UNIVERSITY OR APPRENTICESHIP AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: The Great Dilemma for New High School Graduates

Once the joy of receiving their high school diploma results has subsided, a crucial question arises for all graduates: what to do now? Should they enroll in university or learn a trade to quickly enter the workforce? Faced with the realities of the job market, opinions are divided between the academic path and practical training.

For many young people, this choice depends on financial resources, personal ambitions, and passions. But today, a new trend is emerging: refusing to choose and combining both paths.

For Olivia Sinkoueri, studies and apprenticeships are complementary. « If time allows, I want to do both. You never know where life will take you, » she says. For her, diversifying one’s skills is the best way to adapt to the job market.

Another recent high school graduate, who prefers to remain anonymous, shares this observation. According to him, a university degree no longer automatically guarantees a job: “You can finish your studies and stay home. But if you learn a trade, it can help you while you’re waiting to find work.”

Working a manual or commercial activity alongside your studies also helps avoid idleness, finance your education, and become independent more quickly. This is a strategy increasingly recommended by career placement specialists.

In an audio recording, Dr. Florent Eustache Hessou defends a more decisive position. For him, learning a technical trade remains the most effective remedy against youth unemployment. He encourages young people to overcome the prejudices associated with manual training.

“Look at our construction sites: we lack truck drivers. We need high school graduates to learn these trades. Surveying, technical engineering… there are so many jobs that provide a good living,” he asserts.

Faced with economic difficulties, the trend is clearly toward dual skills. The goal is no longer simply to obtain a diploma, but to build a secure path for the future.

For new high school graduates, the real question is no longer choosing between campus and workshop, but finding the right balance between university studies, practical training, and entrepreneurship to ensure a stable future.

Deodora ALLOGBE (Intern)

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