College degree needed? (Pittsburgh, Lebanon, Sewickley: middle-class, affordable apartments, rent)

[pittsburghaccuweather]

I thought this was a great article. Future job seekers in Pittsburgh may not need a college degree.

https://www.publicsource.org/college...t-require-one/

[bluecarebear]

Unless a person is a STEM major, the degree is worthless.

[corpgypsy]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

Unless a person is a STEM major, the degree is worthless.

I respectfully disagree. Education is never useless or worthless.

[Brian_M]

Originally Posted by corpgypsy

I respectfully disagree. Education is never useless or worthless.

Err... the quote says the DEGREE is worthless, zero info about Education. They are wholly separate things. But nice try at deflecting and creating drama where none exists.

[pittsburghaccuweather]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

Unless a person is a STEM major, the degree is worthless.

It depends if you are willing to be flexible and move to where your degree will get you a job. Degrees aren’t worthless.

Trying to get a good job quickly in Pittsburgh with a degree other than nursing or something related to high tech or computers is difficult. Especially to payback your loans buy a house in a decent area etc. Area high schools need to do their part and inform students as to what jobs are available if they want to stay in Pittsburgh and the training needed to obtain that job. If it is a tech or vocational school that is what they should push as opposed to college. They need to make students well aware if they choose college and want a good job when they graduate they may not be able to live down the street from mom and dad in Pittsburgh. They will have to research where they can get that job.

I know plenty of people with college degrees in Pittsburgh working two jobs to make ends meet. They couldn’t find something in their field locally that pays well instead of moving somewhere where their degree will get them a job. They feel slighted, but this is their fault because they refuse make a move where that job could be. If you are happy here then so be it, but don’t complain your degree is in something not in demand here and the best you can do is work two jobs to pay the bills.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by Brian_M

Err... the quote says the DEGREE is worthless, zero info about Education. They are wholly separate things. But nice try at deflecting and creating drama where none exists.

Hey, I just thought I'd type a quick reply to the only person in this topic worth replying to so far. I hope your weekend has been as relaxing as mine.

By the way, my brother just got a $10,000 annual raise this year, and his wife just put in a two-week notice at her current part-time job, because she begins work at a full-time job next month. She's the only person I know in the Pittsburgh area without a college degree, and, probably not coincidentally, she's been the only one with any difficulty finding full-time work. Also worth noting is that she and my brother are now making plans to move to a different suburb specifically to be farther away from her parents. Come to think of it, everybody else I know in the Pittsburgh area has a college degree, gainful employment, a mortgage, and a middle- to upper-middle-class quality of life. The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by pittsburghaccuweather

I know plenty of people with college degrees in Pittsburgh working two jobs to make ends meet.

I am trying to imagine a situation in which someone could not afford to live in the Pittsburgh area. It's one of the more affordable cities, and the suburbs especially so. It's not hard to find an apartment for $500 in the suburbs, and most anyone could afford that. Even Mt. Lebanon, Sewickley, and Aspinwall have affordable apartments, and all have good school districts. I am sure that paying back school loans is difficult, but not when rent is so low. I will say that the housing costs in some sections of the city are pretty high, but that doesn't apply to everywhere in the metro.

[pittsburghaccuweather]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

I am trying to imagine a situation in which someone could not afford to live in the Pittsburgh area. It's one of the more affordable cities, and the suburbs especially so. It's not hard to find an apartment for $500 in the suburbs, and most anyone could afford that. Even Mt. Lebanon, Sewickley, and Aspinwall have affordable apartments, and all have good school districts. I am sure that paying back school loans is difficult, but not when rent is so low. I will say that the housing costs in some sections of the city are pretty high, but that doesn't apply to everywhere in the metro.

They are paying off college loans. Both couples have one child and the parents both work. So daycare is an expense as well. They want to own a house and not rent an apartment. I’m not sure exactly where they were looking but he wants to move to a new city and she wants to stay because of her family.

They weren’t told and didn’t do their research when going to college. If you want to live in very desirable suburbs of Pittsburgh or the hot neighborhoods you better do your research on jobs that are available. It just comes down to inflexibility on their part. They don’t want to adopt your style of living as we discussed in another thread. They want the nice house with 2 car garage it seems. Their degrees and skill sets aren’t in demand and don’t pay in Pittsburgh to live that lifestyle.

[gg]

Personally, at this point I think college is a joke. Those who seek employment should be poached from high school. Why wait? Companies can educate them as needed. College is outdated and companies should be recruiting in high school. They are missing the boat. You can always go back to college, but if companies would recruit like they do for the NBA for example, they would be WAY better off.

So you are a hot shot in high school with A's and a high SAT, not to mention you are a leader in many extra activities. You are a company having a look. Why not grab that kid and say if you don't like working for us, we will pay a year of college or whatever. It amazes me how slow companies are to change. Why wait for 4 years when we all know who the best prospects are in high school? Odd really. Sports teams would LOVE to recruit out of high school. Heck they look at grade school. WAY ahead of cooperate America.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by gg

Personally, at this point I think college is a joke. Those who seek employment should be poached from high school. Why wait? Companies can educate them as needed. College is outdated and companies should be recruiting in high school. They are missing the boat. You can always go back to college, but if companies would recruit like they do for the NBA for example, they would be WAY better off.

So you are a hot shot in high school with A's and a high SAT, not to mention you are a leader in many extra activities. You are a company having a look. Why not grab that kid and say if you don't like working for us, we will pay a year of college or whatever. It amazes me how slow companies are to change. Why wait for 4 years when we all know who the best prospects are in high school? Odd really. Sports teams would LOVE to recruit out of high school. Heck they look at grade school. WAY ahead of cooperate America.

Don’t know what professional line/s of work you’re referring to, but for the most part, that’s a recipe for babysitting and going out of business. No way was I or anyone else hiring an engineer/s without a degree.