More Middle-Aged Workers Are Flocking to Trade Schools
What’s the latest trend on the job hunt front? Trade school training. According to USA Today, more and more middle-aged workers who’ve been laid off are flocking to trade schools, vocational training centers, and community colleges. They’re hoping to learn new skills that’ll make them more “hireable” in their current industries – or help them change career paths altogether.
For example, enrollment at state-run trade schools is up 10%, and programs are being expanded that teach hundreds of professions, like welding, plumbing, nursing, and solar panel installation. In fact, trade schools everywhere are seeing a lot of new students in their 40s and 50s – twice the age of the typical student. Many of the new students already have college degrees, and have been laid off, and a lot of them come from industries often considered luxuries in the current economy, like workers from resorts, spas, hair salons, and music schools. State community college enrollment has also reached an all-time high of 2.2 million – up from 1.8 million just last year. Teens are enrolling in classes in record numbers, because budget cuts have eliminated tech programs at many high schools. This means community college is often the only place to learn a trade, like surgical assistant, auto mechanic, construction worker, or computer repair technician.
If you’d like to find a trade school in your area, check out the website Trade-Schools.net.
