The percentage of high school students who went on to college or trade school within a year of finishing high school climbed from 47 percent in 1973 to 97 percent in 2007. That’s good news; our students are falling behind other industrialized nations in terms of graduation rates and we must play catch up. The bad news is that many young people, gifted in their own ways, don’t feel college is for them simply because they don’t thrive in the classroom. Higher education, more often than not, promises economic stability and career growth for those who go after it, more so than a high school diploma. But, with our nation’s focus on colleges and universities, we may be losing some very talented young people and damaging our future workforce.
It is understandable why there has been a great focus on directing students to college after graduation: over the course of their lifetime, will earn over $1 million dollars more than those who only complete high school. These additional earnings are pumped back into the economy via taxes, home purchases and more, benefitting society as a whole. For students with talent and drive, a college education will only benefit them.
But what about those students who struggled in high school or even those who did well but showed little passion for their studies, students who don’t see themselves in a college classroom? Should they be left out of the American dream simply because they don’t want to take a traditional route to success?
The answer is ‘no’. While we should continue our collective efforts to encourage as many as possible to attend college, we should also begin to develop apprenticeship, trade programs and more that will empower and educate those who want other options. Years ago, America’s middle class was built in the automotive factories by workers committed to learning a trade. Though those days – and factories – are gone, opportunities still exist in a variety of industries, like healthcare and environmental sciences.
A program that promises to educate America and to put America to work should include a focus on trades. Funds should be set aside for trade and apprenticeship programs in the nation’s public schools and in community centers in underserved areas. These programs shouldn’t just be for students who struggle: all students should get a taste of what real work is like early on; these types of experiences will help them hone their post-college plans. Some students who study a trade may go on to work in that field and that’s great; they will become contributing members of society and will have a sense of pride in their work. Others may decide that, after working in the trade, they want to advance in their career and seek additional training or decide to go on a work toward their degree.
Whatever the ultimate outcome, we must present our students with sustainable choices for life beyond high school. Choices that will allow them to support both themselves and their families and that will keep this country competitive in the global marketplace.
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Well I put most of it in my profile I just set up so I think I will just voice my option. Someone has to help the kids, teens and young adults of this world. So many are just lost or feel stuck. thous who live in low-income areas I believe have even more to deal with, and I want to try and help them. Thats what I am going to school for but theres not much I can do in till I get my degree I was hoping that maybe you knew of something I could do to help in a similar way. I am coming to you because NO ONE will help me find something like that in Detroit which is where i want to work either in a school, a church or a youth center of some kind
Thank You
Petrina N. Harris
P.S My contact information is my profile i would provide a number but, I don’t know if it will be on or the same I’ll give it to you anyway Cell 586 610 2804 House 586 263 3267
the user name on my profile is rocken_whitetrash_princess
PLEASE GET BACK TO ME i KNOW YOUR A VERY BUSY PERSON BUT PLEASE HELP ME SO I CAN HELP OTHERS
I live in Clinton Township MI 48038
I agree with all the comments that was stated about education. I have made this statement for some years now,”that a person would almost need a college degree to get a job at McDonalds as a cashier.” By no means, am I making small of jobs at McDonalds, all I’m saying is that getting a job based on who you know, or having the security of federal and state jobs without a degree, are almost nonexistent. If you don’t want to do hard labor work,which is nothing wrong with that, than a degree maybe necessary. One type of job is no more or less than another persons job. If your occupation is digging ditches or the CEO of a company, that’s ok. Because we need them all for this planet to survive as long as it is legal.
Good Afternoon Judge, I want to say all though I agree with your blog about “go beyond high school”, I have a comment about it……. I do have a high school diploma, (with a lot of help from my mom), but that is as far as I got, for a couple of reasons. (1) I was a mother at 16yrs old, and it took everything my mom had to push me to get that. And after I graduated I had to go to work. I never really wanted to further my education because I had a hard time just getting through high school. Not because of my daughter but because I didn’t want to go. So I was greatful for my diploma. I became satisified and content knowing I at least accomplished that. I was a restruant manager for 10yrs. Became pregnate again and a few years later became a active drug user. After 12yrs of this dredful life & with jail hanging over my head I had to do something. So I went from Indiana to Syracuse Indiana to a recovery home for women called The Rose Home. They gave me a new hope and life, they also gave me a opportunity to change everything I ever knew and start a brand new. I got a job better than any job I ever had in my life, which I still have to this day. I rekindled my broken and torn relationship with my daughter who is now 29yrs old and I am 45yrs old. She gives me hope and inspiration. I will do nothing to damage my relationship again. I am doing well today. Thank my God for giving me life again. I thank you for your words of wisdom and encouragement. And I would love to talk more with u about my testimony, my song……but I don’t know much about Twitter but I can be on facebook user name…… Allison Williams-Couch please contact me if you can Thanks …….I hope u receive this whole message I can’t tell if it’s all there, I’ll get this one day……..maybe
I certainly agree that education can ensure more jobs to the black community. However, the price of education is very high. Far higher than I believe it should be. It automatically subjects a person to slave for several years paying the loans off if he’s lucky enough to keep a job. Employment is very iffy in our economy these days. There are lots of people still in college with degrees because there are no jobs!
We need to option for full employment with a living wage because quotas were shot down and there really is no other reasonable avenue to achieve equality of jobs among races. If every able adult 18 and up can get a job and a decent living wage, we have a basis that can launch us to the next growth cycle. People will be more willing to educate themselves knowing they’ll be able to pay off the loan and sustain themselves.
Our system today, pushes a lot of people right into the don’t employ category because of bad credit resulting from not being able to find a job to pay the loan off! Our government has turned it’s back on the American people! They let big business outsource our jobs and sneak in cheap labor to counterfeit those who get an education and discourage others from getting educated who see it! It’s a disgusting betrayal at the very roots! It’s little more than a false promise for many! There is a bottle neck that allows only so many to get through! WE NEED TO BUST OPEN THE DOORS!
We need to make our big business people and the rich responsible for America having full employment with a living wage! It’s not rocket science or brain surgery. All you have to do is tie the unemployment rate to their tax rate! When everyone in America that’s legal is working with a living wage, our capitalist are free to gorge themselves with all the PROFITS they want! There’s no real reason we have to lower our standard of living because of cheap labor in China, India, and elsewhere! Instead of letting the rich and big business rail about personal responsibility we should require them to take care of home first by supplying jobs before asking people to be personally responsible! Otherwise, we’re working it ass backward!
You must have the means to be responsible first! You must have more than a promise of more jobs at the end of all that education and personal responsibility we’re preaching! We need government to be personally responsible first!
I see nothing right with our present capitalistic, free market system unless it takes care of home first! Otherwise, we’re clearly running a slave system which is also genocidal! We all see it and need our prominent people to properly address it and develop a system that squares with the Constitution of the USA! This system trades one persons freedom for another’s! It makes one a slave for life or jerked up and down in an unstable economy that is manipulated to cause those fluctuations for profits on Wall Street and the banks! WE NEED AN END TO THIS PRESENT SLAVE/GENOCIDAL SYSTEM! New World Order And Free Markets Is A Farce To Establish A Slave System Without End! FULL EMPLOYMENT WITH A LIVING WAGE TIED TO TAXES ON THE RICH AND BIG BUSINESS IS FORWARD THINKING AND THE RIGHTEOUSNESS ALL PEOPLE OF THE EARTH DESERVE! WE HAVE THE ABILITY FOR HEAVEN ON EARTH NOW IF CREATING HEAVEN WE DECIDE!