Hello, I'm Dana Taylor, and this is a special episode of the excerpt.

Skilled trades, think hard hats and toolboxes, are in demand.

Perhaps it's time to rethink the 1980s College for All approach.

Are trade careers a smarter gamble for high school students and young adults?

As older generations retire from the workforce, could that be a viable path to the American Dream and financial

independent? Here to dig into what the data tells us about training, education, and choosing

a successful career path is Steve Klein, a researcher at the nonprofit Education Northwest.

Thanks for joining me, Steve.

Thanks for having me.

You've spent more than 30 years working with government agencies designing career

pathways for CTE, career, and technical education.

What are the workforce needs driving the current interest in trade schools?

Well, so there's a terminology, which we call high wage, high skill in demand jobs.

And right now, there is a shortage of skilled workers in the United States.

And employers are looking for individuals who can enter the workforce and be able to do immediately the types of jobs that they need and have the

skills that they would require for work. So over time, we're seeing that more a renewed interest

in career and technical education as a means of getting students the skills that they would

need to be successful at the workplace.

And that includes academic skills, technical skills, and what we would call employability skills,

which are the skills that can maybe won't get you hired, but will keep you from being fired.

What are your thoughts regarding partnerships between schools and employers where some high schools are offering classes in a variety of trades such as welding that allows students to transition straight to employment after graduation?

So I think the answer is nuanced. On the one hand, having employers partner with schools offers teachers and students advantages.

...