On November 9, United States Vice-President Kamala Harris made a highly anticipated visit to Boston. She spoke to a crowd of union workers, small business owners, and media personnel at the Pipefitters 537 building in the Dorchester neighborhood.

Brian Doherty, the leader of Local 223, a Boston labor union, served as the panelist at the event. Doherty praised the work of union workers and tradespeople, saying their goal is to “make people’s lives a little better, a little easier.” Harris added, “All labor, all work has value. Workers deserve recognition for their labors.”

However, despite high praise, union jobs and the trades are unpopular among Milton High students. In the season of college applications, decisions, and commitments, students are rejecting labor union jobs and the trades.

School counselor Scott Devlin said he believes there is “a social pressure to apply to traditional four-year colleges, and the college experience is still worthwhile.” He added that the trade route is “a little more narrow, since some kids go to college undecided, whereas you cannot go into the trades undecided.”

Students like sophomore Florian Zoll have other concerns. He says that when it comes to the trades, “there isn’t enough flexibility.”

Devlin is quick to mention, however, that “last year’s graduating class had the largest number of students going into the trades as Milton High has had in quite some time.”

Brian Nicholson, a business agent with Local 537, argues, “the school system, in general, is more college-focused. The word is sort of getting out that college isn’t a bad thing of course, but there are other options.”

Milton High currently offers courses in subjects such as automotive care and woodwork. Additionally, they offer internships, directories on technical and vocational schools, and career advising in the School Counseling office.

Still, the amount of resources available for trade-related future planning stands in the shadow of college advising. School Counseling offers college planning, scholarship help, summer programs, and more. It is impossible to ignore the dozens of college posters and pendants adorning the school, particularly in the counseling office.

Harris was repeatedly praised for her support of labor unions, dating back to her time as a District Attorney in San Francisco. She was quick to point to the benefits that were offered by working in trades and labor unions.

She particularly voiced her support for pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, saying to the workers that the federal government is, “counting on you to get it done,” about various infrastructure-focused government programs.

Her views were echoed by union workers, nearly all of whom said they felt fulfilled through their work. Despite the benefits offered by trades and labor union jobs, they remain unpopular among high school students due to social pressures, individual preferences, and the school itself.