Going to college is expensive. Like, really, really expensive. The cost of attending college has more than tripled over the course of several decades, with the average college graduate walking away with nearly $30,000 of student loan debt. Those who choose to further their education by pursuing a master’s or doctorate degree and graduate with six-figures worth of student loan debt. Ouch.

To add the equation, millennials are graduating right into a wobbly and highly competitive job post-recession job market, with some having graduated at the height of the recession. While the economy has shown promising signs of recovery, there still exists a lack of high-paying jobs. Therefore, over-qualified millennials are forced to take jobs outside of their field of study that pay far less than what their skill set, education, and experience demand.

This vicious cycle has subsequently impacted the housing market, with home ownership rates the lowest they’ve been since before the Great Recession. However, where there is struggle there is also innovation. Fearing graduating with crushing student loan debt (or seeking a higher paying jobs) many millennials and even high school students are opting to attend trade schools instead of college in order to find stability in an unstable job market.

The fields of CNC machining and milling offer job stability along with the opportunity to earn the same, if not more, than college graduates. Trade school students learning the ins and outs of the machining industry learn how to use precise cutting tools such as aluminum cutters, mill cutters, and threaded shank cutting tools in addition to other tools of the trade such as end mills and face mills. Precise cutting tools are learned to create a variety of everyday items such as bolts, nuts, screws, bicycle helmets, cookie cutters, and more.

The cost of attending trade school is far less attending a two or four year college, yet still provides graduates with the opportunity for career advancement and job satisfaction.