CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - More young people are rethinking their path after high school — and for many, that journey doesn’t necessarily include college.

According to the American Student Association, 45% of teens in 2024 said college was their next step, down from 73% in 201 8. That shift was evident Tuesday at Kirkwood Community College’s Education to Employment Expo, where students got a hands-on look at careers that don’t require a four-year degree.

During the expo, students were able to get out of the typical classroom setting — instead of textbooks, students learned by seeing the tools, environments, and equipment they might use in future jobs. For many, it was their first real exposure to trades like truck driving, firefighting, health care, and construction.

“We just learned

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