"Honest work, honestly compensated — that's the lane we owe every student a clear view of."
Commonwealth Preparatory · Est. 1962This is an exploration resource — not an enrollment platform and not a recruitment funnel. It complements the college-counseling work the Counseling Office already does. Use it during a 1:1 with your counselor, after a school-led workshop, or quietly at home with your family.
Get an honest, judgment-free look at the credible post-secondary lanes beyond a four-year degree — trade schools, registered apprenticeships, hybrid paths.
If one lane catches your interest, follow it. Each role page shows what the work looks like, what the day-to-day is, and how the path to good pay actually unfolds.
Take what you find back to the Counseling Office. Your counselor can help you weigh the path, talk it through with your family, and plan next steps — application timelines, visits, financial-aid implications.
Every Commonwealth student works with a school counselor and the College & Career Specialist throughout high school. This page is one of the resources they'll point you to when "what comes after Commonwealth" is on the table.
"Commonwealth's college acceptance numbers are real and we're proud of them. But the Counseling Office's role goes wider than that. We're here to help every student think honestly about what comes after Commonwealth — including the credible post-secondary lanes that aren't a four-year degree. This page is one of the tools I'll point you and your family to."
"Come find me. Bring a parent. We'll talk it through."
Two credible, well-defined post-secondary lanes — each with regional examples within driving distance. Click into any program for application timelines, costs, and what the path to good pay actually looks like. Live data refreshed from federal sources.
Each program above links to the program's own website (opens in a new tab). Your school does not endorse any single program — this page is exploration-only, and the Counseling Office is the right place to talk through fit.
The roles families ask about most. Regional wage ranges across VA · DC · MD · NC from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — OEWS, May 2025. Updated annually each spring.
All twelve KinTrades trade families, with regional wage ranges across VA · DC · MD · NC from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — OEWS, May 2025, refreshed each release. Each card links to the canonical KinTrades family page with role-by-role detail.
This is a sample page for Commonwealth Preparatory Academy, a fictional school built to show what the KinTrades Schools Program delivers. The real version would be branded for your school's colors, logo, and Career Specialist team — and linked from your counseling-services page. Schedule a 20-minute call to see what yours would look like.