Answer:
Although attending college seems to be a necessity for a successful career and life, it may not be true as there is an alternative path within apprenticeship that gives people practical knowledge and skills much faster and provides them with great job opportunities at a much lower cost.
Explanation:
As we can see in the sources, there are many reasons why a person might opt for an apprenticeship rather than attending a college, some of which include lower cost (we all know how expensive US universities are) and getting paid immediately during the apprenticeship itself.
In Laura's example, she is at least three years ahead of her friends who are attending a law school simply by having a job already in which she can gain practical, as well as theoretical knowledge, while also being paid, whereas they will study theoretical things with little to no practice for years, then have difficulties finding a job, and when (or if) they do, they will need additional years of practice to get to her level.
Another example is Switzerland, which has a mixed system of education + apprenticeships, after which students are fully capable of performing the work they have been studying for, resulting in a very low unemployment rate among the young.
We also see that the governments are acknowledging the importance of apprenticeship and that not everyone is interested or can afford attending college. They are investing in apprenticeships and vocational schools in the US to encourage young people to explore this alternative path - around $265 million has already been allocated in Washington to spur these programs.
