Ever since I can remember, teachers spoon fed the rhetoric that everyone needed to strive for college. As I got older and college fairs began, it was almost taboo to hint at the idea of not going to a university after graduation. Phrases such as these became commonplace:

"Won't you need a degree?"

"How will you ever get a job?"

"People will think you're unintelligent"

Now, none of this was ever directed toward me, as I had always wanted to pursue at least a bachelor's degree. However, in my senior year of high school, I began dating a guy who is very technically and mechanically minded, along with his group of buddies. One of his friends is currently in a Diesel Tech program, and his other friend won first place at the SkillsUSA automotive championship. For the more feminine side, I also have multiple friends who chose to complete cosmetology school and begin working at a salon, making more money as a 19- or 20-year-old than any average college student could manage to make.

Here's the thing that educators and parents alike need to realize: College does NOT equal intelligence.

This group of guys has some of the most mechanically intelligent young men I have ever met, and this is a skill that is quickly dwindling from the American market. Although it may sound harsh, some of the least intelligent people I have met had the most education and some of the most intelligent people I've met had minimal post-secondary education. Trades are always going to be a necessary piece of the American economy, so why is the education system discouraging it or occasionally pretending it doesn't exist? Auto technicians, mechanics, electricians, plumbers, linemen, cosmetologists and other trades are experiencing severe shortages because of the intense push for every student to pursue a four-year degree.

In fact, individuals in these trades may end up making even more than those with degrees in a market that is oversaturated.

Unfortunately, the push for college education has not only affected the vocational market. It has also affected the market for those with degrees. Once it is commonplace to have a four-year degree, as it is now, the job market begins to reflect it. Some companies now desire master's and doctorate-level degrees from applicants, when only 10-15 years ago they would have been happy with a bachelor's degree. It seems that if this trend continues, people will have to begin pursuing graduate degrees en masse, as a bachelor's simply will not cut it.

The solution? Encourage students to explore all options, and stop limiting them.

Educators need to stop acting as though the only path after graduation is a university tenure. Heavily rural states such as Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming have actually been doing a great job with implementing vocational training, even in high school. Students who are not interested in college can begin automotive technology or cosmetology programs in their senior year of high school while completing their high school degree. Ironically, these states are often ranked as having poor education or as failing to send students to college, when in reality, they are helping keep fields alive that are necessary for America as a whole.

Before chastising a young man or woman for choosing trade school over college, consider the sheer necessity of vocational fields and their necessity for American livelihood.