Nevada Moves in the Right Direction with Charter Trade Schools

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Your Survival Guy is a fan of Mike Rowe and his push for more trade schooling in America. Read here:

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Now, Nevada is putting Mike Rowe’s principles to work (no pun intended). Here the Las Vegas Review-Journal explains new efforts in the state to help more students learn trades using a charter school model:

Mike Rowe is perhaps best known for hosting “Dirty Jobs” on Discovery Channel, but for the past many years he’s also been a passionate advocate for promoting the value of learning a skilled trade over aspiring to don a business suit. “Many of the best opportunities that exist today,” he has said, “require a skill, not a diploma.”

America has a shortage of skilled workers. As members of the workforce age, the ratio of retiring plumbers, construction workers, electricians and others to those entering such jobs is about 3-to-1. Some of this is attributable to the emphasis high schools today put on earning a four-year college degree. Many kids or young adults were never exposed to high school classes such as shop or those that taught auto mechanics, woodworking or other skills that can be used to make an honest living.

The shortage of skilled laborers exists even though many of the men and women working in the trades bring home a comfortable paycheck. Electricians, airplane mechanics, construction managers, pipefitters and others can make six-figures and often earn overtime.

It is against this backdrop that the Clark County School District this fall has opened Southern Nevada Trades High School, a charter campus intended to instill students with the academic and trade skills necessary to have successful blue-collar careers. Given this region’s continued population growth, the school will focus on the construction trades.

The school is supported in part by the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association and other local organizations. It starts with just 80 students in ninth and 10th grades and will offer traditional academic classes as well as instruction in specialized trades. “We’re never going to be a large high school,” said Julie Carver, the school’s executive director. “Our model is so small that we can give individualized attention to the students who really need it.”

This is not the only vocational high school in Clark County. VoTech in Henderson — known today as Southeast Career Technical Academy — opened in 1966 and now serves as a district magnet school offering classes that will help students find employment in various fields. Other local campuses have a similar focus. But Southern Nevada Trades High School is the first campus to emphasize construction trades.

Ms. Carver said she hopes to eventually expand to 400 students with the hope of having “as many opportunities as possible for these kids and to have a positive effect on their families like financially lifting them up.” That’s a worthy goal. As is providing local students with a challenging yet attainable path to learn hands-on skills with which they can support themselves and that are in great demand in Southern Nevada and the rest of the country.

Action Line: Not every student wants to get a liberal arts degree at one of America’s increasingly radical colleges. Some want to use their hands and work hard. Some even enjoy dirty jobs. Click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter and become a Survivor.

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West (RIP JB) and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.