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I think like most things it depends. I understand the value of knowledge besides just getting a job.
I think there will be more opportunities in the future though for shorter programs that give one job training .
One example is these programming /coding boot camps that are an intensive few months but then most of them seem to pretty much guarantee you'll get a good paying job when you are through the program .
I do feel many are pressured to go to traditional 4 yr programs just as a default even though it might not be the best idea for them .
As OP mentioned the drop out rate is huge and lots of that money spent is from government grants too .
I'd like to see more grants given to young promising entrepreneurs or business minded students .
The crazy part is for the amount some are paying especially for private school these kids or their parents could actually buy an established business that's already making a lot of money.
Or it could be a nice downpayment on an apartment building .
The education industry is huge with many people's careers , pensions and tenure at stake so of course it's going to be more resistant to change .
One good advance has been online courses which offers those that work full time and/or have kids more opportunity to further their education.
Many are also learning through free or cheap platforms out there .
I think what we will see is more people putting together an education that suits their needs more ala cart with more flexibility than what is currently offered from a traditional 4 year degree.
Higher Education is just a massive money making industry now, and lets face it you don't need a degree to do 90% of jobs.
Apprenticeships are a much better idea, coupled with recognised on the job vocatrional qualifications backed up with some part time higher education.
I the UK we are now examining two year intensive degrees for some courses, and more part time degrees coupled with work as part of apprenticeships.
It should be noted that "achieve an undergraduate degree requires some 78 weeks of study. The three-year model just means that students spend an astonishing year and a half on holidays".
By getting rid of some of the holidays and making the course more intensive you can receive your degree in two thirds of the time and come away with a third less debt.
Another piece of welcome news is that Universities in Britain are going to be subject to regulators and fines if they try to stifle debates or stop speakers by no platforming them. I don't think the the snoflakes with their safe spaces are going to be very happy.
Makes sense. There seems to be a shortage of trade workers. They get paid great and you can learn on the job.
Trades skills are not fungible.
There is a shortage in some trades in some areas.
In my neck of the woods, Eastern Europeans here on tourist visas are often employed in the trades. They return home, rinse and repeat.
Seems to me most consumers shop by price and have no interest in who is performing the work.
The US Chamber of Commerce is a long time lobby at state and federal levels opposed to eVerify and serious consequences to employers of undocumented workers.
Mechanical Engineering degree here. Worked the last 16 years in the Aerospace Industry. I would recommend an Engineering or STEM related degree to anyone who wants a decent job right out of school. The problem over the last 10 years is there are too many people getting worthless degrees that they can't apply in the real world.
Most people do not have an apptitude for engineering.
This was true 100 years ago...50 years ago... as it is today.
For every Chinese ( or fill in the blank) student earning an Engineering degree there are tens of millions of peers in China who have not progressed beyond 3-5th grade.
Most people do not have an apptitude for engineering.
This was true 100 years ago...50 years ago... as it is today.
For every Chinese ( or fill in the blank) student earning an Engineering degree there are tens of millions of peers in China who have not progressed beyond 3-5th grade.
I'm not hacking at who you responded to but I see a lot of this. People tend to be in a bubble and think everybody is like them, no matter what they do, teachers, engineers, whatever. College graduates or not.
One thing that gets missed in almost all these "college" threads is that only about 1/3 of people, adults, in the US have college degrees. That number has been rising a bit but it's been fairly stable in that ballpark for decades.
Same with college graduates. About 1/2 or less of the people who start college end up with a degree. That's another number that has been fairly stable for decades.
Ridiculous t and false thread. Vocational school is a noble pursuit for those interested in learning a skilled trade. That said, skilled trades make up only a small faction of the careers available to people and, most folks would rather do something else. We live in an information, technology, and service economy now and, that is where most careers are. As for college being a waste of time and money, that is pure hogwash. Although the financial burden IS prohibitively high for too many, a college degree still provides more earning power than those who do not obtain one. I personally know of no one who graduated an accredited four year anniversary only to be stuck in a retail sales job. I have lazy nieces who graduated with liberal arts degrees with 'c' averages in recent years who landed well paying jobs in medical and financial services fields. Whereas my niece's husband, a plumber's apprentice, continues to struggle to make ends meet on an insanely low salary and no health care benefits. It took me YEARS to pay off my student loan debt, back in the day when the interest rates were 9 per cent. WORTH EVERY PENNY OF IT. College is still the best guarantee of economic success unless you are an entrepreneur who has the passion to run your own business. Why folks discourage young people from getting an education is beyond me. They have enough obstacles to overcome without folks telling them college is a waste of time and money.
College was a great experience. Not only for learning but for expanding my horizons, meeting new people, getting away from my home town, etc. It worked out quite well for my husband and I. It's given us the opportunity to seek work all over the country, make good money, provide for our children, and to enjoy life not just get through it. Our children have 529 plans and will be strongly encouraged (expected) to attend college.
And that has somewhat been the norm for a few decades.
The title should have read Too Many Unqualified Students Going To College.
Community Colleges have gotten away from their original goals of some vocational training and additional classes for certification and have transitioned into Grade 13 for kids who can't get into a 4 year school.
Many of those students spend a year or three at a CC taking remedial classes at full price but gaining zero college credit. Some of them do move out of those classes to credit courses but many, too many, don't, so they eventually drop out.
But they can always say they went to college. Which is a big deal if they're the first one, especially male, in their family to even graduate from high school.
An anecdote: I had a kid who came blasting into my room one day over the moon, he'd gotten a 730 on the SAT. I asked him, against my better judgement because I'd taught the kid in several classes, what part. That was his combined score.
He did go on to CC for a couple years taking remedial classes. I saw way more of that than kids who went to CC for the chimera of "saving money".
That is dismal. Let me guess-he is a Democrat?
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