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The irony though is that unless the companies try to grow and put money into workers' pockets, they'll never have those customers.
Which is the chicken and which is the egg?
To an extent... Especially for retail, which has microscopic profit margins, always pays garbage, and adds no value whatsoever. What the country needs is more value added work, where a company takes a raw commodity, invests time and energy turning that commodity into something of use, and sells it on the open market. As far as I'm concerned, without the ability to produce, you can't have a country full of people capable of consuming. As many economists have stated, a country's capacity to consume is limited only by it's ability to produce, or simply, you can only consume relative to what you produce.
What has happened over the past couple decades is we have lost a lot of ground in our value added sectors, which had healthy profit margins around 25%. That's the typical range most manufacturers try to hit to afford to invest in machinery, train new workers, pay wages that attract skilled workers, and retain the ability to compete. As these businesses were closing up or moving overseas, 2 important things happened... These sectors were slowly replaced by pitifully low profit margin businesses which paid low wages, and the effect was masked by an increase in access to consumer credit. Obviously, this is a flawed model and it was only a matter of time until it was proven to by unsustainable.
Of course, the loss of some of our manufacturing base could have been survivable since we have other value added sectors to compete in. Of course, we also had a tech bubble, stiff competition from slave wage nations in the tech sector, and our educational system is not exactly in great shape across the country. This too is survivable, but the consequences will likely be a caste society, an uneven distribution of wealth, and a country engulfed by mediocrity.
This is what young Americans my age have been handed. It ain't pretty, it will take a lot more work to achieve the same socioeconomic status as our parents, and many are going to be left behind. A country run by low profit margin industries tends not to fair exceptionally well.
As for your argument about the country needing well paid workers to consume... China proves this is bunk. What you need is someone, anyone, who is willing to buy your products... Whether they reside in the U.S. or not. Unfortunately, America has not excelled in the quality department, and we expect 1st world wages and standards of living. It just doesn't work that way, as our trade deficit suggests. If our school system can't churn out 1st world brains, than we can't expect a 1st world standard of living.
You don't have to go into debt if you pay for each semester as it occurs.
What are the costs that you are looking at? Does your employer offer tuition assistance?
Keep in mind the you get a federal tax credit of $2500 for the first $3000 spent for years 1-4.
My employer does not offer tuition assistance. I had no idea there was a $2500 tax credit. I won't be in debt. If money is not a factor, I wonder if it's still worth it.
How about this: we are required to get a degree to be administrative assistants, and then get paid a mere $12/hr, usually start at 9/hr IF you even find an entry level!!!! which a monkey can do BUT our dear politicians are NOT required to get political bachelors and master degrees! YET we the tax payers are keeping the "house" and "Senate" alive, we pay them 6 figures and they don't even have degrees for the job they do!!!!!!!!!!! hows that for IRONIC!
WHEN are we going to REQUIRE them to get educated in politics, and not drag every law that needs to be passed for more than their terms????? Just curious!? I am starting to see zero reason for having a house & senate these days, they do nothing for the "people"! all they do is get paid 6 figures for arguing personal opinions and not FOCUS on the country, and its problems, and its predatory employers who discriminate non stop against tires it seems these days!
Does Romney have a political science degree? what educational credentials does this jackass have to qualify for that job?????
How about this: we are required to get a degree to be administrative assistants, and then get paid a mere $12/hr, usually start at 9/hr IF you even find an entry level!!!! which a monkey can do BUT our dear politicians are NOT required to get political bachelors and master degrees! YET we the tax payers are keeping the "house" and "Senate" alive, we pay them 6 figures and they don't even have degrees for the job they do!!!!!!!!!!! hows that for IRONIC!
WHEN are we going to REQUIRE them to get educated in politics, and not drag every law that needs to be passed for more than their terms????? Just curious!? I am starting to see zero reason for having a house & senate these days, they do nothing for the "people"! all they do is get paid 6 figures for arguing personal opinions and not FOCUS on the country, and its problems, and its predatory employers who discriminate non stop against tires it seems these days!
Does Romney have a political science degree? what educational credentials does this jackass have to qualify for that job?????
An MBA and JD.
Do you know what political science is?
We need more job training. we need more paid internships, you know even if they are paying minimum wage. Ppl cannot afford to work for 8 or 9 hours and just get slapped in the face!
and people can't even start at the bottom for the entry-level type jobs too
no problem starting at the bottom, problem is when there is no bottom or when the bottom requires expereince though usually the bottom is the one that provides expereince but how can you get expereince if no one will give... eh- tis a whole thing
Anyway as to the OP, "do we need more grads or more job training?", that is a loaded question. For my part I think college grads have to be smarter, more aware of what happens post college. That does not mean all college students should only major in accounting, engineering, nursing and forsake all liberal art degrees etc... it means giving a critical look to what you are majoring in. That means start looking for the internships/part time work freshmen year, be wiling to take any job even if it is unrelated to major, the same job you had in high school etc... because expereince is what gets you work.
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BUT our dear politicians are NOT required to get political bachelors and master degrees! YET we the tax payers are keeping the "house" and "Senate" alive, we pay them 6 figures and they don't even have degrees for the job they do!!!!!!!!!!! hows that for IRONIC!
