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Trade Up: Why the Future Belongs to Skilled Trades and How Career Education is Transforming the Workforce
The four-year college degree has been the preferred path for generations of Americans who saw it as...
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The four-year college degree has been the preferred path for generations of Americans who saw it as the most direct way to climb the economic ladder. But today, record numbers of college graduates are unable to find jobs and feel as though that ladder has been pulled out from under them. At the same time, many employers struggle to find qualified workers in high-demand fields like construction, manufacturing, healthcare, technology, and other skilled trades. The result is a widening skills gap that threatens America's competitiveness and leaves both graduates and employers frustrated and stuck. Beyond that, bachelor's degrees often fail to deliver the job readiness students expect, as many graduates enter the workforce burdened by staggering student debt and unprepared for the roles most in demand. For a growing number of students, the traditional college pathway has become less a gateway to opportunity than a costly detour away from true labor market needs. It's no wonder families across the country are asking a once-unthinkable question: Is college worth it?
In this book, career education leaders Jason Altmire and Riley Burr confront this paradox head-on. Drawing on data, workforce trends, and real-world experience, they make the case that trade schools and career-focused education are essential to closing the skills gap. By spotlighting the rise of the "Toolbelt Generation," the authors offer a hopeful, solutions-oriented roadmap for students, educators, and employers ready to rethink how America prepares its workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.
Author: Jason Altmire,Riley Burr
Publisher: Sunbury Press, Inc.
Published: 04/28/2026
Pages: 214
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.58lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.54d
ISBN: 9798888194447
About the Author
Altmire, Jason: - Jason Altmire is President and Chief Executive Officer of Career Education Colleges and Universities, the national association representing private postsecondary trade schools and career colleges. He is also an adjunct professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He has worked at senior levels in business, education and politics, and from 2007 to 2013, he served three terms in the United States House of Representatives. A prolific public speaker, writer and commentator, he previously authored the book Dead Center: How Political Polarization Divided America and What We Can Do About It. He earned a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Florida, a Master's in Health Administration from George Washington University, and a bachelor's degree in political science from Florida State University.Burr, Riley: - Riley Burr serves as Executive Director of the CECU Research Foundation and Vice President of Policy and Research at Career Education Colleges and Universities. She previously served as lead author and contributor on several federal reports for the National Center for Education Statistics. Her research portfolio spans federal policy, institutional effectiveness, and student outcomes, with publications in areas ranging from school safety to postsecondary accountability. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics and Spanish from Furman University, and a Master of Science degree in Sustainable Development from the University of Sussex.
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