Educational Preparedness

This post isn't so much about Emergency Preparedness, but more about Economic or Educational Preparedness (the lack of which may result in that lack of Any Preparedness, if you get my drift). Here goes... If you are in high school and not sure what to go into when you graduate (before or after a possible mission, if you are LDS), or have a child in that situation, consider the trades. They are in constant demand, pay well, and can make a comfortable living. I don't regret my university degrees; often they are required for specific professional possibilities when you are sure of those, but sometimes they're just not necessary. Take Mike Rowe's advice and consider Technical College (https://mikeroweworks.org/). Get the idea out of your head that these schools train for second-rate jobs. Consider the number of highly respected people in your community who are Electricians, Plumbers, Mechanics, Welders, Machinists, Truck Drivers, Chefs, Practical Nurses, App Designers, Programmers, Pharmacists, Web Developers, Draftsmen and on and on (scroll down here https://dixietech.edu/programs/) . The cost and time commitment for tech ed schooling is a fraction of traditional 4-year colleges because you can avoid taking a myriad of classes that don't really contribute to your field of expertise. The goal of tech education is to get you trained well and into your chosen profession rather than to squeeze all the money an institution can out of you (or out of the federal government when you have to get loans that will put you in debt for years to come) and turn you into someone who will support favored political agendas. You can start taking CTE CE classes in high school (if they are offered...or go to a dedicated CTE high school if you are in Washington County, Utah) and finish up at a technical college that has an extremely high hiring rate, like DTC...in the subject you were educated in! From there you can make informed choices, ie.: earn good money and save for a 4 year degree once you have some real professional experience in a related area, or continue to advance in the profession you have entered. USU is even beginning to accept credit earned in a tech school program for certain degrees, right Joe Furse? Take a look at a fact sheet: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.schools.utah.gov/.../a5c5152e-2b2d-4945-829a..

Here's a "For Instance": Dixie Technical College is hosting an Open House for any students who are thinking of going into Medical Technology! This is a great opportunity! It will be on Thursday, October 26th from 4 PM to 6 PM (DTC, 610 S. Tech Ridge Drive, Bldg. A 3rd Floor: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LaZeYCJDPTP3TRvu7). At DTC you can earn certificates for EMT, Biotechnology, Medical Assistant, Nursing Assistant, Pharmacy Technician (& Advanced), Phlebotomy Technician and Practical Nursing.

For a fraction of the cost and time-commitment of a typical 4-year college program, you can launch yourself into a well-paying career in the Medical Field. Technical or Trade Schools usually have amazing hire-rates in the fields students earn certificates in...with much lower rates of student debt! Some people decide to tackle a more advanced degree in a related field later at a 4-year College University and are able to use their experience and credentials to get into those programs (not to mention having the financial resources from a solid job).

If you are thinking this might be a route for you, check it out!

For DTC you can also look at https://dixietech.edu/programs/ (Medical on the right).