Trade organizations and classes are brilliant, alternative gateways to a career path for graduates who are passionate about embracing a practical skill.
The great Cal Ripken Jr., the “The Iron Man,” began playing baseball as a teen at Aberdeen High School, in Aberdeen, Md., and was drafted into the Baltimore Orioles farm system upon graduation in 1978. He contemplated college before heading to the minor leagues, but after seeking the advice of his father, Cal Ripken Sr., he decided that if baseball didn’t work out as a professional career, he would eventually enroll in college as a seasoned adult.
As parents and leaders, there’s a perceived opportunity cost for our children facing the “real world” after high school instead of attending college. However, the other alternative may also hold true. Certain graduates may not be ready to excel at the rigidities and self-discipline that a two- or four-year university requires. High schoolers who are not poised to succeed at college assume an opportunity cost of lost-work-experience-years while away at college and consequently, may walk away with looming student loans.