Smoove_B wrote: ↑Fri Aug 26, 2022 10:55 am
I am also old and out of touch, but I interact with college-age students frequently. I also am currently the steward for a 16.5 year old and I can tell you that from an early age teachers (K-12) have been *hammering* that college is the answer. Everything is focused on getting <18 year olds into colleges and when you express less than fervent desire to attend, the system doesn't know how to respond other than to push harder (which, incidentally isn't helpful).
While I absolutely and vehemently disagree with education doing this, it was no different than when I was in school. College prep started around 4th grade and it was largely the only path. Fortunately for my community, our district was reasonably affluent (even if my family was not) and had some 40,000+ students, so vocational education was still available on a limited basis beginning in the 8th grade and a few very lucky and dedicated individuals could use the resources to truly benefit. Vocation was not central to any education unless the student really pushed and college prep was still pushed on vocational students.
I only imagine less wealthy districts pushed college prep even harder, making remedial education to get a signed paper and get ground into meat the only other option.
My point with all this is that more and more I interact with college-aged people that are only in college as a means to an end (employment). And for some of them, that will be enough to get through the 4 year process, but it's not a guarantee. What is more disturbing is that in the last ~10 years the number of students that have told me that their undergraduate degree is worthless (in the job market) and that they need to immediately earn a Masters degree has grown exponentially. Meaning, instead of 4 years of college debt, they've now added 2 more - and many (most?) have zero work experience. So they're graduating with a Masters degree at the age of 23/24 and have little to no practical experience and some absurd level of debt - because they've been told it's the only way to get ahead.
Question: How much of that is because they can't get the job the want/believe they deserve? My old company was having a hard time filling positions for well paid, well benefited work without the need to fill all the niches. OtOH, unless you were a reason the company was going to get new business for years to come, they were going to work you death. Also they had been experimenting with taking on HS and College kids part time in work shares to give people relevant experience. When I quit they had hired in two of those kid full time... And then proceeded to work them to death... But for really good pay and benefits...
Also, if you are 24 with zero work experience, don't you have to question your choices and expectations, irrespective of what
they told you?
But i think we also need to get away from the idea that every graduating high school senior needs to immediately head off to college - especially to try and earn a 4 year degree.
I have believed this and encouraged it in my own little way since I was in high school. It doesn't mean I'm right, but in all of my evolving opinions and perceptions over the last 35 years, this one hasn't changed.