Best alternative: take 18-year-olds who show some ability to learn. Cheap labor. Train them and give them skills. They don’t need college. Everyone is a winner. Solves the student debt problem. Solves the Marxist indoctrination problem.
Now, if you’re talking neurosurgeon, civil engineer, or other such fields, I support a solid college education. But for people who will be stuck in a cubicle for the rest of their lives? College is not needed. At all.
I have an in-law who does work with the local electricians union. They have a training and apprentice program to train workers for high-voltage lines, industrial electrical installations, etc... The (nearly all) guys coming out are easily making $50/hour before any overtime or benefits
They can’t find enough people to even enter the program, much less graduate from it.
Doctors don’t need leftist indoctrination either - start them at the ‘medical school’ level... same with engineers and lawyers... A prerequisite for being a doctor should NOT be 4 years of ‘toxic men’ lectures.
Really? How do you determine whether or not an 18 year-old has the ability to learn? I understand there are a lot of colleges and universities that seem to do more indoctrination than education; that's what we see in the news every day. But there are still a number of places of higher learning that maintain a level of academic rigor, and I don't think it's fair to sweep them all under the same mat.
More importantly, the student that can persevere for 4 years in a STEM or other rigorous major, manage their time and classes, and can still graduate with little or no debt (or can easily obtain a job with a high starting salary to quickly pay off that debt), deserves more recognition. These graduates HAVE the foundation that companies seek, and they've proven it.
There's nothing inherently wrong with the concept of a bachelor's degree program, even in some liberal arts' fields. The problem with many colleges and universities is that they've been hijacked by Leftists who have abused the open and largely democratic atmosphere of the university environment, and have made it their own.
I don't know what the solution to the above is, perhaps it's irreparable. But companies don't have the time or the resources to train a bunch of 18 year-olds to become the shining stars of tomorrow.
And I don't know where you work, but I have spent a majority of my career, in both cubicles and open office spaces. I can say without hesitation, that while I don't always use it, certainly not in a more advanced and tenured position, my college degree was very valuable and necessary.
Today’s kids cannot be trusted to turn off the garden hose, mow the lawn, weed the flower beds, water & feed the dog & cat in the household or to take out the garbage.
Small wonder that they cannot perform anything useful for an employer !!!