EDITORIAL: America needs more people who work with their hands

As Ronald Reagan famously noted, if you subsidize something, you’ll get more of it. But when it comes to higher education, that’s only half the story.

For decades, America’s education establishment pushed most students toward attending college. This year, The New York Times described the phrase “college for all” as “an American rallying cry.” It reported, “The goal inspired a generation of educators, offered a north star to students and united political figures from George W. Bush to Bernie Sanders.”

Pushing college attendance seems like a logical move. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, in 2024, college graduates had a lower unemployment rate than those with only a high school diploma. Those with a bachelor’s degree had median weekly earnings of more than $1,500 compared with less than $1,000 for high school graduates.

Via massive subsidies, the federal government has encouraged students to pursue a college degree. It spends around $30 billion annually on Pell Grants. It also provides student loans with more generous terms than those available in the open market. In 2024, the Department of Education spent more than $160 billion on federal student aid.

These efforts have certainly led to more students starting college. In 1965, colleges enrolled fewer than 6 million high school graduates. Today, it’s more than 19 million. That’s a substantial increase, even after adjusting for population growth.

For some students, college has opened up a world of opportunities. But for many, the pipeline to college has resulted in debt, not degrees. Around 40 percent of college students don’t graduate within six years. In 2024, Pew Research found that borrowers who didn’t complete their bachelor’s degree had median debt levels of between $10,000 and $14,999. In 2023, 25 percent of them had at least $25,000 in debt.

One problem is that many students graduate high school without foundational academic skills. Their time in college is spent taking remedial courses, which makes completing the whole endeavor much harder.

But there’s also a flawed assumption at work. Obtaining a respectable career with strong earning potential doesn’t require a college degree. Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley recently said that his company can’t fill 5,000 mechanic jobs. Those positions pay $120,000 a year. And that’s just one company.

This is stunning until you think about it. Many high schools have cut shop classes. The federal government has pushed too many students toward college. Some in society look down on people who go into the trades.

That’s a major mistake. And if the country wants a functional society — literally — this needs to change. America needs more vocational schools and a greater appreciation of those who work with their hands.