Should my son do an apprenticeship in the trades instead of a four-year degree?
My son is a rising senior this coming fall and we’re deep in the “what college do you want to go?” era. He’s an excellent student, high grades and all that. It’s always been assumed and expected he’d do at least a four-year degree. It’s honestly kind of a non-negotiable in our house, especially from my partner’s angle.
My son has had his mind on aviation - commercial piloting, or maybe air traffic control if flying didn’t work out. He’d do a four-year degree in an aviation-related field and then flight school or ATC certification. But today he hit me with another idea.
“If I did an apprenticeship with the local electricians’ union, I’d be a journeyman by like 23 and then a master electrician maybe five years after that,” he told me today. “That just seems like a better path than doing college, flight school, and so on.”
He doesn’t want an office job and likes to work with his hands and be active. He’s completely disinterested in the usual “prestigious” professions like doctor, lawyer, finance, even though he’s probably got the brains to get into any of them IF he wanted.
I dunno. I’m being open-minded about this, but as I’m not in the skilled trades I’m looking for some insight. Is his timeline realistic? Is it a good path longterm? Any knowledge is welcome. Thanks in advance!