The end of high school marks the end of the first step in many students’ lives, and it is often assumed that alumni will move on to college to continue their education.

These days, public education attempts to create perfect pupils, ones who are content with burying themselves in debt in order to attain a degree so that they can become employed in whatever field they chose.

The reality is that not all students are college ready, and some are never going to be.

It is also realistic to say that just because one receives a college degree, that does not mean they are qualified for any career they want to enter, and that a degree will never guarantee employment.

Those who do not wish to continue their education (that would rather step directly into the work force) may be seen as a deficient product of education, and that is a problem.

These individuals are, by any means, not failures; they just wish to pursue different paths in their lives.

Last year, out of 199 seniors, 94 of them planned to attend a four-year university. Seventy-seven students planned to attend a two-year college or vocational school, nine students were enlisted in the military, seven planned to join the work force and nine students were still undecided.

Like last year and the years before it, some students will not be moving on to college, and will be immediately starting a career or attending a vocational or trade school.

Vocational or trade schools teach a specialized skill or skill set. The studies are narrower than what they would be in a college or university, and it takes less time to complete the programs.

There are benefits to this choice, such as not having to build up student loans, and being able to immediately support yourself after college in some cases.

Senior Brett Siegrist began a job at Nexteer in May. Nexteer is a company that deals with the distribution of car parts.

“(I am) working the wharehouse, loading up the truck, filling shipments,” Siegrist said.

Siegrist said that he is happy to go directly into a job like this because he can start building a 401 K and receives benefits.

“They’ll pay for my college if I go for a business degree or something like that,” Siegrist said.

Siegrist will be working in Saginaw, where he may choose to apply at Saginaw Valley State University after he spends some time working.

The image for this story has a Creative Commons license.