Post

Here's an important read for today: policymakers are encouraging students to learn trades that are costly to teach, but community colleges and apprenticeships don't have the capacity to meet demand. This sends students to the more expensive for-profit sector, where they take on debt.

wsj.comThey Chose Careers in the Trades and Still Wound Up With DebtAs community colleges and union apprenticeships fill up, more students are turning to pricier training options for blue-collar careers.

22/4/26, 9:58 am42 reposts98 likes

David H Feldman

@dhfeldman.bsky.social

22 Apr

And as Stephanie Cellini has shown, these for-profit certificates often yield less than the corresponding credential from a CC or from a non-selective public U. More debt + lower return. The daily double! jhr.uwpress.org/content/54/2...

jhr.uwpress.orgGainfully Employed?We draw on population-level administrative data from the U.S. Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service to quantify the impact of for-profit college attendance on the employment and ear...

Robert Kelchen

@robertkelchen.com

22 Apr

In fields like HVAC and welding, those credentials tend to pay off over time...even at for-profits. But when students are told to avoid debt yet get stuck on waitlists for subsidized options, some will choose to forgo training and get stuck in low-wage jobs.

Erin

@erinalexa.bsky.social

22 Apr

Their for-profit schools make such good sells too with all the bells and whistles and fancier facilities than (most of our) community colleges

Robert Kelchen

@robertkelchen.com

22 Apr

I visited one of those before and was really impressed. At reputable places, the quality of education is likely similar. The difference is who pays for the cost of education...the student, the employer, or the government.