Williamson College of the Trades in Media has had a resurgence owing to a shortage of workers and a need for tradesmen, writes Jon Marcus for The Washington Post.

As high school seniors question the value of a four-year college degree, many are attracted to the lower debt and shorter training time to learn a trade.

That’s good news for the Williamson College of the Trades in Media, which is currently training 265 low-income young men in carpentry, masonry, machine tooling, and power-plant technology.

“If you look at where the jobs are, the sweet spot is an associate’s degree with a focus on the trades,” said Michael Rounds, a former Army lieutenant colonel who is Williamson’s president.  

The Williamson College of the Trades’ endowment has grown to $128 million. Students who qualify spend three years on campus earning an associate’s degree in a trade, at no cost to themselves.

Labor shortages are being seen in fields like construction, transportation, and logistics.

At a November job fair at the school, 114 employers turned out, more than the number of graduating seniors.

Read more at The Washington Post about the comeback of trade schools and the Williamson College of the Trades in Media.