There's increasing doubt about the necessity of a four-year degree due to rising college costs, creating more opportunities for trade professionals with advancing technology and higher pay.

The United States ranks as one of the top manufacturing locations in the world. According to Brookings Institution’s Global Manufacturing Scorecard released in July, the United Kingdom and Switzerland were the top ranked nations in overall manufacturing environment (both with 78 points out of 100). However, the United States was just behind with 77 points.