WHAT A REAL PATHWAY CAN LOOK LIKE Consider the electrician route. After high school a student enters a paid apprenticeship that lasts about four to five years. There’s classroom work, hands-on labs, and on-the-job training. Apprentices in Chicago often start around the mid-$20s per hour and move up a wage ladder every few months. By journeyperson status, the hourly rate is in the high-$50s… well into six figures with overtime and benefits. Out-of-pocket costs are relatively low (books, tools, maybe a small tuition fee). Some pathways partner with City Colleges of Chicago, where in-district tuition is modest compared to four-year options. Most apprenticeships are “earn while you learn,” which means students avoid the heavy debt that often comes with a bachelor’s degree. Now imagine talking to parents about that with confidence. Imagine your community seeing a future that is respected and financially secure… without framing it as “less than” college.
Gerald Morrow will be leading CPAA’s effort to dig deeper into trades and help principals and communities make the most of what’s already available. We’ll be working on this now so that by the time you’re planning for next year, you’ll have stronger tools, examples, and connections to help you start those conversations with families and communities. Let’s expand our effort: Elementary schools are a part of the work, too, so if you are interested in sharing with your young students, know that there’s a pathway being discussed.
NOT JUST ONE LANE Let’s not sleep on HVAC or aviation maintenance. Demand is strong… wages competitive with white-collar fields. The point isn’t either/or. It’s both/and. Trade and/or college… depending on what fits the student and the family.
Trade pathways students consider might be:
AND HEALTH SCIENCES
COSMETOLOGY BARBERING AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY AVIATION MAINTENANCE HVAC (HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING)
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ELECTRICAL
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CULINARY ARTS CONSTRUCTION/ CARPENTRY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & NETWORKING
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NURSING
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Not every school has the capacity to offer all of these today, but the more we talk about them, the more possible it becomes to align school, district, and community resources so that students see real opportunity.
CPAA IS VOICE AND POWER REALIZED • 29
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