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I would agree that discrimination comes into play AFTER you get that HS diploma.
But with 1/2 of the dropouts minorities it becomes lack of education, not discrimination holding them back.
A couple of points:
I'm not so sure about your premise. As someone else pointed out, there are white construction workers who can barely read.
The HS diploma is an issue for those jobs requiring same, but not all the jobs on that list require one! I know many white steelworkers and former steelworkers who do/did not have a high school diploma. I grew up in the Pittsburgh area, and that's about all people did there for work. There's a reason Pittsburgh, and especially some of the old mill towns, are very white, and it's not education.
I'm not so sure about your premise. As someone else pointed out, there are white construction workers who can barely read.
The HS diploma is an issue for those jobs requiring same, but not all the jobs on that list require one! I know many white steelworkers and former steelworkers who do/did not have a high school diploma. I grew up in the Pittsburgh area, and that's about all people did there for work. There's a reason Pittsburgh, and especially some of the old mill towns, are very white, and it's not education.
This is not 40-50 years ago when a HS diploma was all that was needed to get a career job and dropouts could get decent blue collar jobs.
These days they want a college degree and without even a HS diploma your chances are pretty slim in getting a good job.
Look at job ads today that require at least a HS diploma/GED.
Few if any will hire on a dropout and those jobs are dead end jobs.
I doubt the steelworkers union hires on dropouts today.
Are you trying to say that not having a HS diploma is not an issue ?
I spend a lot of time in school encouraging kids to stick it out and graduate HS even if they don't plan to go to college.
This is not 40-50 years ago when a HS diploma was all that was needed to get a career job and dropouts could get decent blue collar jobs.
These days they want a college degree and without even a HS diploma your chances are pretty slim in getting a good job.
Look at job ads today that require at least a HS diploma/GED.
Few if any will hire on a dropout and those jobs are dead end jobs.
I doubt the steelworkers union hires on dropouts today.
Are you trying to say that not having a HS diploma is not an issue ?
I spend a lot of time in school encouraging kids to stick it out and graduate HS even if they don't plan to go to college.
But there is still one thing to consider. Unemployment rates for Blacks vs Whites are still something to consider with education being equal.
Black males high school dropouts between ages 16-25 have an unemployment rate of 50%. It is 25% for White male high school dropouts of the same age range. Having an education helps, but it is still important to consider why Black unemployment rates are higher than White unemployment rates, even with education being factored in. I
And the over all unemployment rates for Black college graduates are similar to White persons with only a high school education.
And I read that Pittsburgh has one of the highest Black unemployment rates in the nation. Nationally, Blacks graduate from high school within 4 years at a rate of 51%. Pittsburgh's Black high school graduation rate is above the national average, at 57.7%.
This is not 40-50 years ago when a HS diploma was all that was needed to get a career job and dropouts could get decent blue collar jobs.
These days they want a college degree and without even a HS diploma your chances are pretty slim in getting a good job.
Look at job ads today that require at least a HS diploma/GED.
Few if any will hire on a dropout and those jobs are dead end jobs.
I doubt the steelworkers union hires on dropouts today.
Are you trying to say that not having a HS diploma is not an issue ?
I spend a lot of time in school encouraging kids to stick it out and graduate HS even if they don't plan to go to college.
I would think you know me better than that. You seem to be hanging the whole jobs issue on high school graduation. It's a big help, a huge help actually. That's only one piece of it, though.
The steelworker's union doesn't hire anyone, except employees for their own organization. The mill management hires the workers. I don't know what qualifications they have. There aren't too many people making steel these days, at least here in the US. I'm not sure why that category is even on the list.
No problem. I felt it was something that should be brought up. Pittsburgh has been called one of the most livable cities in the nation. In some ways, I could be inclined to believe that. However, who is it livable for? If I was offered a job in PGH, considering that I'm unemployed, I would take it. However, I would have to wonder how Pittsburgh would be for me, as a Black man.
All that aside, part of why I brought this up was to show that discrimination can still take place, even when Black people do the right thing and get an education.
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