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After spending the last 5 years in school and about 70k in student loans. I have come to realize education is a big scam. It doesn't matter where you went to school. All higher education institutions have one thing in mind, generating more money to come into their system. If I take those 5 years and say I was working you can throw another 150k on top of the cost of education. That is a total of $220,000 for the cost of a bachelors degree these days. If I could do it over again I would have stuck to one of the trades. I have a brother who went to school for 3 months to be an electrical lineman. He now makes close to $200,000 a year.
I do think that it is ridiculous to get into so much debt, unless you are going to medical school. It makes so much more sense to go to community college and then transfer to a good state school.
A college education doesn't have to put you into debt for the rest of your life.
However, it is true that a college education isn't for everyone. It's sad that so many of the (unskilled) blue-collar jobs have been eradicated and replaced with Walmart-type jobs.
Becoming really good at a skilled trade makes a lot of sense for those who are capable of doing those jobs.
It's not easy to get in. There are training programs available (not very cheap for someone who's unemployed or 'unemployABLE') and of course what people here have been telling me....the "backyard" way of getting in by stalking companies and offering yourself. But part of the problem is that many companies want someone else to do the training for them. 60 minutes did a story on this. Hopefully things will change when the older generation starts retiring, and these companies have no choice BUT to take matters into their own hands or fall behind.
Like Peter Cappelli said on the program, one of the main reasons is rock bottom wages. If you are offering fast food wages for a skilled labor job and you can't find employees, the reasons should be obvious. The masses would rather work at mcdonald's for the same price, no brain power, experience, or fancy certifications required.
You've been given plenty of sound advice on how to acquire meaningful employment. You proceeded to make fun of the advice being offered, insinuating that you know more than anyone else (including those who are gainfully employed). I'm sure interviewers see right past your "ernst effort", recognizing that you would be a poor fit in any work environment. Nobody likes a whiner.
In that interview where you whined about how unfair the job seeking process is and how young people have it sooo bad... How did that go? Sounded like you nailed it
And workers are paid what they are worth. If your only talent is pushing a broom, you'll get a couple bucks more than a McJob, if that. Nothing unfair about that. Moral of the story... Learn something useful instead of whining.
Likewise, there are plenty of people that were in the trades that still ended up going to college.
When I attended nursing school, there were a couple of them there. They were all jumping on the next bandwagon. When the trades are hurting enough for workers, they will be the next bandwagon. And so the pendulum will swing. Ironically, nursing used to be one of the lowest paying professions and trades used to pay considerably better adjusted for inflation.
I am guessing that the whole "too many people go to college" started when parents, guidance counselors, family, etc... put the fear of god into the student that "If you don't want to end up working at Shop Rite/Burger King for the rest of your life you better go to college". And surely no high-school student wants Burger King or cashier at CVS to be his life long career, thus whether or not he wants to college, he ends up going to college anyway.
So what results is a situation, a problem in which there are more college grads than job openings for college grads, in most cases-employers wanting very specific degrees even for the entry level stuff and college graduates who end back at CVS anyway because that is all they could find at the time. I imagine that the solution is many fold but emphasizing trades as a viable option is probably part of the solution.
Exactly,this is the case for many millennials. Either they take the jobs they would have had without college or did to get through college just to pay off debt or build up savings for the bank.
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For what it is worth I remember back in High-school that those who gravitated towards trades, had aspirations for trade school instead of college (GASP!) where looked down upon, thought less of etc... This was largely because when I was in school, college ( majoring and graduating in whatever degree you want) was touted as the ticket to the middle class life.
I don't even remember trade programs in my high school, you had to go through BOCES to do that. I only remember a handful of students doing so. FYI, this was in NY where you had regents exams in science every year through junior year, math in freshman and junior year, history in sophomore and junior year, English in junior year, and foreign language in sophomore year. So say you stop doing foreign language in sophomore year, you may be lucky enough to have time to get into a BOCES program for junior year but if anything it would be senior year you would do it.
I don't recall if they were outcasts, druggies or whatnot. I only knew one who actually was in a BOCES program from my class and a cousin whom I didn't really talk to for several years but he was in another district in another county.
After spending the last 5 years in school and about 70k in student loans. I have come to realize education is a big scam. .
After spending 5 more years doing dangerous, unhealthy, monotonous and debilitating for mind&soul labor, while acquiring injuries and chronic disease along the way, you might come to realize wage work in general is a big scam, some worse than others. Remember, you can always recognize a worker, a laborer, a tradesman by the crippling signs their jobs leave on their bodies, appearance, & mental acuity. Grass is not greener, actually it's much more brown on the other side.
Last edited by RememberMee; 10-04-2013 at 02:01 AM..
Our LOWEST paid construction employee for the 100 million dollar construction company I am a manager at is a fire watch. They just watch welders and make sure nothing starts on fire.
Pay? Full benefits and vacation. $14/hr working 50 hrs/wk. Also receive $250/wk tax free per diem.
Thats the lowest paying job.
My first job out of tech school was $19.35/hr working 56 hrs/wk. Full awesome benefits as well. Made 53k my first year.
4-5 years later I make about triple.
What do I know. That troll parried will tell you his VAST knowledge about how he has an excuse for every single job or career ever.
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I'm well traveled to various manufacturing, distribution, construction, drilling, etc. etc. cites and I have a good idea about what those jobs do to the workers.
I don't think most of no degree workers make anywhere near of decent wage (not speaking of decent benefits), but no matter what they make they look awful (especially older workers), $19/hr do you no good if you are wasting away your health and teeth (yup, pay attention to the splendid dental work trades can buy). Blue color work is uniquely "designed" to hurt human body and mind. Keep in mind if you get injured/seriously ill, if you collect work comp (after bringing in a lawyer or two) you'll become blacklisted and unemployable in many industries, you are 100% disposable. Thus, the real poster children for trades and labor cannot be found anywhere near places that consumed them, try a soup kitchen and ask around if trading your health for $19/hr is worth it.
Working part time at a Wall-Mart is much more sound financial decision than embarking on some of the ostentatiously well paying blue color careers. There is a reason bosses throw a few extra crumbs to those workers.
Last edited by RememberMee; 10-04-2013 at 02:19 AM..
After spending 5 more years doing dangerous, unhealthy, monotonous and debilitating for mind&soul labor, while acquiring injuries and chronic disease along the way, you might come to realize wage work in general is a big scam, some worse than others. Remember, you can always recognize a worker, a laborer, a tradesman by the crippling signs their jobs leave on their bodies, appearance, & mental acuity. Grass is not greener, actually it's much more brown on the other side.
What god awful jobs are you speaking of???
Goodness, I got splashed by a little mineral spirits today, better call OSHA
If I didn't know any better (which I don't so I am making this guess) I would say it is some form of mining whether it is coal or oil.
You can't mine oil... Just a heads up.
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