July Student of the Month

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More National Press

We were honored once again to appear in the Fabricator Magazine, advocating
for our favorite cause - the promotion of skilled trades as a true alternative to college. 

Below is the content:

"I am not anti-college, but I am opposed to degrees without labor value, especially 
considering how expensive it has become to obtain them. Welding is a really sexy 
occupation, but we have not treated it that way."
-Ryan Blythe, Georgia Trade School

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Reaching out to a New Demographic

Great stuff in the editor's column, "The college track passes right by manufacturing" [The FABRICATOR, 
March 2015, p. 10]. I have been in welding education since 2007 and finally think I uncovered 
the missing piece in attacking the skills gap. Instead of the traditional "college is not for everyone" 
approach that so many counselors try with our under-performing students, we decided to race to 
the top. Our government has all kinds of programs to increase awareness of the trades and plenty of grants for laid-off or lower-income workers, but what has not been happening is a bold approach specifically targeting upper middle-class populations that have parents and school officials predisposed to college. When I am in front of white-collar business leaders and higher education is discussed, my first comment is simply that we are sending too many kids to college. We can't be afraid to talk about money. I have seen the joy that my graduates have working as pipe welders, making more money in a week than they made in a month following college. 
I am not anti-college, but I am opposed to degrees without labor value, especially considering how expensive it has become to obtain them. Welding is a really sexy occupation, but we have not treated it that way. When I see the vehicles our welders drive, I think to myself, why not tell that story. In many respects, college is failing young men, and this comes from someone who went to a very prestigious private university. Once we have reached enough business owners, executives, and affluent parents that do the math and see the fantastic outcomes great trade programs can create, craft work will no longer be looked down upon by anyone-except maybe some liberal arts professors! Keep up the fight. Your publications do a great service for our industry.

Ryan Blythe
Executive Director
Georgia Trade School
Kennesaw, Ga.