College, plumbers, scholarships and more
When I grew up, not everyone attended college. College was something to work toward and sacrifice for. If you wished to become a doctor or lawyer, you had no choice. You had to attend college. Scholarships were highly prized and sought for many families without the resources to bankroll their own kids.
Many parents started saving in special accounts when their children were young. Young people held down one or more jobs to afford college. Our daughter had both scholarships and sometimes up to three jobs to pay her way.
That college degree was coveted. As years passed, some college courses became politicized, or hobby-based rather than job-based. While students and families became more and more enmeshed in long-term debt, degrees no longer promised employment after graduation—especially not one offering wages high enough to pay off the high cost of that degree. Students are left with debts they’ll never be able to repay.
Many loans were offered by the government for those attending college. But what about service employment? Not many offered assistance and encouragement for young people seeking to become plumbers, construction or other hands-on employment situations.
Many in these jobs end up earning more than those attending a four-year institution. My contractor brother was on a committee to offer scholarships to high school graduates. I couldn’t help but notice that many scholarships, which are intended to assist those who may not be able to attend college without financial assistance, often went to those from financially able families. Those who worked hard, got good grades, and were involved from less able families were often passed up.
The system has become upside down. As for my brother, he called a pause to what his committee was doing. He pointed out that those seeking the scholarships they offered were not the type of young person who would be going into construction. He suggested a different set of criteria for their scholarships. A degree from a university is fine for some, but isn’t it time to place value and financial assistance toward those wishing to enter hands-on professions?
When roots were growing under our house cutting off the water supply, we didn’t need someone with a degree on the wall. We needed someone experienced and not afraid to get their hands dirty by finding a way to reach and get rid of those roots.
Maybe we need to bring back the journeyman system of learning from those more experienced. Most of all, it’s time we value plumbers, construction workers, clerks and more who make our lives easier. These workers are truly the bedrock of America.
Time we stop thinking of those with degrees from high-end universities as somehow better than others. Many construction workers, plumbers, etc. are highly certified by their work organizations. Time we give them the credit they deserve—and offer more specific scholarships to high school students.
© 2025 Carolyn R Scheidies
Published 5/24/2025 Hub title: Time to reward dirty hands
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