There is a common misconception among high school students that attending a four- year college is the only responsible path for them to take after high school, but that is far from accurate. Students may not have the ability to attend a four-college for a large variety of reasons, whether these be financial, medical, or otherwise. In other cases, students may not be interested in or require a degree, at least right away, to obtain the job or post-high school position they wish to pursue.
In most cases, students simply don’t know what these alternatives are. “I worry that students are under the impression that if they don’t have the aspirations or the ability to obtain a four-year college degree right away, that they are doomed to work a terrible job and it’s simply not true,” said Britt Hanford, one of Hellgate’s assistant principals, who was at the front of creating the Hellgate Career Fair. This is the first year the fair has been at Hellgate, and was inspired by Chip Reinhart’s Women in Construction event from last year, as well as the presence of college fairs at both Sentinel and Big Sky this year.
“I think [the career fair] is a really good idea because of how expensive college is; it’s really opening up more opportunities for students who can’t afford college or aren’t sure what their direction in life is,” said senior Lucia Johnson.
The fair consisted of around 25 tables and had a wide variety of job types and options available. There were construction companies such as Martel Construction and Dick Anderson Construction; contractor groups such as the Jackson Contractor Group and the Rocky Mountain Contractors; first responder jobs such as the Missoula Fire Department and the Missoula Police Department; a beauty school option; and much more.
“We wanted to shine a light on the many alternatives,” said Hanford. “Exposure to the options right here in Missoula hopefully offers some hope and excitement about what comes after high school.”
There has been an increasing shift away from four-year colleges in recent years, as more and more high school graduates are choosing to attend trade schools, vocational schools or shorter-term programs. This is due to the continually rising tuition costs and resulting student debt that comes out of four-year colleges; these alternatives often offer a better financial security and a more direct route to a well-paying job.
There is also a rising concern around the value of college degrees as AI becomes more prominent in society, as well as an increased emphasis on experience and skills over degrees. It is becoming more culturally acceptable to go straight into the workforce or to trade school directly after high school, contributing to the decreasing enrollment in postsecondary education.
According to CollegeBoard, between 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and 2022, postsecondary education declined 5%, from 19.5 million to 18.5 million; total undergraduate enrollment declined by 7%.
Regardless of statistics, it is important that high school students understand the full scope of their options post-graduation, which is why the Hellgate Career Fair is so vital in an environment that tends to prioritize and assume a four-year college as the end-goal for all students, which isn’t always the case.
“We are thrilled about this year’s fair and how well it seemed to go, and we plan to organize another one next year,” Hanford said.
