Education Commons^™

College-For-All Meets Skills Gap: Millennials’ Decisions To Pursue Certificates In Skilled Trades, Amy Deitrickson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This is a case study of a group of students enrolled in traditional skilled trade certificate programs at a large Midwestern community college. Considering severe shortage of skilled labor in the geographic area of the college, there is great need for better understanding of ways to alleviate the labor shortage by attracting more young adults to the in-demand fields. Therefore, this case study sought to examine millennial students’ decisions to pursue careers in areas of demand. To collect input from multiple perspectives, interviews were conducted with students, college employees, and family members. The influence college-for-all culture had on their decisions …