College versus the Trades - Wisler Plumbing & Air

Choosing between college and the trades is a very interesting topic, and I want to be very careful to state that one is not necessarily better than the other—there are individuals who are great for both college and the trades. I think the choice greatly depends on someone’s unique circumstances. I’m very thankful for the fact that there are people who go to college, specifically in areas like the healthcare industry. Many of these positions are college-based, and there are some extremely skilled individuals who I’m very thankful for. I definitely do not want to communicate in any way, shape, or form that college isn’t the right path for certain individuals. What I do want to communicate is that there is another option—not everybody has to go to college, and in some cases, looking into the trades is a perfect choice.

One of the main factors that makes the trades attractive is the fact that, right now, there’s a significant shortage of tradespeople. Trades or service companies like ours are ready and willing to pay for ‘college’, if you can kind of think about it that way. You can really get the training you need without having to pay for it directly out of your pocket. People have the ability to work full-time and earn a living while learning at the same time. (One area that the trades excel at is on-the-job-training.)

There are lots of different situations, and it’s definitely hands-on work, but on-the-job training is an important piece of that whole (again, if I can use this word creatively) ‘college’ of the trades. Going this path will also probably give you the highest and quickest return on investment, whether that’s time or money. College can be a great choice, but it is very expensive. You also have to be extremely thoughtful about making sure the return is going to happen based on the investment of time and money you’ve made. The trades path definitely provides a slightly quicker return combined with a lower investment, sot you can potentially see a higher return on your investment.

To learn more, give us a call at 540-483-9382 and ask for Marianne. She will field these types of calls and provide you with more information. You can also visit WislerJobs.com to read more and/or submit a question.