College isn’t for everyone

The masses of local high school graduates headed to college and seeking careers in computers and other professions may be overlooking the chance to become successful business owners.

The National Association of Home Builders reports that construction workers are retiring in large numbers. A new generation is needed to fill the gap.

As workers retire, so do business owners in the construction industry. But demand for tradesmen remains high. This creates a golden opportunity for young people to start their own businesses with less competition.

Concerns are growing, too, about the lack of skilled labor locally. At a recent Conejo Valley Unified School District Board of Education meeting, trustee Dorothy Beaubien talked about declining enrollment in shop classes and called attention to a newspaper article that discussed changes in job trends.

In upscale areas such as the Conejo Valley, children might get the mistaken impression that laborers lack dignity because they do "grunt work." The same students may not realize that a business owner usually makes more money than any single employee.

Students are now focused on "high tech" careers because they think that’s where the money is. It may have been true a few years ago, but look at the scores of layoffs in Silicon Valley.

Today’s young people should try some fresh thinking. Maybe a college career was the main ticket to success in the past, but learning a trade and eventually becoming a business owner is a sound alternative.

Some parents and children should consider another place to invest their money.

Four years in liberal arts education might make sense for some, but it isn’t the only option.