfect higher Ed would be a trade/degree program on most jobs.
Don’t Go To College
Authors: Michael J. Robillard, PhD, & Timothy Gordon, JD
Year: 2022
The College Scam
Author: Charlie Kirk
Year: 2022
Mike Rowe (2023) Three-minute appearance on Fox News laying out logic against four-year college right out of high school for most people
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RZilZVAULzo
College Beyond the United States — European Schools that will Change your Life Without Breaking the Bank
Author: Jennifer Viemont
Year: 2018
= = =
Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School?: The Case for Helping Them Leave, Chart Their Own Paths, and Prepare for Adulthood
Author: Blake Boles
Year: 2020
The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money
Author: Bryan Caplan
Year: 2018
The Teenage Liberation Handbook (Third Edition): How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education
Author: Grace Llewelyn
Year: 2021
Inside American Education: The Decline, The Deception, The Dogmas
Author: Thomas Sowell, PhD
Year: 1992
{Americans 200 years ago had to learn Latin to be considered “educated” but …….. things change. “Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.” Still.}
In order to get certified, trade schools will be forced to hire female and minority teachers and their students will be forced to take DEI courses. No way will the Democrats leave millions of young men, especially White men, alone. No way.
That’s a vulnerability that the article just danced right past:
You are very, very restricted if you don’t have some manner of credentials. You can be an apprentice, but you still have to have a license for that; and you cannot open up your own company until you’ve got at least the journeyman certification – by government decree. OK, there is a certain expectation of reliability by requiring and having the proper credential, but it is still something wide open to manipulation. The STEM classes in the universities thought that they were immune to such meddling, but they are fast finding out that they cannot issue their degrees without having big elements of wokeness among the required curriculum.
Higher education only got higher when the bloated government took over funding.
In the end, doesn’t it all come down do RETURN ON INVESTMENT? For most sane humans, half-a-million dollars is a lot to spend on .a.n.y.t.h.I.n.g. But for some people, the t-shirt and bragging rights make it rational.
Have you ever waited on one of those Disco Rope Lines? And then you get in, and you realize WTF was THAT all about?!
Imho Americans really need to do some growing up.
It’s not the 1950s any more.
We don’t rule the world any more.
Selfish, unscrupulous people obviously have infiltrated much of American politics, culture, society.
For most American teens and their families, I’d urge: First Things First. You need a way to make a halfway decent, halfway reliable living.
Go. Go out there, go out and make it happen. For you.
Don’t bitch and moan.
Just go out and do it.
Make your mistakes.
You’ll be fine.
There’s an important demographic factor that plays into this too.
About 1/4 of students today are Hispanic. Hispanic young men have a strong preference for the trades.
Been there done that.
Thanks to local Technical College in my area at that time I was recruited by Dept of Air Force then the FAA. Retired at 55 with many gray hairs but a enjoyable career as a Radar/Automation Tech/Engineer.
As a poor country boy from the sticks I wanted to go to college but could not raise the money. Tried poor man’s college in the US Military satisfying my
debt to this country and came home an went to work/Trade School.
Without training in math and physics I never could have gotten the “play for pay” fun jobs I’ve had. But that was back when colleges taught something.
And the dirty secret no one is talking about….. get a good job skill and a great paying job. Then, if you’re still interested….. go on to college while you have a great paying job. You’ll likely be less willing to blow money partying, on fraternities, or taking filler classes you don’t need. You can’t imagine how ticked off you’ll get when the teacher walks your class (you paid for their time) or goes off topic to share their politics – or student protesters cause your classes to be canceled and moved online. Things are much different when you have skin in the game for your tuition money.
Another dirty secret that nobody talks about: “Broad-based classic liberal arts education” is ……………. extremely overrated.
Get a job
Establish a reputation
Build a career
If you feel curious about Socrates and Sophocles and Shakespeare and Robespierre and Tolstoy, there will be plenty of opportunities later on ..to learn about thosse guys, and much more
I come from a large family (Catholic!), and about five of my first cousins of college age decided to go the trade school/apprenticeship route and are in various stages of completion. They made the decision that college was not for them, and they are in plumbing and electrical trades programs. They’ll be wealthier than all of us combined!