Detroit Free Press

DETROIT – Matt Graves has been growing his business for five years, and when he graduates from high school in June, Graves expects to focus on his MSG Lawn Care rather than attend a university like many of his peers.

But sometimes he fibs to avoid ridicule.

“I just say, “I don’t know where I’m going yet,”‘ he confessed. “That’s because everybody expects you to go to college.”

But Graves, 17, who attends both Berkley High School and the Oakland Schools Technical Campus in Royal Oak, Mich., is confident that because he’s good at his craft, a bachelor’s degree is not required to make a decent wage.

According to the latest labor statistics and tales of success from the fields of carpentry, cosmetology and automotive engineering, to name a few, young people today can get a high-paying job without the debt and time that goes into four years of college.

Donald Trump believes, that, too. In this season of “The Apprentice,” he’s pitting high school graduates against the college graduates. And the high school grads are winning.

Life doesn’t always imitate reality television.

The reality is that earning at least a bachelor’s degree increases the odds of high wages, though there is a growing movement to embrace alternative paths to reaching comfortable salaries. On average nationwide, high school graduates can expect to earn about $27,280 annually, according to the 2002 Census Bureau Current Population Study. Those with associate’s degrees can expect an average of $31,046, while those with a bachelor’s can average $51,194.

Those salaries can fluctuate, depending on field and training.

With just high school experience, for instance, a mechanic can earn a salary in the mid-20s. But with a 2-year associate’s degree, mechanics can net about $45,000, said Ken Schewe, director of education programs for the Detroit Auto Dealers Association. The bonus, he said, is that most times, students are working paid internships while they go to school and the dealership will pick up college costs.

“You can graduate debt-free and with money in your pocket,” he said.

The best way to climb the salary scale is to continue to return for different certifications. Schewe said at least 30,000 new mechanics will be needed each year for the next decade to fill demand across the country.

“Technicians can make as much as doctors and lawyers now,” he said.

And the rethinking about alternatives to a 4-year degree is coming from the top.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has said that to prosper in today’s economy, students need to pursue an education beyond the 12th grade – whether that is at a 4-year university, a community college, or technical training and apprenticeship program. To help finance higher education, Granholm has proposed that the state guarantee any student who completes an associate’s degree or two years of a 4-year program, a $4,000 MERIT scholarship. The program would begin with the class of 2007.

The plan, no doubt, will shine a spotlight on community colleges, which often stand in the shadows of their university counterparts. And the incentive could pay off – literally – as recent high school graduates already are enrolling in community colleges in greater numbers than years past. At Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Mich., for instance, the 19- to 21-year-old enrollment has grown from 3,637 to 5,031 students during the past two years.

Similar growth can be seen in high school career-focused education programs, such as the four Oakland Schools technical campuses, where enrollment has increased by 23 percent, to more than 3,000 students in the past two years. The students sometimes are hired out of high school but, thanks to new cooperative agreements, many also continue their education at community colleges and universities.

Mike Soave, 18, of Southfield, Mich., developed his culinary techniques in high school at the Oakland Schools’ Royal Oak technical campus. Now he’s enhancing his skills at Oakland Community College, while working part-time at Papa Vino’s restaurant in Troy, Mich.

“I want to be a chef, though I don’t necessarily want to open my own restaurant,” he said, adding that while he may go to a culinary school in the future, a bachelor’s degree is not required. No longer is there a stigma about getting technical skills and working a so-called service job. But some educators say it’s still tough convincing parents that their children don’t have to take the 4-year route to gain success.

Redford Township, Mich., resident Dolly Marzka is not among those who need convincing.

She said young people should be able to follow their dreams, to find a job they are a passionate about. If it requires a degree, then so be it. If the 60-year-old grandmother had her way, all high school grads would dedicate two years of service to this country while they decide what they want to do.

She always knew what she wanted to with hers – that’s why the high school dropout got her diploma, then entered a trade school before she opened Ye Olde Barber Shoppe in Plymouth, Mich., which turns 25 this year.

“I will be cutting until I croak,” she said. Said Richard Brown: a placement officer at Henry Ford Community College: “We value a university education. There is no question about that. But the problem we run into … people are coming out with a bachelor’s degree, pretty heavy-duty student debt, and there is no job for them.”

“Is it possible for a person to become successful without a degree? Absolutely. You have to have passion and belief in yourself to do so.”

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