I DON’T WANNA GO TO COLLEGE!!!

Willette Coleman (c)2014

An eleventh grader exclaimed to me, “I don’t wanna go to college!”  That's okay.  There’s GOOD NEWS for him and others like him.  Although a 4-year college degree is considered ideal, millions of people enjoy great careers and earn substantial incomes without a degree.  Microsoft owner, Bill Gates never finished college.  CBS-TV’s news anchor Scott Pelley, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, and Brian Williams of NBC didn’t graduate college, and the late ABC news anchor, Peter Jennings, was a high school dropout, according to the author of, Not Headed to a Prestigious College? You’re in Good Company.  BUT, even if you choose NOT to go to college, you still need education and training. Why?  To earn money to pay for the basics ~

·        food

·        clothing 

·        shelter

·        utilities (gas, electricity or solar energy)

·        phone

·        grooming (hygiene and hair products, etc.)

·        public transportation or personal car + gas, maintenance, insurance, etc.

Luxuries ~

·        entertainment (cable TV, movies, theater, playing recording equipment for DVDs, etc.)

·        travel (e.g., vacations; emergency)

Facts & Figures

A College Measures report, stated that, “in some areas, two-year students earned $70,000 in their first year; $30,000 more than a college graduate in the same field.  Even two-year students with technical certificates earned significantly more than those with academic degrees.” 

Also, an interesting trend in the college arena is that some students get caught up in campus social life, or change scholarship or financial status, and end up taking 5 to 6 years to earn an undergraduate degree.  Furthermore, college graduates often carry huge debt from school loans as reported in How the $1.2 Trillion College Debt Crisis Is Crippling Students, Parents and the Economy. 

Technical schools, some community colleges, even some high schools like Ballou STAY's, in Washington, DC, offer “vocational programs such as automotive technology, barbering, cosmetology, Microsoft Office courses and culinary arts.”  The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)offers scholarships, apprenticeships and training in all trade-related careers. SkillsUSA.org gives you a wealth of information about scholarships providers, such as Mike Rowe Foundation and Lowe's, for trade-related careers.

For a vigorous list of non-degree jobs with GRRRRRREAT pay, OJT, apprenticeships and much more, check out Dr. Laurence Shatkin’s 300 Best Jobs Without a Four-Year Degree and/or search the Internet with the key words: “high paying jobs no college degree.”  HeadsUp  ~ Dr. Shatkin's book can be checked out at your local library.

5 NON-DEGREE Jobs/Careers Examples

Plumbing.  Fixing toilets or kitchen leaks is more complex than we think.  According to How Much Do, “Plumbers, pipelayers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install, preserve, and repair many different kinds of pipe systems,” including “pharmaceutical and computer-chip manufacturing,” as well as underground pipes (infrastructures) in cities and towns.  Apprenticeship plumbing programs offer the most extensive training.  Average hourly wage:  $25/hour; $50,360 annually.

City bus/subway/train operators.  This occupation provides on-the-job-training (OJT).  In cities, like Washington, DC, bus operators average $50,000 and can earn over $90,000 annually.  Subway/train operators start at over $50,000.  In smaller cities, starting salary may be $29,000.  

Park Service.  If you love to smell the roses and dance with Mother Nature, entry level jobs only require a high school education, AND, you’d get OJT (On the Job Training).  “Education requirements vary” for different jobs according to the U.S. Forest Service.  Starting salary can range from $28,000 to $40,000.  Once you’re in, your long term goal might be to manage 20 national parks like Gayle Hazlewood, Deputy Director of the National Parks Services’ Southeast Region. 

Butler – yes, butler (if you don’t mind serving others) – can earn as much as $150,000!  Butler Guild placement agencies report that the starting salary is between $50,000 and $60,000/year.  After two to three years - $80,000 to $150,000.  Education/training for this profession occurs in Europe, such as at the International Butler Academy, in The Netherlands. Applicants can apply for a scholarship.

Watchmaker - Although some people make dire predictions, time is not running out for this career craft.  It's existence is stronger than is obvious. The Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program (WOSTEP) in Miami, FL is considered an excellent training facility.  Brooklyn, New York teens at Benjamin Banneker Academy  are learning the Art of Horology (the science of time measurement).  Also, see a video on this timeless art form.  Starting salary is $40,000 with master watchmakers earning nearly $100,000.

Instead of a college degree, you can get a certificate in hundreds of fields, including:

Microsoft Suite

Photoshop

Web designer

Hair care or skin care expert

Yoga and/or Exercise Instructor

Hundreds of high school students in Washington, DC are learn construction trade at the DC Construction Trade Foundation.

Community colleges, such as Macomb, in Warren, MI, offer an electric vehicle development technology (EV) certificate program for growing careers in ~

·        development technician,

·        electrical test technician and

·        manufacturing technician in the automotive sector, communications, solar, wind turbine and smart grid industries. 
 
Find pay scales for jobs/careers at the Department of Labor.

So, if you don't want to go to college?  Not a problem.  With training, you can still earn a good, even outstanding living.

Magic, Miracles & Blessings,

Willette