Pub. 1 2019 Issue 1

THE U.S. NEEDS SKILLED Automotive Technicians I f you live in the U.S., you already know what most people want for their children: a university educa- tion followed by a high-paying white-collar job. The decision to earn a four-year academic degree has also traditionally been encouraged by the high school that the students attend, as most are focused on academics and getting students ready for college. Unfortunately, adults generally don’t prepare students for anything other than college. That is an unfortunate mistake, because the career path of a four-year degree is not for everyone. This is something that teachers have long known. In 20/20 hindsight, so do parents and students themselves. But economists are now weighing in as well because mil- lions of good-paying jobs are opening up in the trades. And some pay better than what the average college graduate makes. The reality is that it is possible for just about anyone to get a particular skill in a particular field and make more than a college graduate. According to www.salary. com, the salary range for an automotive mechanic is between $34,102 and $44,764, and while that may seem less than the salary for a fair number of jobs that require a college degree, starting salary also doesn’t take into account what’s possible once someone gains experience and credentials. According to NADA, a master technician can earn $69,703. A service advisor can earn $62,333. Down the road, in as little as five years, a six-figure salary is completely achievable. So why has the PR for trade careers not been as glow- ing as that of college graduates? Part of the problem is that “averages lie.” Also, accord- ing to Anthony Carnevale, the director of the George- town University Center on Education and the Work- force, the averages often quoted with salaries of those in skilled trades, when compared with college gradu- ates, tend to lump people who work at RadioShack or Target in with master carpenters and electricians. That skews the numbers. Sometimes, of course, getting a college degree makes sense. But it isn’t the automatic right choice that so many people think it is. According to Carnevale, “The ba- by-boom workers are retiring and leaving lots of open- ings for millennials, many of which are in the trades.” Student debt is widely referenced as this generation’s top financial concern. Tuition costs, especially during the last decade, have increased to the point where most students have a hard time paying off the loans they had to take out if they wanted to get a university degree. Student debt is even more difficult for degree seekers who ultimately end up in poorly paying jobs (think something in the neighborhood of $12 per hour). Add massive student debt to the situation, and it’s obvious that getting a degree from a university ben- efits the university, but too often creates a financial handicap for the student and doesn’t even get them the hoped-for job or career. Then there are those who either cannot or will not choose to go to a university in order to continue their education. Income inequality in the U.S. is a reality, and it is get- ting worse over time. Pushing students in the direction of something they don’t want or can’t afford is not just 18 Issue 1 2019