During high school, most of us in trades were called "Trade Rats," and were not respected by most academic students. I am here to clear up a few misconceptions I have heard over the few years.
1. Trade School Students don't get into or go to college.
Ahem. I will be the first to tell you that I am in college and from a Trade School. My class of "Trade Rats" went to schools ranging from Franklin Pierce University, Bridgewater State University, and even Northeastern University. Colleges are looking for students who participated in extracurricular activities and real-world experiences. They are not all about cookie cutter essays and grades. Colleges and Universities are looking for raw stories to show you can handle what college life throws at you. Trade Schools prepare you for just that.
2. Trade School Students are not good at academics.
Trade school students typically have an A/B week schedule meaning that students are in their trade (or shop) for a week, followed by an academic week. This not only means less time in the students' trade to perfect their skills, this means less time in the traditional classroom. Because of this treacherous schedule, students are constantly cramming to ace their tests, and excel at their trades at a faster pace than solely academic students. The average grade for my class was a B+.
3.) Trade School Students are just students who were going to drop out.
While in some high schools that may be true, in most cases you have to be accepted into the trade school. This means constant cramming to get the best grades so students can have the opportunity to get into the trade that they want. It is a dog-eat-dog world that I was once in, and I successfully made it. It helps you create a goal, and when you achieve it, it is that much better. You have to work for it.
4.) Trade School Students will never make as much as a student who went to a four-year university.
When Trade School students graduate they receive a degree or certificate of some sort to enter the workforce. This not only helps out their potential salary, but also helps trade students find a job faster than a solely academic student. While some students are in a four year university, trade students are working and gaining field experience. With the extra four years of work, students automatically get paid more than those with less experience.
5.) Trade School Students will not walk out with anything valuable unless they use their trade.
Not only do I walk out with a certificate, license or even a degree of my trade I get many other certifications that are needed in the work force like OSHA, First Aid, SERVSAFE, Tips and many others. Not only does that look good on a resume it helps you get a sufficiently higher amount of money because you are more qualified for certain jobs. It also has made me have more patience, the ability to handle stressful environments better, and have so many connections while I am out in the workforce. The amount of qualities and skills I have gained are endless and I could not thank my trade and academic school instructors enough.
Trade School Students are no less than any other student in high school or in college.
"Suck it, Alex Stathas."
