By Zoila Palma: Are skilled workers in Belize earning more than people with university degrees? It is a question gaining attention as technical and vocational training continues to offer young people alternative pathways into the workforce, particularly in trades such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical installation, air-conditioning and refrigeration, and welding.
Data from the Ministry of Education’s “Abstract of Education Statistics” over the last few years show that women continue to outnumber men among university graduates.
In the 2022–2023 academic year, Belize recorded 1,083 university graduates, including 730 women and 353 men.
The figures raise questions about whether fewer men are pursuing university degrees or whether some are choosing alternative routes to employment through technical and skills-based training. The statistics, however, do not establish why the gap exists.
Across Belize, technical and vocational education and training programs provide opportunities for students to develop practical skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
The country’s Institutes for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ITVETs), along with institutions such as the Cayo Centre for Employment Training (Cayo CET), offer vocational pathways that help prepare trainees for the world of work. These programs can include practical instruction in trades and technical fields, equipping students with skills that may be applied directly in construction, maintenance, manufacturing and other industries.
Skills-based training is also reaching students at the secondary-school level.
In Cayo, St. Ignatius High School has partnered with the STEM U Foundation to provide training in welding and non-destructive testing, combining classroom instruction with hands-on technical experience.
Mopan Technical High School is also among the institutions incorporating welding into its vocational training opportunities.
Such programs demonstrate how students can begin developing specialized skills before completing secondary school, while opening pathways to further training and employment.
These trades are closely connected to “STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” — because they require measurement, calculations, scientific principles, technical knowledge and problem-solving.
Some Belizeans have argued on social media that mastering a trade can be financially rewarding and, in certain cases, more lucrative than holding a university degree.
Whether skilled workers generally earn more than university graduates, however, requires comparable wage data.
Earnings can vary according to experience, qualifications, specialization, demand and whether a tradesperson is employed or operates a successful business.
So, are more young Belizeans turning to skills-based training and skilled trades as an alternative to pursuing university degrees?
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