It is a fact that a worldwide phenomenon involving students preferring to pursue a work-oriented path instead of traditional education is developing considerably. While it is true that the former option comes with undeniable benefits, those do not come cheaply. In this essay, I will first look at the main advantages of this before moving on to analyze downsides. In spite of all the arguments against, it is my firm opinion that the perks of disregarding university are not enough to justify such a choice.
The first point to consider is that pursuing training programs immediately after high school speeds up the entrance into the labour market. For instance, if someone were to spend 2 years learning how to carry out a manual task for a profession, he or she would ready in a very short time span even though such reasoning is possible only for skills easy to learn. Moreover, such a trend plays a significant role in increasing domestic labour supply across nations, thus positively impacting economic growth and GDP per capita. As a result, the better overall economic conditions will lead to similarly improved living standards.
On the other hand, we need to understand that working earlier does not necessarily imply earning better- actually in most cases it is the opposite thing. Young trainers in manual profession perform most of the times physically demanding skills that can, however ,be learnt be anyone. As a result, their bargaining power is significantly reduced compared with college-educated individuals, negatively impacting their compensation. For example, it would be unreasonable to think about a factory workman getting payed more than a lawyer or a doctor. Additionally, a significant threat to the employment in manual professions is posed by technological mechanization. The recent developments in AI and machinery not only allow to improve exponentially efficiency but are also a lot more economically rewarding in terms of profits, and hence employers will be progressively less inclined towards hiring physical employees.
In conclusion, while most people believe that securing a position earlier is the best option, that is not always the case. Although learning a manual profession does not require many years and boost domestic activity, it also leads to significantly lower compensation and a risk of unemployment in the near future. Personally, I would say that even if more economically demanding prioritizing higher education is the rational choice.