Entering the work force after high school is a reality for many graduates, whether it be to earn money for college, go into a vocational field, or to find a permanent line of work without further schooling or training. The average weekly salary for the high school graduate is $398. In comparison, those persons who complete a bachelor's degree, on average earn $641 per week and persons who are in a job that requires skilled apprenticeship earn about $800 per week.

Yet, many people don't pursue those areas, they pursue jobs that will take high school graduates. "About 25% of high school grads go on and earn a four year degree. The other 75% have to get something out of high school and that something is either you walk out of here with marketable job skills or you leave here with a pretty good idea of what kind of post-secondary options you are going to pursue," said marketing and business teacher Tim Touhey.

Some students plan on going into the work force right out of high school in order to earn money for college. "[An] advantage of going to get a job before you go to college is money. A lot of people get a college loan and then spend half their life paying it off. I want to save up some money first before I go to college," said junior Bree DeVaul.

The vocational program at W.F. West aims to prepare students to find work in that particular field of study they receive a certificate in. "In a vocational class, you should be able to take the skills that you learn and go right to work with them. What you're finding now, is that you've got so many people competing for that 20% of the jobs, that unless you have additional skills or schooling then you won't get it," said shop teacher Ralph Shultz.

Other students search for a job after high school for a more permanent situation than just to earn money for college. Freshman Brian Silcox believes that spending a lot of money on college isn't worth it, so he is just going to work at "mainly manual labor or being a janitor or something," he said.