I would like to thank Tom Davidson for his article “Pittsburgh region has thousands of job opportunities, Builders Guild says”. Although I am a retired educator, I have always felt that college is not the answer for everyone. I believe the problem is that parents do not agree with this thought. Why invest in something that will leave the graduate or parents with thousands of dollars in debt after graduation?

There are technical and trade schools that offer tuition-free education for graduating seniors. Not bad for both young men and women — graduate, get a job and be debt-free. Are our high schools inviting these types of schools to show opportunities to seniors? If not, they are making a terrible mistake.

My son attended a presentation by Pittsburgh Technical College during his senior year. He graduated from the school in two years, and was then hired for an entry-level job with one of Pittsburgh’s largest advertising companies. Today, he owns his own advertising firm.

I recently saw help-wanted signs offering carpenters $35 per hour plus benefits. Yes, young ladies, there are female carpenters. Put those numbers together over a one-year period.

It is up to parents. Everyone does not have to attend college. The drop-out rate is significantly lower at technical and trade schools than four-year colleges.

Joseph DelloStritto

Plum

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