In the rapidly changing economic climate of the United States, a stable workforce is of high demand. It is apparent that members of the working class are significant contributors to America’s prosperous economy. American citizens such as servers, manufacturing laborers, and housekeepers are key components to the nation’s gross income, yet there exists a disparate wealth inequality between jobs of the “blue-collar” and “white collar” descriptions. In fact, the top 1% of earners own about 37% of all privately held wealth in the United States. Furthermore, the 80 % of wage and salary workers that compose this country, which is supposedly built on principles of equality, own a mere 11% of the nation’s wealth. These statistics are unsettling, to say the least, and have heavily influenced the negative rhetoric surrounding jobs in the workforce among younger generations. 

Quite possibly the biggest lie entrenched in our generation is that high school students are failures for choosing to omit a college education. The matter of fact is that many people are not designed to succeed in a university setting, which should not diminish their intelligence nor work ethic. Not to mention, factory jobs are in surging demand, particularly in the Rust Belt region where Elmira is located. The United States manufacturing industry has about half a million unfilled job openings as of September 2020 and that number has not decreased much recently. Factories are specifically struggling to find skilled workers for specialized jobs such as welding or machining, which require an entry-level education and background in the field. However, there may be a method in which the new generation of citizens can alleviate this epidemic. 

Although college is not an option for everyone, there may be an alternative career path for bright high school graduates of industrious character to take. Trade school is a highly disregarded resource that young people are failing to use to their advantage. Specialized roles including constructors, welders, machinists, assemblers, carpenters, and landscapers are essential to maintain a stable net production rate in the United States. To the same extent, these jobs are more than efficient for students to obtain a successful and enriching career path if they wish to avoid the college route. Despite these circumstances, the number of high school graduates choosing to enter the workforce or attend trade school is decreasing every year. The fundamental issue is that most students believe a college degree is the ultimate pipeline to success. The bias towards college is primarily sourced from the nation’s wealth inequality issue. Although most young people wish to be a part of that top 1%, this pursuit will evidently be unattainable for 99 % of students. It is crucial that young high school students fulfill the trade school initiative and occupy the workforce. 

Works Cited 

Egan, Matt. “American Factories Are Desperate for Workers. It's a $1 Trillion Problem.” CNN, Cable News Network, 4 May 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/04/economy/manufacturing-jobs-economy/index.html. 

“Understanding the Working Class.” Demos, https://www.demos.org/research/understanding-working-class#The-Jobs-of-the-Working-Class. 

“Power in America.” Who Rules America: Wealth, Income, and Power, https://whorulesamerica.ucsc.edu/power/wealth.html.