Try a Trade in Lieu of College

To the Editor: 
I ran into Jake the other day at the mall. Jake was a former student of mine. He is the only one of his five brothers and sisters who didn’t go to college. He’s a licensed plumber.
I could have gotten him into any one of at least 30 colleges. He fought off family pressure to attend college. The kid had his own mind. He was confident that he had the right stuff to make a good living for himself and his family in plumbing.
And that he certainly has. A fleet of six brand new trucks bare his company’s name. He confessed to me that had he gone to college, he would have been just taking up space and wasting time. His heart and soul weren’t into hitting the books. Jake is the kind of guy who learns hands on. He doesn’t need a degree beside his name to feel worthy. No huge debt hangs around his neck like an albatross. He considers himself one lucky guy to be making a solid living based on his ability and talent.
Jake attended community college a couple of nights a week for several years. He turned to books to acquaint himself with accounting, business law, marketing, and salesmanship. He thus combined books and brawn – a solid combination today to succeed.
The other week a plumber had to remove a tennis ball lodged somewhere between a hopper and the main lateral. My little grandkid might have been practicing his layup shot.  It was a big job, and I had to shell out big dough.
More and more young people like Jake should check out the trades, especially if there is some inkling in that direction. First, however, they must shun pride, the pride in feeling that college makes you special. College is only a must if it is built squarely into the fabric of one’s career, hopes, and aspirations. I, for instance, would be on public assistance if I had opted for the trades. A book fits better in my hands than a soldering iron.