How College Broke the Labor Market

Audio Editing by Donovan Bullen
Editing by José Gámez
Motion Graphics by Vincent de Langen
Writing, Thumbnail Design, and Direction by Evan

This includes a paid sponsorship which had no part in the writing, editing, or production of the rest of the video.

With video from Getty Images
With video from Reuters
With maps provided by MapTiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors and GEOlayers 3

[Mountainlake]

My high school used to have a construction class, they cut it due to lack of interest even though my older brother couldn't get in due to lack of space.

[ShotgunAFlyboy]

I have a friend that adamantly insisted on being a mechanic for years, but after years of getting treated like crap by snotty abusive corporate managers that don't view mechanics as human, he walked away. It's not just the pay, there's something very sick with how our society handles these jobs today.

[robskalas]

Ironically, a new building being finished at the university I work at is now delayed because of a lack of electricians.

[cwhuffman]

I am 25 years old from a small, rural mountain town in North Carolina. I am a machinist by trade and love what I do. I attended community college first to get a basic set of skills, and then pursued a 4 year degree in Engineering Technology while working a job. The skills I have learned over the last 8 years allowed me to start my own machine shop and become a business owner within the last two years. I am also an instructor at the local community college and teach people about machining and how to do it. You would not believe the number of confused looks I get when I try to tell people what machining is, and are baffled when you tell them that everything we use and interact with on a daily basis was machined at some point in its creation, either directly or indirectly.

There is definitely a stigma, especially in the public school system regarding trade type jobs. I feel where I live, it is a little better than say an area like Winston Salem or Charlotte, but it is still an issue. Many of the local high schools hire counselors (who are not from this area) who attended these glamours 4 year universities and do not want to hear anyone say there is an option outside of a university. Not all of them are this way, some of them tend to be receptive and want what is best for the student, while others want to shove this ideology down everyone's throat. It is hard to change the mind of someone who is set in their ways and is unwilling to listen.

There is also a certain stigma against manufacturing in certain parts of the country where manufacturing was once so prominent. Globalization and regulations in America really killed manufacturing in favor of importing goods from Asia or elsewhere. People do not realize that the cost of labor and living in China has risen dramatically over the last 20 years, and certain things are no longer cheaper to make overseas like they once were. There is also a certain environmental awareness around globalization that is now beginning to pick up which favors local manufacturing. Corporate profiteering in the US does not help this fact either, but that is a discussion for another day.

That being said, I have begun to see a shift in those interested in trades. Not just from a manufacturing perspective, but everything from HVAC to electricians, and everything in between. It is very encouraging to see on a broad scale. These sorts of jobs are certainly not for everyone, they do involve a lot of physical and mental labor during any given workday, but I think anyone who has a trade job will tell you there is a sense of accomplishment when they complete a job. You also tend to sleep well at night

[moreanimals]

I know someone who got a job at a department store and started talking to the escalator repairman one day, just because he was talkative. The repairman liked him and was getting ready to retire so he offered him the chance to be his apprentice, have a guaranteed job and walk him through the entire process. Lucky him.

[madinkan]

I am a tradesman who went to college. I made more money as an electrician than I made as an electrical engineer when I first graduated. With that said, I chose to go to college because being an electrician takes a toll on your body once you start getting old. Furthermore, I have the expectation to make much more money as a Senior Engineer or an engineer manager than I do as a master electrician. So here is my recommendation to anyone who reads this: Unless you are very rich or intellectually gifted, join a trade after high school. Use the good money you will be making to go to college, if you wish. Nothing wrong with studying part-time. Also, it will be awesome to graduate with little to no debt and plenty of experience in the field. I, myself, did not even need an internship to start working as an engineer.

[ChuckThree]

Anyone in college the last 20 years knows who the real villain is… the university book store

[CharlesSharpe-hwzr]

As a retired support helper with no degree, I’d say the best job right now is working from home for an investment manager who hires you to handle records. I make over $390k a year. You just need the right connections and contacts to land a job that could change your life and your family’s future

[fleecejohnsonn]

College should have never changed from an institution that was originally for research and innovation by the intellectually gifted, to an institution for companies to hire someone to do spreadsheets.

[NigelMelanisticSmith]

I think one thing that should have been touched more upon was the physical effects of many trades on the body. The reason my family pushed me to get out of construction and food service wasn't just because they thought I'd make more money, but also because they all have had back issues and workplace injuries that an office worker wouldn't have. Both sides of the coin have their downsides, as office work isn't healthy either, but I think a factor the video didn't mention is that many youth see their parents physically damaged from trade work, and don't want the same for themselves. Not all trade work is back breaking, but a significant enough portion of it is to be off putting.

[Highcaloriegrappling]

In 1999 as we were graduating. Politicians came to our school to talk about all the incentives they had developed for us kids to go to University. I asked, what about those kids not going to University?" The plumbers, etc. They just glared at me and said. "If you want a good life, it's found at University. " I'll never forget that as long as I live.

[patrikwintergerst]

Kinda appreciate having grown up in Germany. Going into trades after secondary school is super common and encouraged. Tradespeople are also respected, generally speaking

[hereticsaint]

A lot of employers still require a college degree even though the job can be learned either from an internship or from a boot camp.

[ThisNameMakesNoSense]

I graduated with a dual degree in electrical and computer engineering in 2019 with no debt. Today, I am employed as an engineer and highly compensated. I was extremely lucky.
My nephew is about to graduate high school and everyone in my family except me has been pressuring him to get a 4 year degree. They're using me as an example, even though I am not by any means a realistic meter stick. He isn't like me, and he certainly would not succeed in a bachelor's program. I'm the only one urging him to attend a trade school. He likes to work with his hands and see people smile. I don't do that. I spend most of my time running simulations, arguing in meetings, and designing computer systems. He doesn't want to be me, but our family still won't let up. I find it deeply upsetting.

[robertewalt]

The worst part: federal student loans financed the explosion in college enrollment, but many dropped out, or took non-college jobs. And still had to pay student loans.

[awesomecowsrock]

I took the ACT 6 times and took 7 AP classes in highschool.
I attempted suicide 3 times my senior year and graduated early to relieve stress. I STILL went to college and was faced with the dilemma of having to face continued mental health issues if I continued with a degree. I dropped out after one year.
I am now 23 and make 40k a year as a dog groomer (coworker makes 80k a year) and I LOVE my job. I have completely overcome my anxiety and mostly overcome my depression because of switching career paths. I can't imagine if I had stuck out college and had to pay back the debt

[TylerR]

Every parent will admit we need more plumbers, electricians, elevator installers etc. But no parent will want that for THEIR OWN kid. It's like the U.S. budget. Everybody wants to spend less. Ask them which program they're willing to cut, specifically, and everyone gets real quiet.

[toysoldier]

You can *feel* the pain at 14:01 . For the many Americans who spent their entire childhoods refining their college resumé, the inertia driving them towards and through higher education overrides the rational decision to enter a profession that never required that education in the first place.

[Jlex]

College becoming associated with work as opposed to education was a grave error.

[enemyspotted]

I went to a technical high school that offered 12 trades to pick and you’d spend half your time learning the trade. The administrators and counselors still pushed college on us. We had mandatory class that was supposed to be focused on “life skills” and whatnot, one of the assignments in that class was to write our commonapp essay and pick at least 4 schools to apply to (they didn’t make us apply, as it usually costs money).

What the hell where they thinking? We just spent the last 4 years studying to be plumbers, carpenters, electricians, etc and now you want us to go to college? After funding dozens of these high schools across the state, the state has the audacity to announce that there’s a skilled labor shortage and the schools are having their budgets cut.