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People put their heads in the sand. Low wage service work is the way of the future. Fast food workers home health aids cashiers ect. This is where the job growth will be over the next ten years. BLS reports bear this out. They are hiring college educated workers in India and China and Russia for 10 to 20 cents on the dollar. Temps part time unpaid interns no benefits this is the future. We have 13.5 million unemployed 6.5 million who have stopped looking for work. There is 9.3% of the working population who now work part time. They worked full time but now can not find full time work. This number has been stable for at least 3 years. Meaning we are not making enough full time jobs to get that number down. We have 25 million underemployed K mart Walmart Sears ect. We dump 1 to 1.5 million college grads every year on the job market. Jobs that pay a living wage are going down. Wages are going down but for the very top. We do not need anymore college grads. We need jobs that pay a living wage.
People put their heads in the sand. Low wage service work is the way of the future. Fast food workers home health aids cashiers ect. This is where the job growth will be over the next ten years. BLS reports bear this out. They are hiring college educated workers in India and China and Russia for 10 to 20 cents on the dollar. Temps part time unpaid interns no benefits this is the future. We have 13.5 million unemployed 6.5 million who have stopped looking for work. There is 9.3% of the working population who now work part time. They worked full time but now can not find full time work. This number has been stable for at least 3 years. Meaning we are not making enough full time jobs to get that number down. We have 25 million underemployed K mart Walmart Sears ect. We dump 1 to 1.5 million college grads every year on the job market. Jobs that pay a living wage are going down. Wages are going down but for the very top. We do not need anymore college grads. We need jobs that pay a living wage.
Yeah, but look on the bright side your kid could learn about homosexuality, gambling, drugs for only about 30,000 yr oh, and another thing full employment for professors (if they kiss enough butt to get tenured)
It does not matter what they learn. The jobs will not be there. Maybe India or China for 400 to 800 a month it is the future.
Do you know what is a big probelm also? Parents let some of their kids pick useless majors. What is the sense of having a degree in oceanography if you live in North Dakota and do not plan on moving? I have noticed that other countries have and prepare thier kids to focus on degrees in science and math that lead into something like the medical field or engineering. Many kids go into a major because it is easy or they like the professor or some other non-productive reason. When they finally graduate they had the nerve to complain that they can't use their B.A in history anywhere.
When I graduated from college in 1972 the situation was not so different. It took me a year to find a professional job. During that year I supported my wife and I as a prototype machine builder and machinist. I was very good at that and liked the work. I went with the professional job because it paid better to start, had actual benefits and didn't require I stand on my feet all day. It also saved me from engineers that handed me an Escher drawing and wanted it in titanium tomorrow afternoon.
Now some 40 years later I am glad I have a college education. I am still employed and I am still making more then I would in my former craft.
I would recommend anyone with intellectual curiosity go to college. Just do not think, unless you have arranged to get an education with a high likely hood of employment, it will lead to a good job. I also suggest concentrating on the "people" skills even if that results in "C's" rather than "A's". Take some fundamental accounting and business management courses so you will be able to understand business. All this might just let you be a successful business owner after you serve your apprenticeship in your chosen field. I fear that working for others will become less and less gratifying in the future as your competitors are willing to work for nearly nothing as that beats starving in Bangladesh or some other dump.
I do not see a prosperous future for the graduates in generalist degrees. There are simply too many generalists around and they will never command good salaries. I also see the government jobs that employed generalists being destroyed by the anti-government forces of the Corporatist over state.
Instead of college I would recommend, in addition to marrying into a really wealthy family, finding something the really, really rich need done for them that they are willing to pay real money to obtain. Maybe build fancy automobiles or fine art. Maybe find a way to make a new fancy recreational drug that is not yet illegal. There are a lot of possibilities that do not involve becoming Dilbert’s pointy haired boss. If you are desperate enough even that will do.
Do you know what is a big probelm also? Parents let some of their kids pick useless majors. What is the sense of having a degree in oceanography if you live in North Dakota and do not plan on moving? I have noticed that other countries have and prepare thier kids to focus on degrees in science and math that lead into something like the medical field or engineering. Many kids go into a major because it is easy or they like the professor or some other non-productive reason. When they finally graduate they had the nerve to complain that they can't use their B.A in history anywhere.
My brother has a BA in history and had a long and fairly successful career in human resources.
No one living in ND is dumb enough to major in oceanography if they plan on living in ND the rest of their life.
I know I am coming in late. But a few things. It may seem to you that almost everyone is at school now getting a degree. But the truth is that many are not. So yes, we do need more college graduates. And just because someone gets good grades does not mean they are going to be the best employees.
"The best economic policy is one that produces more college graduates," he told the audience at Kenmore Middle School. "We need to make sure we're graduating students who are ready for college and ready for careers." President Obama
Haven't people who went to college gotten us into the mess we are in? Both Bush and Obama went to prestigious schools. How is their education working for you? Academic elitism and people trying to "fix" people doesn't work either. We need to produce college graduates? How?
It's only fair that we be as condemning of this as we were of Bush saying we needed more homeowners. Well, only the astute among us were condemning of Bush saying we needed more homeowners, but you get the idea...
Why are the "useless majors" available to the public at large if they are such useless majors? I thought a university education was good?
BTW the medical field and engineering fields aren't as huge as you are making it out to be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by simetime
Do you know what is a big probelm also? Parents let some of their kids pick useless majors. What is the sense of having a degree in oceanography if you live in North Dakota and do not plan on moving? I have noticed that other countries have and prepare thier kids to focus on degrees in science and math that lead into something like the medical field or engineering. Many kids go into a major because it is easy or they like the professor or some other non-productive reason. When they finally graduate they had the nerve to complain that they can't use their B.A in history anywhere.
The best way to get more college graduates is to provide free college just like high school. However, in a declining economy like the US the jobs available will continue to decrease. As college degrees have become more commonplace, their value has declined significantly. If I had my way, there would be free tuition and supplies for anyone who can meet college standards, like a scholarship today. Yet bringing manufacturing back is key, as this creats jobs for those who are not college material. In a REAL college system, only 20 percent of the population would qualify for a degree. The rest can fill most jops or start their own business if Big Brother simply gets out of their way. Most successful business owners seem to have not been a good fit for the college system anyway.
In a real college system,15% of the total population would be the absolute outside max.
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