Should You Go to College?
College in construction is a tough issue. Here's my best shot at addressing it -
Our society has placed a high standing on college, arguably too high. The situation is this - you're 18 (maybe you're older and thinking of a career change) and you want to pursue construction as a career. Should you go to college?
I'm jumping into a minefield with this one but I know it's a crossroads in which a lot of people arrive at before plunging into the construction industry. Below is my not so simple, simple answer based off my experiences and what I've seen.
Construction is largely made up of skilled trades people that perform much needed work for a living. That much needed work is crucial - it keeps America and the rest of the world progressing as it should. That said, the first question to answer is this - do you want to work in the field as a trades person or equipment operator? If you answered yes, you don't need to go spend a lot of money on formal education. There's an enormous shortage of skilled workers in our country and around the world. The opportunities if you're willing to work are endless. According to the US Labor Department (and echoed by Mike Rowe), there are an estimated 5.6 million jobs in the United States alone that are currently unfilled. A majority of these jobs do not require a college degree - they are unfilled simply because of a lack of skilled workers.
Don't let society convince you that the only way to happiness and contentment is through a college degree! There's no correlation between formal education and happiness. There are 5.6 million well paying jobs right now that are just for you. Union or non-union, you can make plenty of money to support your family and love the work you perform while doing it. Not bad.
Now if you answered the question above with a "no, I'd rather be a business owner, manager or engineer" then college is definitely a consideration. Degrees are oversold and are by no means a guarantee for a management position or job but they are often a necessary first step. Obviously you can be a extraordinary manager without a degree. A degree doesn't mean you know what you're doing, especially with managing people. But the reality is most companies look for you to be able to check that box right from the start before proceeding.
I went to college and finished my degree in Construction Engineering. It was a long and extremely difficult road but I now have the ability to be a registered professional engineer. Do I want to design anything? Absolutely not, I'd be awful at it. The important thing is the understanding of the engineering behind what we are building in the real world. Many engineers forget about the constructability aspect of what they are designing and many builders forget about the engineering aspect of what they are building. It goes both ways.
In summary, most well paying and highly rewarding jobs in the construction industry, available now, do not need a college degree. Therefore, most people entering the industry have no reason to spend four years and a lot of money earning a degree. Jump right in after high school, you'll be an essential part of the operation before you'd even finish a degree. If you do want to pursue the technical or management aspects of the industry right away, it's not a bad idea to go work for a degree. The reality is that a degree is a necessary requirement when applying for management and professional positions but it by no means guarantees a job. It's simply an initial requirement. Proving yourself post degree is the hard part.