The ultimate question asked at every family gathering consists of: “What colleges are you considering?” College appears to be the focus of most high school students. Everything students do in school has the ulterior motive to prepare them for college. However, college is not mandatory. College is an option. Not every person attends college. More paths exist to take rather than the mainstream college path. Teenagers should consider trade school over college in order to enhance job security.

The manufacturing sectors and skilled trade professions have more job opportunities readily available. Whereas, college graduates experience more competition in the job market. More employers currently turn to trade schools for filling empty positions. Skilled workers experience more job opportunities every year. Michigan alone “...is experiencing its strongest job growth in more than a decade, with manufacturing being one of its fastest growing sectors” (Michigan). According to the 2014 statistics, Michigan “...created 20,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector alone” (Michigan). In addition to the ample job opportunities being created, lower competition exists in this market. The job market for post college graduates is more competitive than the market for skilled jobs or military service. “There are 3,200,000 people between 20 and 24 who could compete for jobs with this year's [1,300,000] graduates, many of whom have yet to take the first step toward post-college employment” (Job). The market is flooded with college graduates. Those who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree do not always get a job. Due to more people opting for the four-year college route, the number of trade school graduates competing for jobs stays consistent at a lower rate. Unions in the US can range to over one hundred sixty-eight thousand five hundred and sixty three employees (Union). Keep in mind, that number accounts for only one union in the United States. Trying to achieve an employer’s attention in a sea of millions of others is like being the needle in the haystack. This can cause these post grads to feel alone in a crowd.  Not to mention, the debt accumulated within the four year education process entails an extensive value. Holding a “Will Work for Food” sign while sitting on a mountain of debt does not sound appealing. On average one can save around ninety-six thousand on education by attending a trade school (College). Even the government pursues an attempt to create an ample number of jobs for skilled workers and manufacturers. They attempt to achieve this by developing programs and partnering with employers to ensure they are hiring people equipped with the right skills (Michigan). Everyone wants to have job security. Right? Pursuing a future in trade schools consists of merely more opportunities down the road. The job market for trade schools expands while the competition remains at a steady low rate. As the government assists in the creation of jobs, trade schools carry few faults. The debt that one abstains from by attending a trade school influences a better future. The trade school path possesses fewer faults and more reliability than the traditional college route.

Others may say that people do not even need bother with secondary education in general. Some of those people may in fact be correct with that statement. There are cases where some became wealthy and successful without further education than a high school diploma. However, the chances of one with only a high school diploma being employed, in general, remains at a low percentage. Most would not want to be stuck in that boat. Employment means more than physical wealth. Employment equates to the overall well being of a person. Around twenty-seven percent of high school graduates without further education have a full time job (Press). Surviving today without an advanced education results in an overall lower quality of life. There are those one in a million chances one could “strike it rich.” The practicality of it, though, remains that employment without a higher certificate than a high school diploma is a slim chance. One needs a certificate of high education in order to excel.

High schoolers have more options besides college. More job security lies in other educational systems. Job opportunities are readily available for the skilled trade professionals. Trade schools create an easily marketable employee. The market is not as competitive compared to the college graduate market. The number of workers being produced yearly, in addition to those who have not recently graduated college, have decreased chances to find a job. The government created and consistently creates more jobs for skilled trade workers. Not pursuing a further education in general continues to an unreliable and inconsistent job security. Trade schools lead to better opportunities than colleges accounting for less debt and more job security.