John W. Brewster
John W. Brewster

For decades, we have told young Americans that if they want a successful life, there is only one respectable path: go to college. That message has become so deeply embedded in our culture that many families accept it without question. I believe that assumption is no longer serving our students, our economy, or our workforce. If we continue treating a four-year degree as the default definition of success, we will keep sending talented young people down paths that do not fit their strengths while starving essential industries of the skilled professionals they desperately need.

This is not an argument against higher education. College remains the right choice for countless careers and for many students who genuinely want that experience. Doctors, engineers, attorneys, researchers, and countless other professionals require advanced academic training. The problem begins when college stops being one excellent option and becomes the expectation for nearly everyone, regardless of aptitude, career goals, or financial circumstances.

During my career, I have spent decades teaching technical subjects, training professionals, hiring employees, and working alongside people whose expertise cannot be measured by the letters after their names. That experience has convinced me that America has confused credentials with competence.

Too often, I meet people who invested years earning degrees only to discover that the labor market had little demand for their particular credential. Some eventually build rewarding careers, but not in the fields they studied. Others carry student loan debt into adulthood while trying to establish themselves in entirely different industries. None of this reflects a lack of intelligence or ambition. It reflects a system that encourages them to follow a script instead of helping them evaluate the full range of opportunities available.

At the same time, many employers are struggling to fill positions that require practical skills. Sixty-nine percent of American employers report difficulty finding skilled talent. Operations, logistics, engineering, construction, and technical occupations remain among the hardest positions to fill, demonstrating that the shortage extends well beyond highly publicized technology roles. Those findings suggest a labor market that is hungry for capability, not simply additional diplomas.

This disconnect becomes even more concerning when viewed over the long term. It is estimated that the United States faces approximately 2.9 million skilled-trade openings each year while producing only about 1.25 million newly trained workers through colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeships. That leaves an annual shortfall approaching 1.7 million workers across critical skilled occupations. Numbers of that magnitude should concern anyone who cares about America's economic future.

The irony is difficult to ignore. We have encouraged generations of students toward the same educational pipeline while simultaneously watching many of the people who build, repair, maintain, and modernize our infrastructure approach retirement. Every community depends on electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, welders, carpenters, mechanics, and countless other skilled professionals. These careers are not disappearing. In many cases, demand continues to grow faster than the workforce available to meet it.

Artificial intelligence has only intensified conversations about the future of work. Every week seems to bring another prediction about software replacing human labor. Those developments deserve attention, but they should not distract us from a simple reality. Digital systems still depend on physical infrastructure. Buildings must still be constructed, electrical systems must still be installed safely, and mechanical equipment must still be inspected, maintained, and repaired. Sophisticated software can assist with planning and design, yet experienced professionals remain responsible for determining whether those systems function safely in the real world.

Unfortunately, many young people never receive meaningful exposure to these careers before making life-changing educational decisions. When I was growing up, shop classes introduced students to woodworking, construction, electrical basics, and mechanical problem-solving. Those experiences allowed students to discover talents they might never have recognized otherwise.

Many school systems have gradually reduced or eliminated those opportunities. Students spend years preparing for standardized examinations but receive little exposure to careers requiring technical ability, spatial reasoning, craftsmanship, or mechanical aptitude. That narrowing of educational experiences sends an unintended message that practical work carries less prestige than academic work.

I do not believe that message reflects today's economy. Many employers have already begun emphasizing demonstrated skills alongside formal education. While bachelor's degrees continue to matter for many occupations, the majority of job postings do not require one, and employers are increasingly examining skills alongside educational credentials. That trend reflects an important shift. Businesses ultimately need people who can perform the work successfully, solve problems, adapt to changing conditions, and continue learning throughout their careers.

Experience matters because real work rarely follows a textbook. I have interviewed applicants with impressive academic transcripts but almost no practical experience. I have also worked alongside individuals whose formal education was modest but whose expertise had been earned through years of disciplined learning, apprenticeships, certifications, and hands-on problem-solving. Those individuals frequently become indispensable because they understand how knowledge translates into action.

Financial realities also deserve greater honesty. College tuition has risen dramatically over the past several decades, leaving many students with substantial debt before they have earned their first full-time paycheck. Community colleges, apprenticeships, trade schools, military service, employer-sponsored training, and workforce certification programs offer alternatives that allow many young adults to begin building careers while continuing to learn. Those options deserve equal respect when families discuss life after high school.

Students should understand the return on investment associated with different educational choices. Schools should rebuild meaningful technical education and strengthen partnerships with employers, apprenticeship programs, and community colleges. Career counseling should begin with questions about individual strengths, interests, and long-term goals instead of assuming every student belongs on the same academic track.

Young people also deserve permission to define success for themselves. Some are natural researchers. Some thrive in laboratories. Some belong in classrooms, hospitals, courtrooms, or engineering firms. Others possess extraordinary mechanical instincts, exceptional craftsmanship, or an ability to solve practical problems that cannot be taught through lectures alone. Our education system should celebrate all of those gifts with equal enthusiasm.

For too long, we have measured intelligence through a remarkably narrow lens. We praise students who excel on examinations while overlooking those who can build, repair, create, troubleshoot, and innovate with their hands. Society benefits from both kinds of talent. One cannot function without the other.

Success belongs to people who discover where their abilities create the greatest value, commit themselves to mastering their craft, and continue learning throughout their lives. Our responsibility is not to steer every young person toward the same destination. It is to ensure they have the freedom, information, and support to choose the path that truly fits who they are.

About the Author

John W. Brewster is the founder and president of ITM4G, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business specializing in fire protection, facilities management, engineering support, and government contracting. An Air Force veteran and former Master Instructor, he has spent decades training technical professionals and advocating for workforce readiness through certification, apprenticeships, practical education, and lifelong learning. His work focuses on strengthening infrastructure, expanding career pathways, and promoting technical excellence across critical industries.