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Almost every area of higher education in the United States has fewer students registering for classes.
在美国，几乎每个高等教育领域的学生注册人数都在减少。
But many trade programs are growing.
但许多职业项目正在增加。
Trade programs teach students skills for specific jobs, like electricians or car repair.
职业项目教授学生特定工作的技能，如电工或汽车维修。
For many students, skilled trades offer a clearer path to a job.
对于许多学生来说，熟练的手艺提供了一条更清晰的就业途径。
The National Student Clearing House says from spring 2021 to 2022, some trade programs grew as much as 19.3 percent.
国家学生交换所表示，从2021年春季到2022年，一些职业项目增长了19.3%。
Meanwhile, the overall number of students declined by 7.8 percent at public two-year colleges and about 3.4 percent at public four-year colleges.
与此同时，公立两年制大学的学生总人数下降了7.8%，公立四年制大学的学生总数下降了约3.4%。
That is the case in the American state of Tennessee.
美国田纳西州就是这种情况。
Despite having free tuition since 2015, the overall number of students going to the state's community colleges declined during the pandemic.
尽管自2015年开始实行免学费，但在疫情期间，就读该州社区大学的学生总人数有所下降。
But at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) many trade programs have continued to grow.
但在田纳西应用技术学院，许多职业项目仍在继续增长。
TCAT is a network of 24 colleges that offers training for 70 different jobs.
田纳西应用技术学院是一个由24所学院组成的网络，为70种不同的工作提供培训。
At TCAT Nashville, several programs have waiting lists.
在田纳西应用技术学院纳什维尔分校，有一些项目有好多人在等着加入。
The college has added night classes to meet demand, said Nathan Garrett, president of the college.
该学院校长内森·加勒特表示，学院增加了晚间课程以满足需求。
TCAT centers on training students for jobs that are in demand in the area.
田纳西应用技术学院的重点是培训学生从事该地区需要的工作。
Garrett said the pandemic made certain jobs more desirable.
加勒特说，疫情使某些工作变得更受欢迎。
"When we look at 'essential workers,' a lot of those trades never saw a slowdown," he said.
他说：“当我们观察‘骨干员工’时，其中许多职业从未出现过放缓。”
"They still hired. They still have the need."
“他们仍在招聘。他们仍有需求。”
Cheven Jones is attending an automotive trade school at the TCAT in Nashville.
查文·琼斯就读于田纳西应用技术学院纳什维尔分校的汽车职业学院。
The 26-year-old said when he was in high school he did not know what he wanted to do.
这位26岁的年轻人说，当他上高中的时候，他不知道自己想做什么。
He said that his "biggest fear was to go to college, put in all that time and effort and then not use my degree."
他说，他“最害怕去上大学，投入了所有的时间和精力，最后却用不上我的学位。”
Robert Nivyayo said he did not like high school.
Robert Nivyayo说他不喜欢高中。
But he knew what he wanted to do earlier in life.
但他很早就知道自己想做什么。
He spent most of his free time watching videos about fixing up cars before he was old enough to drive.
直到他到了能开车的年龄，他把大部分空闲时间都花在了看有关修车的视频上。
Training in car repair made sense for him, he said, because he could earn a working document while doing what he enjoyed.
他说，汽车维修培训对他来说很有意义，因为他可以在做自己喜欢的事情的同时获得一份工作文件。
Now 19, Nivyayo looks forward to the money he will earn when he gets a job in an auto shop.
今年19岁的Nivyayo期待着在一家汽车厂找到一份工作后能赚到钱。
He can expect to make about $40,000 to $60,000 a year, his instructor said.
他的导师说，他预计每年能挣4万至6万美元。
Laura Monks is the president of TCAT Shelbyville.
劳拉·蒙克斯是田纳西应用技术学院谢尔比维尔分校的校长。
She said one of the reasons students like TCAT is the school's "co-op" program.
她说，学生们喜欢田纳西应用技术学院的原因之一是学校的“合作”计划。
It gives students who are close to finishing their studies a chance to get real work experience toward their degree.
它为即将完成学业的学生提供了一个在攻读学位时获得真正工作经验的机会。
Brayden Johnson, 20, is studying industrial maintenance automation.
20岁的布雷登·约翰逊正在学习工业自动化设备维护。
As part of the "co-op" program, he works as an electrical maintenance technician in a local factory that makes containers for toothpaste.
作为“合作”项目的一部分，他在当地一家生产牙膏容器的工厂担任电气维修技术员。
Johnson earns $26 an hour and hopes to stay in the job after he finishes at TCAT this spring.
约翰逊的时薪为26美元，他希望在今年春天从田纳西应用技术学院毕业后继续做这份工作。
Garrett of Nashville said to get real work experience in TCAT's "co-op" program is important.
纳什维尔分校的加勒特说，在田纳西应用技术学院的“合作”项目中获得真正的工作经验是很重要的。
He noted that the employer reports back to the student's instructor, so they know where the student is doing well and where they are struggling.
他指出，雇主会向学生的导师汇报，这样他们就知道学生在哪些方面做得好，在哪些方面做得不好。
That way, they can work on those weaknesses in class.
这样，他们就可以在课堂上解决这些缺点。
For Cheven Jones, his plan is to fix up his car by the time he finishes the trade program and have fun while doing it.
对于查文·琼斯来说，他的计划是在完成职业项目之前修好他的车，并在修理过程中享受乐趣。
"It's school, and I take it seriously. But you know, you come here, and it just feels more like you're at a shop hanging out with your homies all day," Jones said. "It's a good feeling."
琼斯说：“这是学校，我很认真地对待它。你来到这里，感觉更像是整天和你的兄弟们在商店里闲逛。这种感觉很好。”
I'm Dan Novak.
丹·诺瓦克为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
