The Trade School Boom
Harvard as a vocational school no longer reads as satire. Colleges negotiating with the White House over research access are pledging investment in career and technical training rather than paying fines. Brown University committed $50 million to Rhode Island workforce programs, and reporting suggests a Harvard proposal could exceed $500 million. Vocational enrollment rose about 18% since 2019. Surveys show 84% of Gen Zers and parents respect skilled trades and 67% say social media sparked interest. Gen Z, the toolbelt generation, is choosing autonomy, direct paths, and less debt as nearly one in four cite finances for delaying children.
Lewis Hine, Worker on Empire State Building, signaling the hookman, 1931. The New York Public Library Digital Collections. Public domain.