Many in Gen Z ditch colleges for trade schools. Meet the 'toolbelt generation'

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Economy & Labor

Many in Gen Z ditch colleges for trade schools. Meet the 'toolbelt generation'

By Windsor Johnston
Published April 22, 2024 at 11:02 AM CDT


Diego Aguilar works at a trade center at East Bay Municipal Utility District in Oakland, Calif.

Sy Kirby dreaded the thought of going to college after graduating from high school. He says a four-year degree just wasn't in the cards for him or his bank account.

"I was facing a lot of pressure for a guy that knew for a fact that he wasn't going to college," Kirby says. "I knew I wasn't going to sit in a classroom, especially since I knew I wasn't going to pay for it."

Instead, at the age of 19, Kirby took a job at a local water department in southern Arkansas. He said the position helped him to develop the skills that helped him start his own construction company.

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