I ran track in college.
Yes! I would add to that - return of shop class and similar classes at the high school level.
bmp
Several Industrial business owners I know of can not find any skilled welders or machinists below 50 years old.
They make a good bit of money hourly.
College is not for everybody.
Definitely a good move. This is how workers in Switzerland are so competent. Each and every one was trained educationally for it, even your salesmen and ladies, produce guys, florists, etc. Only people in the few professions you need a university degree for go there. Everyone else picks a profession direction and goes to an internship after high school.
Typically they go to school in the morning for gen ed subjects that affect that career, and specific industry courses once they know those, and in the afternoon they will work for an employer for a small stipend. The employer in turn has promised the state they will be training this intern and preparing them to pass industry specific exams. At that point each new trainee is a diplomaed florist or whatever.
I am 100% behind this. The idea that, “if you don’t go to college you’ll never get a good paying job,” is over.
I was recently talking with an electrician and a plumber both of whom got their education and commercial licenses through a local vocational school. Both said they had more business than they could handle and were making really good money.
The trades will always be needed: good times, bad times, what ever, you’ll always need a good plumber or mechanic.
A side benefit of this is taking average students who otherwise flunk out of college (and demand loan forgiveness) or earn grievance studies degrees (women’s studies, black studies) will do something PRODUCTIVE.
We’ll remove a large share of those who become social justice warriors.
100% agree!
The issue of making a good living is often traded away for the opportunity to hit a management track or rise to executive income. That later is extremely difficult to manage if one has no college degree.
The reason is that HR people, management people and others doing the interviews cull the number of applicants and those without a basic degrees are among those cut away. A non-traditional hire that does not work out reflects on those that did the hiring and taking non-conventional applicant leaves the decision maker exposed to criticism. Of course I will point out the obvious that how skilled and trained someone is will only partially be determined by their pre-career education.
I started a career in the late 1960s with that limitation and was saved due to an established family reputation in my particular field. It allowed me to almost always be interviewed and my track record carried me after I was in the door. Most people with the exact same qualifications would not fare as well I am afraid.
My father was proud that I was in the same industry and further proud when I achieved some heights that he never hurdled.
This giant mountain of debt that some are saddled with in the last 20 years is an absurd thing for modest income fields. That should provide a caution to all.
Far too many college graduates leave school without the ability to actually DO anything. So they become ACADEMICS.
ACADEMIC: An individual educated beyond his intelligence, who is unwilling to or incapable of creating or providing goods or services of value to others, who pontificates and expects to be paid for it, usually from public funds.