Last summer, I sat across from my nephew Jake and watched him sweat bullets over a college application essay. The prompt asked him to describe a moment that shaped his character, and all I could think was: kid, you’ve never changed a tire or wired a light switch. What’s he gonna write about—the time he got a high score in a video game? Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not here to trash college. I went to college. I’ve got a degree hanging on my wall that I dust off once a year when I remember it exists. But the older I get—and the more I watch friends, family, and the occasional stray cat navigate the working world—the more I’ve started believing something that sounds borderline nuts in our degree-obsessed culture: a lot of young folks would be better off learning a trade before they ever set foot in a lecture hall.

Before you start throwing your mortarboards at me, hear me out. This isn’t about saying one path is better than the other. It’s about sequencing. It’s about building a foundation that doesn’t crumble the first time life throws a leaky pipe your way—literally or metaphorically. And since this is jimbosplace.com, I’m going to tell you exactly why I think this, with a few stories, some hard numbers, and the kind of straight talk you’d get if we were sitting on my porch with a couple of cold ones.

The Skills Gap Nobody Wants to Talk About

Walk into any hardware store on a Saturday morning and you’ll see them: homeowners my age staring blankly at a wall of PVC fittings like they’re trying to decode ancient hieroglyphics. Somewhere along the line, we decided that knowing how to write a five-paragraph essay was more important than knowing how to fix a running toilet. That’s left us with a generation of sharp, book-smart adults who call a handyman because they don’t own a screwdriver. I wish I were exaggerating, but I’m not.

There’s a real-world consequence to this. The skilled trades are facing a massive shortage. The Bureau of Labor Statistics keeps reporting that electricians, plumbers, welders, and HVAC technicians are retiring faster than we’re replacing them. That means the folks who can fix your furnace or rewire your kitchen have more work than they can handle—and they’re charging accordingly. I’ve got a buddy named Dave who’s a master electrician. He cleared $120,000 last year, set his own hours, and took his family to Costa Rica for three weeks. He’s 34 and has zero student loan debt. Meanwhile, I’ve got another friend with a master’s degree in communications who’s managing a coffee shop and still paying off $60,000 in loans. Which one do you think sleeps better at night? Yeah, me too.

Real Skills Pay Real Bills

I’m not saying money is everything. But I’ve been around long enough to know that financial stress can eat you alive. When you learn a trade, you’re getting something that’s immediately valuable. The day you finish an apprenticeship, you can walk onto a job site and earn a decent wage. Compare that to the average college grad, who takes six months to land a job and then spends a chunk of their paycheck on loan interest. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 40% of first-time, full-time bachelor’s degree seekers don’t graduate within six years. That’s a lot of debt with no credential to show for it. Even among those who do finish, underemployment is rampant—think baristas with business degrees. Ouch.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: Jim, aren’t trades hard on the body? Don’t you want kids to have options? Absolutely. But here’s the thing: learning a trade early doesn’t lock you into that life forever. It gives you a safety net. You can always go to college later—and you might even be better at it because you’ve matured and know what you actually want to study. Plus, plenty of trade skills translate into business ownership, project management, or teaching. My electrician buddy Dave now runs a small contracting company with five employees. He’s not crawling through attics anymore; he’s running a business that he built with his own two hands. And he’s doing just fine.

College Isn’t Going Anywhere—But Your 20s Are

One of the biggest lies we tell teenagers is that if they don’t go to college right after high school, they’ll somehow miss the boat. As if the boat only sails once and then sinks forever. The truth is, college is always there. I’ve known people who started at 25, 30, even 45. And when they went, they went with purpose. They weren’t there because it was the default next step; they were there because they had a clear goal. Big difference.

Taking a couple of years to learn a trade first does something magical: it gives you perspective. You learn what it feels like to earn your own money, to work with people who didn’t go the academic route, to solve problems that have immediate, visible results. When you wire a circuit correctly, the lights turn on. When you sweat a copper joint properly, the water flows. That kind of tangible feedback is rare in a world of abstract grades and theoretical concepts. It builds a quiet confidence that no amount of classroom praise can match. Trust me on this one.

And let’s be honest—college is expensive. Really, really expensive. The average annual cost of a four-year public university for in-state students is over $25,000 including room and board. Private schools can top $55,000. Even with scholarships, most students are borrowing money. If you spend two years in a paid apprenticeship or working a trade, you can save up enough to cover a big chunk of tuition later, without signing your life away to Sallie Mae. That alone is worth the detour.

The Maturity Factor

I’ll tell you a quick story. My younger cousin Sarah was a hot mess in high school. Smart as a whip, but zero focus. Her parents pushed her into a state university, and she flunked out after three semesters with a 1.7 GPA and a taste for cheap vodka. She came home defeated, enrolled in a community college welding program almost as a last resort, and something clicked. She loved the precision, the heat, the fact that she could see her progress every day. Two years later, she’s a certified welder making great money, and she’s talking about going back to school for mechanical engineering—on her own terms, with her own savings. She told me, “Jim, I just wasn’t ready at 18. I needed to learn how to work before I could learn how to learn.” That stuck with me. It still does.

The Debt Trap Is Real—and It’s Terrifying

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: student loans. Americans owe over $1.7 trillion in student debt. That’s trillion with a T. For a lot of people, that monthly payment becomes a second rent, sucking away their ability to save for a house, start a family, or take a job that pays less but feeds their soul. And unlike a mortgage or a car loan, student debt is almost impossible to discharge in bankruptcy. It follows you like a hungry ghost. Chilling, right?

When you learn a trade first, you sidestep that whole mess. Trade schools and apprenticeships cost a fraction of a four-year degree. Many programs are even funded by employers or unions who are desperate for new talent. You earn while you learn. I’m not saying you’ll get rich as an apprentice—the pay starts modest—but you’re not going into the red. And when you finish, you’ve got a credential that’s in demand and a skill set that can’t be outsourced to a call center overseas. Try fixing a broken water main via Zoom. I’ll wait.

But What About the “College Experience”?

I hear this one all the time from parents. “But Jim, I want my kid to have those four years of growing up, making friends, and finding themselves.” Look, I get it. There’s something romantic about ivy-covered walls and late-night philosophical debates. But here’s the thing: you can have that experience later, when you’re mature enough to actually appreciate it—and when you’re not racking up debt just to sleep through a 9 a.m. philosophy class. Many colleges and universities welcome older students with open arms, and you’ll likely get more out of the classroom discussions when you’ve lived a little. Plus, you’ll be the one in the dorm who can fix the broken fridge, which instantly makes you the most popular person on the floor. Guaranteed.

The Case for “And” Instead of “Or”

Here’s where I want to be super clear, because the internet loves to turn everything into a binary war. I’m not saying college is bad. I’m saying college right after high school, without any practical skills or work experience, is a gamble that doesn’t pay off for everyone. We need doctors, lawyers, engineers, and philosophers. We also need people who can build the buildings those folks work in and keep the lights on. The two aren’t enemies; they’re partners. Simple as that.

In fact, some of the most interesting people I know combine both. A neighbor of mine got an associate’s degree in construction management after years as a carpenter. Another friend became a nurse after first working as an EMT. The trade came first, gave them a stable income and real-world know-how, and then they layered on the academic credentials when they were ready. It’s not ladder or college; it’s ladder, then college, for those who want it. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

What I’d Do If I Were 18 Again

If I could teleport back to my own graduation day, I’d give myself a firm handshake and a list of things to try before enrolling in a four-year school. Here’s what that list would look like:

• Shadow three different tradespeople for a day each—an electrician, a plumber, a welder, maybe a finish carpenter. See what the work actually feels like.
• Look into union apprenticeships in my area. Many offer paid training and benefits from day one.
• Take a part-time gig as a helper on a construction crew or in a repair shop. Even a few months of that teaches you more about life than a semester of Psych 101.
• Talk to people in their 30s and 40s who skipped college, went to college, or did both. Ask them what they regret. You’ll be surprised how many wish they’d learned a hands-on skill first.

After a year or two of that, if I still had a burning desire to study medieval literature or chemical engineering, I’d go for it—with a clearer head and a fatter wallet. And if the trade turned into a career I loved, I’d count myself lucky and book a trip to Costa Rica like Dave.

FAQ: What Everyone Asks When I Bring This Up

Isn’t trade work hard on your body?

It can be, sure. But so is sitting at a desk for 40 years. The key is to work smart, use proper safety gear, and plan for the long term. Many tradespeople move into supervisory, teaching, or business-ownership roles as they age. Plus, modern equipment and ergonomics have made the work a lot less punishing than it used to be. I’ve known 60-year-old electricians who are in better shape than office workers half their age because they’re moving all day instead of slumping in a chair. Go figure.

What if my kid is really academically gifted?

Then they’ll still be academically gifted after a year or two of trade work. In fact, they might be even more so, because they’ll have practical context for the theories they learn later. The brain is a muscle, and learning a trade exercises different parts of it—spatial reasoning, problem-solving, fine motor control. Those skills transfer beautifully to fields like engineering, architecture, or medicine. I’d argue that a surgeon who knows how to use a wrench has better mechanical intuition than one who doesn’t. It just makes sense.

Doesn’t society look down on tradespeople?

Some people might, but that’s their problem, not yours. In my experience, the folks who look down on trades are the same ones who panic when their basement floods at 2 a.m. and suddenly need a plumber they can’t find. Respect is earned by doing good work, solving problems, and being reliable. Plenty of my friends in the trades are respected members of their communities, and they’re not the ones stressing about layoffs when the economy hiccups. There’s a quiet dignity in building and fixing things that no amount of snobbery can erase. Period.

Can you really make a good living in the trades?

Absolutely. I’ve already shared Dave’s story, but he’s not an anomaly. The median pay for electricians is around $60,000, and master electricians can pull in six figures. Plumbers, HVAC techs, and welders are in the same ballpark. And since these jobs can’t be exported or automated easily, they’re remarkably stable. Plus, if you start your own business, your earning potential is limited only by your ambition and ability to manage people. Not bad for a “backup plan,” huh?

Wrapping It Up Without a Bow

I’m not naive. I know there are systemic barriers, and not everyone has equal access to apprenticeship programs or family support to explore trades. But for those who do have a choice, I think we owe it to the next generation to present the trades as a valid, smart, and often superior first step—not a consolation prize for kids who “couldn’t hack it” in school. The world doesn’t need more cubicle dwellers who are bored and in debt. It needs more people who can build, fix, and create things that last.

So if you’re a parent, a teacher, or a young person reading this, I’ve got one request: before you sign that loan agreement or write that tuition check, go spend a day with someone who works with their hands. See the satisfaction in their eyes when they finish a job. Notice the calluses on their palms and the clarity in their bank account. Then ask yourself if a four-year degree is really the only path to a good life. You might just find that the road less traveled is paved with copper wire and PVC pipe—and it leads somewhere pretty darn great.

— Jim Bosworth