Despite continued improvement in the national economy, many working-age people in the United States are still looking for work. News headlines about cutbacks and layoffs may present a grim picture to high school graduates or soon-to-be graduates that are considering their future job prospects. For many, it may seem that there are just not enough jobs to go around for all of the qualified applicants who are trying to find work. These economic pressures have led many recent and future secondary school graduates to weigh the benefits of traditional college education versus vocational schools when it comes to attaining employment in the next several years.

One of the most attractive aspects of vocational schools is the substantially lower costs of these training programs. It is often the case that the cost of a vocational training program is thousands of dollars below the cost of a traditional four (or more) year degree. In addition, trade schools take less time between enrollment and graduation - typically anywhere from one to two years. By contrast, the traditional four year course of classes in a university or college setting has been increasing as more and more students take longer to graduate. Taken together, these two facts mean that vocational school graduates often find themselves with less debt and more immediate job prospects than do college graduates. It is also the case that many vocational-type careers continue to display strong demand for new workers, whereas many white collar, professional fields are experiencing layoffs due to reduced corporate budgets.

Though it is true that trade schools take less time and are less expensive than colleges and universities, the latter also have their own benefits. A college education offers access to a diverse and wide base of knowledge that is lacking in vocational schools. College may be more attractive to high school graduates that do not want to commit to a certain job field immediately, but instead want to expose themselves to many different schools of study before deciding on a career. In addition, for those who seek high-paying professional careers (e.g., doctors, lawyers, businesspeople), a college degree is often the only avenue towards postgraduate education and advanced degrees that will be required. It is, however, not the case that graduates of vocational schools cannot find high-paying jobs. For example, skilled craftsmen often demand top dollar, and nurses can make very healthy salaries. All in all, it is up to the individual's preferences whether they want to attend college or a vocational school. Many people do a combination of both, attending first a two year junior college for an associate's degree, and then transferring to a university for the additional classes needed for a bachelor's degree. This option mitigates costs while ensuring the backup plan of the associate's degree.