Trade school is a really good [way to save] money. You show up to school, get paid, and just learn. It’s better than college in my opinion, because you have to pay [for college] and can go into debt. I’m interested in being an engineer, and you could take the path [of] trade school and still become an engineer in life. I’ve been encouraged by my family [to pursue trades] and told that trade school is a good option. My family friend used to be in trades, who told me all the benefits, ups and downs, and it got me hooked. I’m just really prepared for trades. Currently, I’m just relaxing, but during my junior year [and] to through senior year, [but] I’ll definitely start looking into it more.
“[To prepare for trade school], my counselors have been telling me a lot about classes like 3D printing. [I wish I could take] an architectural class talking more about blueprints, how to make them and how to read them. [I would like to] focus more on how to make a business, not how to work for someone, but how to work for yourself. I go to meetings [about] business, [and] it develops how I organize everything – there’s a book that we have with everything organized and categorized in alphabetical order, with everything we’re trading and everything.”
We need a lot more trade programs [at] school. When my parents were growing up, they used to have automotive classes or woodshops. They were super interesting classes for me and I wish I could take them now, but sadly I can’t because schools got rid of them. Trades are pretty secure jobs. For the most part, you can’t really get replaced by AI, and if you’re good at it, you can also get paid very well. Electricians [are] pretty cool because it’s how a majority of things work — lights, TVs, and very common household things. For welding, you’re working with metal a lot, and you’re working with a bunch of different things — amusement parks, sports stadiums.
“Getting [paid] while learning is something that would motivate me to actually learn something new. I’m interested [in] the money and what you can learn about trade school. I’ve never really heard of it before and I didn’t know about it until [recently]. It would be nice if [Aragon] told us more about trades. My dad said more people should learn about it because it’s not really taught anymore.”
Roman Carlson
“I was probably going to go to college and do something in cars. [Trade school] is definitely not as shameful as it might sound. It’s not like, ‘this is your life for the next forever’. Once you get into the trades, after five years of education with the journeyman card, you can go anywhere at least in the United States. It opens up options. It doesn’t close you up. This is where I am, and I’m pretty happy with it. My aunt married my new uncle, and he’s an electrician. He owns a house and he’s not that old, and that’s [an] inspiration. I like working with my hands – I’m a recreational woodworker. [I’m interested] specifically in HVAC electricians, because it’s super intricate.”
