☆ Perspective: Local students need greater exposure to trade school options

Atascadero Unified School District board member Rebekah Koznek campaigned on several key priorities, including trade school opportunities for students. This rings true for San Joseans, given that the City's primary tech ed school, Silicon Valley CTE, is seeing recently increased enrollment via added programs (whereas Covid-era stats were less encouraging). Koznek argues in this Opp Now exclusive that the Silicon Valley should better promote trade schools to HS students.

Opportunity Now: What are the value of trade schools, especially in high-tech places like the Silicon Valley?

Rebekah Koznek: Trade schools are near and dear to me because I wasn't a good student when I was in school. I most likely have dyslexia, and it's challenging for me to take written exams. So I never thought I was very smart. But in my 20s, I started doing woodworking and realized I'm actually really smart but not book smart like some other people.

Trade schools are important because you need both types of people in the world. Both of them—not just book smart people—make society go 'round, including in the Silicon Valley. Hands-on jobs need to be more on a pedestal, I think, and not looked down on.

I'm not against college at all, but the push for everyone to attend college isn't practical. You need kids experiencing similar difficulties as I did to know that there are other options to make a living. That they can become electricians, heavy equipment operators, welders, etc. and make a lot of money. That's why we need things like CTE programs in high schools to expose students to other career opportunities.

Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity

Image by Jarmoluk