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Subscribe to RSSIn a job market like this, it’s hard not to get nostalgic for a time when it seemed like there were plenty of factory jobs and other work that paid well and only required a high school degree.
Our readers agree that’s a rare find these days.
A post this week on how the recent unemployment data is highlighting a growing divide between those who have more education and those who do not prompted a lot of discussion about the value of post-high school education.
Nearly half of our readers said it is possible to get a good job with just a high school degree, but it’s a lot harder.
“My friends that have a (high school) diploma and no experience can’t find work, but those with skills or experience are happily employed,” one reader wrote.
But about 40 percent of those who took our poll said it’s not possible to get a good job these days unless you have a degree.
“I have family members who can't make over $35k because they don't have a degree,” one reader said.
College isn’t for everyone, and many readers said that if you don’t go to college you should at least try to get some vocational training or other specialized skills that will help you land a job.
Another post this week found that certificate programs maybe shouldn’t be getting such a bad rap. The report from Georgetown University said certificate programs in fields like computing, engineering and electronics can lead to a significant bump in pay.
That’s especially true in male-dominated fields, and less true for female-dominated fields such as cosmetology and health care.
Many readers said certificates had paid off for them, but cautioned that you need to choose the right program from a reputable institution to make it worth your money.
“Most factories even require some sort of technical training now. The day of the low skill job that pays well if gone,” one reader wrote.
Whether you just graduated from high school, college or a vocational program, it’s always useful to have some advice. Also this week on Life Inc., we asked chief executives to offer their tips for success.
The CEOs urged new grads to travel and experience the world, do what they are passionate about and recognize that it’s OK to make mistakes.
Many readers said it’s easy to offer that type of advice when you are an executive, but most people these days don’t have the luxury to do things like travel and follow their passion in the current economy.
“That truly speaks volumes as to how far disconnected these CEOs are from the plight of the average American. Probably half or more of these graduates will still be searching for employment a year from now as they default on their student loans, while … the other half are wallowing in misery at a no paying dead end job that they were forced to accept just to keep from defaulting because nothing else is available. This nation is totally screwed for everyone underneath the present 10%. TOTALLY SCREWED!” one reader wrote.
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Forgive me if this sounds snotty or rude (that's not my intention), but when did it become fashionable to refer to a high school diploma as a "degree"?
Maybe I've just been living under a rock or something :-)
As a man in his middle age I went back to school and earn a Master degree. I was hoping to transition someday from my current position in manufacturing. Next year my son will be attending college; he has been working since his sophomore year in high school, graduated with honors, received some scholarships but will still have to take out loans (co-signed) in order to go to school. I worry if he will be able to find a job when he gets out. He is going to major in a good field (computer science) but will there be jobs?
I am frustrated with congress for being so polarized and only thinking about party politics and do doing more (bipartisan) to help future generations. I hope the citizens of this country will put aside there bias and raise their voices to help the young men and women coming through the ranks. We as a nation and individuals need to stop being so selfish.
Don't worry too much Sounds like he is a good kid. College unemployment rate is 4.9%. My brother just finished his college teaching degree(he is in his 30's and has had some drug issues) He now has a job as a vic principle 1 month out of school. Just encourage him to get career experience some how in school this will put in over his competition.
Cruciformed--
Please, it is not CONGRESS as a whole that is against job creation, assistance to college students, Social Security, Medicare, and other programs that benefit the middle and working classes. It is the REPUBLICANS, who have decided that they hate Obama so much that they are willing to destroy the country in order to win this election so that they can continue to get rid of programs that benefit the middle class in order to further enrich the richest (those earning over $250,000 and more a year).
The DEMOCRATS are the ones who consistently support making reasonable changes to Social Security and Medicare, keeping interest rates low for college loans, and funding infrastructure and other job creation efforts. It is the Republicans who for the last four years have said NO to everything Obama has proposed to help the vast majority of Americans.
Senate Minority Leader, REPUBLICAN, Mitch MCConnell, right after Obama took office said :" My primary goal is to ensure that Obama is not re-elected." Notice he said nothing about helping ordinary Americans find jobs, keep their homes, start businesses, or anything that would help most of us. His goal was to destroy Obama by ensuring none of Obama's plans got into effect because then people might vote for him again, horrors! and then blame Obama for Republican refusal to cooperate. And Mitch McConnell was willing to let people lose their jobs, their homes, and their dignity. This was exacerbated in 2010 when the Tea Party idiots came into power, decided that they hated everyone not like them, and refused to compromise on anything.
All of us need to remember these facts and truths come November and vote only for Democrats in the House, the Senate, and the White House. The Republicans have shown themselves to be, at heart, anti-Americans, and by their hatred of ordinary Americans they have earned the right to become a minority party. We need a filibuster-proof/veto-proof Democratic majority in both the House and Senate as well as Obama in the White House to ensure that the needs of the middle and working classes are put first, and if that means the rich lose some of their outrageous tax deductions and loopholes, so be it!
The argument is that the rich are the job creators, but this is yet another REPUBLICAN lie. When Bush was in the White House for 8 years, when the so-called job creators had all of their perks, Bush LOST 3 million jobs. During the last few months of his tenure in office (remember the financial crisis in 2008?) Bush LOST 800,000 jobs a month. Obama has created over 4 million jobs in the last four years in spite of the Republicans. If they had cooperated, millions more Americans would have had jobs and kept their homes.
Although getting a college degree may not garantee a job, it sure does HELP in getting one! Unless you have some original (special) talent, you can look forward to a lot of visits to the unemployment office. Anyone who tell others not to get an education are not doing them any favors. Whether it's a 4-year degree, 2-year degree or certification training, you need more than a high school diploma!