Rightfully Educated: The Ultimate Threat to America’s Workforce
On January 27th, 2012 at the University of Michigan, President Obama outlined his plan to cut public college and university costs down by working with states, universities and Congress. Meanwhile, he also emphasized that he wants America“…to be a big, bold, generous country where everybody gets a fair shot, everybody is doing their fair share, everybody is playing by the same set of rules.”
We can all attest to the rising costs that come with attending college, but does everybody need to go to college after all? Sure, people should get “a fair shot” and be judged based on their merits when it comes to college admissions. But do all Americans need to waste away their lives learning theories far removed from reality or pursue purposeless majors such as Ethnic Studies or Women’s Studies?
Although “college for all” sounds like a marvelous principle, it is an idealist concept that countries like Sweden are paying a heavy price for pursuing. As Per Bylund explains in The Modern Welfare State: Leading the Way on the Road to Serfdom, “…many young people were gently pushed into ‘free’ (tax-financed) higher education programs to get an (additional) advanced degree while receiving grants and heavily subsidized student loans to cover living expenses” as Sweden became “progressively” more socialist (43).
Because the government heavily invested in “public-sector services such as higher education” and discouraged “low-productivity labor and firms from the labor market,’ Swedes came to regard higher education as a right, not a privilege (43). As a result, Sweden collapsed as an individualistic, self-reliant nation and thus, transformed into a welfare state favoring government dependency over individual achievement.
But what happens when everybody goes to college and “low-productivity labor” is discouraged? A weak society that lacks a strong workforce enriched with basic trades emerges. Without such a workforce, a society lacks the very self-reliance needed to produce and sustain economic prosperity. America is experiencing such a “crisis” as both middle and high schools continually do away with courses focusing on basic trades and instead promote the “need” for everybody to go to college.
High schools in America used to prepare adolescents for successful futures by requiring their students to participate in woodworking, auto shops, and home economics classes. Even though some high schools still continue to offer these essential courses, many have discontinued them.
In Oregon, teacher Glenn Campbell is trying to prevent the Hillsboro School District from closing the last auto shop existing in the district. Concerned about America’s decaying quality of STEM education and lack of manufacturing jobs, Campbell says that “if we don’t design it here, what are the odds we’re going to build it here?”
In 2010, Superintendent Shawn Himes of Enid Public Schools in Oklahoma announced woodworking would be cut from high schools due to “budget cuts.” As both of these courses are continuing to disappear from high school campuses across the country, America’s young men are being deprived of the skills needed to develop industries that produce real economic growth.
In addition, home economics, which emphasizes interior design, commercial cooking, consumer education, sewing, and other essential skills need for successful homemaking, is also being cut from K-12 education. This year, two middle schools in South Orange and Maplewood, New Jersey will have their cooking and sewing classes replaced with a technology course. By doing away with home economics, such schools are depriving young people of basic skills needed to be a functioning adult. Learning how to operate technology is important as well, but what happens when technology fails, and the future generation would have to operate without a technological device to do everything for them? Everyday activities that used to be considered standard have puzzled the dependent, entitled young people of America because we rid our schools of programs not college focused.
Instead of discouraging basic trades, K-12 education should promote trade schools as an alternative to college education, because not everybody wants or needs to go to college. Trade schools are not only perfect for people who want to directly enter the workforce, but are also important for feeding real GDP.
Anna Maria Hoffman :: University of California at San Diego :: San Diego, California :: @AM_Hoffman
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You are definitely on to something here. In our rush to educate, as you point out, we have forgotten that knowing how to do things is a good thing.
Looking forward to more of your writing on this essential topic.
Brave and Kudos to you Anna Maria Hoffman!
Nice! Totally agree!
You are absolutely correct! And to paraphrase Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs) in a recent pro-vocational education video: We have become so focused on getting into the corner office, that we have forgotten how to build one.
I am not sure when the shift happened but at some point American society begin to look down upon tradesmen and craftsmen and the skilled labor they perform and begin to believe that only the “hallowed halls of academia” have anything of value to contribute to society? When is the last time a women’s studies or philosophy major repaired a broken pipe in your house? One might suspect that it is about income potential but I beg to differ: A plumber makes more than I do as a school librarian with a masters degree! Coincidentally I work at a vocational high school and I tell everyone who will listen that if you live on this planet, you need the skills we train our students to provide: auto service, construction technology, culinary arts, public safety, nursing, dental assisting, early childhood education, cosmetology, medical systems administration, tv production, electronics… I just hope the right people are listening so we can continue to provide training in these essential skills!
Thank you for a great article that I will be forwarding to my collegues!
Thank you Scott and Joe for your kind words!
“Learning how to operate technology is important as well, but what happens when technology fails, and the future generation would have to operate without a technological device to do everything for them?”
this article is terrible
“We can all attest to the rising costs that come with attending college, but does everybody need to go to college after all? Sure, people should get “a fair shot” and be judged based on their merits when it comes to college admissions. But do all Americans need to waste away their lives learning theories far removed from reality or pursue purposeless majors such as Ethnic Studies or Women’s Studies?”
I suggest that you consider an more nuanced, accurate perspective because when you the perspective of “everyone” , I have to believe that you have never studies biological statistics. And though I struggle with statistics it it boils down that there is a variable in ever group
The ability of humans to survive to age 90 is limited by a number of factors
if you take the US for example some citizens experience third wold rates of death when they are born . Racism, poverty, hatred, greed against helping others are some of the values which cause this death rate. The ability of individuals to be proficient at reading and writing is a skill spread out across society. The ability of citizens to perform critical analysis is also spreed out across society. Some are indoctrinated at a early age that their religion, political perspective is the one and only true one so as a result they are discouraged that by the institutionalized beliefs that questions or having flawed concepts pointed out if you want to stay with in that group are discouraged. What question have your religious and political leaders encouraged you to think about the concepts they promote.
Who said ever one needs to go to college?
Not ever one wants to go to college.
So I take it you have never taken any ethnic Studies or Women’s Studies? As a consequence how narrow is your understanding of what is occurring in our world? Women represent more than 50 % of the population and you have been not encouraged to understand the injustice, the poverty that prejudicial manner that men have treated women. Have your been encouraged to take this attitude toward other concepts? Evolution, global climate destabilisation, the free market . Gangster capitalist have profited in the free market from manufacturing epidemics of death with tobacco sugar, salt and fat contaminated foods. How many of your friends and family will gangster capitalist in the free market kill with their toxic agenda. I sure hope you inform you self about the threat gangster capitalist pose to your future. You life depends on it.
“Because the government heavily invested in “public-sector services such as higher education” and discouraged “low-productivity labor and firms from the labor market,’ Swedes came to regard higher education as a right, not a privilege (43). As a result, Sweden collapsed as an individualistic, self-reliant nation and thus, transformed into a welfare state favoring government dependency over individual achievement.”
When did Sweden collapse? It is the US which has collapsed because politicians permitted and many are not aware that their transportation system was made less efficient, burned more of the worlds oil supply and made more toxic emitting and a larger contributor to climate destabilizing Have you educational leaders informed you about how the free market responded to peak oil production by building Hummers and less fuel efficient SUV?
I’m not even going to touch why you decided to use Ethnic or Women’s Studies as examples of pointless classes/majors. Espcially coming from a Human Devlopment Major. Why not Art History or Music?
I agree, not everyone should go to college. However, you never stated who these people are or why they shouldn’t. Considering you decided to tie this in with Obama’s intention to make college affordable, it really comes across as the poor folk shouldn’t be going to college – Accounting, Art History, Biology, Human Development are pursuits that the offspring of only the middle upper class and higher may join.
I certainly hope you didn’t intend to imply that those who can’t afford college are better off in jobs that serve those who can afford it.
People who get music majors can at least live in the real world. They can be a musician. Ethnic Studies or Women’s Studies is nothing more than Cultural Marxism 101. It has zero application. You learn nothing about the world itself except how to apply Marxist slogans to a narrow, and utterly meaningless, class in the world. Your inability to understand this is obvious in your inability to understand the point of the article.
She only responds to comments that praise her or are in line with her views. I wouldn’t waste my time to write a thoughtful response.
I fully agree that not everyone needs to go to college but everyone does need to learn an honest skill that can provide a happy life. Many comments seem to suggest that happiness only comes from money – as in the rich are all happy and the poor are not. what a waste this type of arguement has in our society today. Happiness comes from having integrity, earning your own living and standing independent as a free man or woman. Degrees like Art History, Ethnic Studies, etc may have some limited use and provide employment, but we should seriously consider whether a taxpayer should ever be forced to provide monetary support for getting a degree of this kind. If you take Pell Grants or other forms of government assistance, or if you take student loans, then you should be required to gain your education in a field that will provide a life-sustaining wage. If you are super rich and your parents want to pay 80k to get a degree in an obscure field, that is fine, but no taxpayer should be on the hook to provide support for a degree that cannot become employment directly out of college. Hard work is the key to many of our problems today and most people are unwilling to do it. But, therein lies the key to real happiness.
Dan, what you’re suggesting provides little to none moving up through the classes. While it is true that a mechanic who learns a trade probably makes more than an English grade who is now an assistant editor does not mean that these paths in life should be determined by the government. Very few people actually make a career out of their major – all they really need is a college degree.
If you take student loans, then you’re required to pay it back. Therefore, you can study whatever you want. That’s like saying banks should only loan money when they can tell you specificly what to spend it on – you may buy only this house even though this money can buy that house.
Oh, and if you truly believe that a guy who works three jobs to make ends meet is just as happy as Bill Gates, then I got a bridge I want you to look at.
The idea that “hard work” is all it takes to be sucessful and thus people on welfare are not hard working is the problem I have with conservatives. You’re ignoring that in order to get a lot of jobs these days you need a BA. Thus, someone who has a degree in Art History still has a lead on someone who doesn’t. You’re ingoring a lot of other factors that contribute to sucess in this country besides “hard work.”
Michelle, I find your argument silly at best and ill-informed at worst.
“If you take student loans, you’re required to pay it back. Therefore, you can study whatever you want. That’s like saying banks should only loan money when they can tell you specificly what to spend it on – you may buy only this house even though this money can buy that house.”
-Banks can set certain criteria when lending money if they see that you are
in low academic standing, have a poor background check, or have a poor credit rating, you may not receive a loan. When the government provides loans and grants for a college education there are no background checks, no credit checks, no strings attached. This is why the bubble of subsidize loans for post secondary education, I believe, with burst within the next 10-12 years, if nothing is done.
“Oh, and if you truly believe that a guy who works three jobs to make ends meet is just as happy as Bill Gates, then I got a bridge I want you to look at.”
-Interesting argument, but you are not necessarily correct. I would be incredibly unhappy if I were in Bill Gates shoes. I hate working on computer software and I would not do well under the tremendous pressure of running a corporation that large, so yes teaching sounds much, much more desirable. If I had to work three jobs to make my family happy while teaching, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would not be against him writing me a check, though!
“The idea that “hard work” is all it takes to be sucessful and thus people on welfare are not hard working is the problem I have with conservatives. You’re ignoring that in order to get a lot of jobs these days you need a BA. Thus, someone who has a degree in Art History still has a lead on someone who doesn’t. You’re ingoring a lot of other factors that contribute to sucess in this country besides “hard work.””
So, if all you need is a piece of paper, which doesn’t correlate to your specific degree, shouldn’t we try to fix the curriculum to better suite college students to face the real world when they graduate college an obtain jobs?
By the way, working hard is the only way to success. You still have to work hard and achieve satisfactory grades to continue tenure at a post-secondary school and to ultimately graduate with a degree. As far as your statements about conservatives, I think most conservatives would agree that hard work determines whether or not a person is successful. I believe conservatives view liberals as having a feeling of entitlement, wanting free education, a job provided, and free healthcare, etc. Hard work can obtain all of these things. Not all liberals of course are this way, but since you are speaking in generalizations I will counter with one.
As for the article, Ms. Hoffman, I thought it was a good start to the conversation. Good work.
“When the government provides loans and grants for a college education there are no background checks, no credit checks, no strings attached.”
Have you ever applied for a student loan? In order to determine how much you get, they have to do a background check. The strings attached is paying for the loan – you haven’t heard about all the recent graduates struggling with unemployment but still be required to pay their loans back?
“I would be incredibly unhappy if I were in Bill Gates shoes. I hate working on computer software and I would not do well under the tremendous pressure of running a corporation that large, so yes teaching sounds much, much more desirable. If I had to work three jobs to make my family happy while teaching, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would not be against him writing me a check, though!”
I’m sorry, I though we were having a discussion about society as a whole, not your personal feelings. But yea, I’ll bet you if you poll 100 people who are working mulitple jobs but still need government assistance to get by, 99% would say they’d rather be Gates. Yea, money certainly helps with the happiness when you can afford to feed your kids, go to the dr or not have to decided if you should pay for power or water.
“So, if all you need is a piece of paper, which doesn’t correlate to your specific degree, shouldn’t we try to fix the curriculum to better suite college students to face the real world when they graduate college an obtain jobs?”
We do – its called General Studies and requiring internships for graudation.
“By the way, working hard is the only way to success.”
Of course, Paris Hilton had a TV show, shoes, and books because of her hard work. Members of the Bush or Kennedy families certainly see no benefit from being lucky enough to be born into the right family. They’re all in politics because they work “hard” not because they have access to money and networking that the average joe doesnt.
“I believe conservatives view liberals as having a feeling of entitlement, wanting free education, a job provided, and free healthcare, etc. Hard work can obtain all of these things.”
I’ve certainly never heard of a liberal asking to be handed a job – just that there should be jobs for them. And there should be. Your statement seems to imply that the reason so many people are unemployed is because they didn’t work hard enough. No, there’s just not enough jobs. As for free education – we have a public school system for 6 year olds to 18 year olds. Are they working for access to that? No, it was handed to them. And conservatives are attending those free schools, unless they get a privite school education, which is handed to them by their parents. Yes, they have to work hard to get good grades and pass but the access was handed to them. They didn’t work for the oportunity just to attended.
Frankly, if conservatives are going to be so insistant that every fetus has worth, then they need to stick to their guns and see that fetus all the way until its 100 years old. Because its messed up to say it has a right to life, just not a decent quality of life.
Your comments are so past ignorant, I don’t know where to start, so I won’t. Enjoy life in la-la land.
Liberal Fascism 101: hate, attack, blame, lie, deny
No substance. No clue. Just start with a naked hatred of anyone who doesn’t belong to the Cult of Liberalism and go from there.
ps. You need to work on your punctuation and spelling.
Oh look, a personal attack = I have no actual intelligent comeback, must resort to insults!
But really, are you arguing that students can just show up and be handed money? That the government doesn’t actually check out who they’re giving money to? I mean, you’ve seen a student loan before right?
Are really saying that success=hard work, even though I’ve given you examples of luck being invovled in success as well?
Are you really arguing that a single mom struggling to make ends meet is just as happy as or more so than Bill Gates?
Are you arguing that there is no such thing as General Studies (which is includes basic stuff) or internships for people? You’re a teacher – you didn’t do student teaching?
And you certainly can’t be arguing that conservatives don’t have access to or take take advantage of public education.
You’re not because you can’t, so you resort to pointing out spelling errors.
Thanks for playing.
I just have to laugh at your arguments. You don’t even understand how basic things work. I used to be the young, ignorant, know-it-all type like yourself, and I was actually a liberal back in my day, until I learned how fundamentally destructive it was to society. I will respond now, since you seem to not even understand you are being, as Stalin coined, “a useful idiot.”
“Have you ever applied for a student loan? In order to determine how much you get, they have to do a background check. The strings attached is paying for the loan – you haven’t heard about all the recent graduates struggling with unemployment but still be required to pay their loans back?”
-Actually, I never once had to apply for a student loan or grant, because my small business paid my way through college. However, I am well aware of the process. There is no background check, there are no credit checks. You are mistaking a credit check with your parents filling out how much they make in a year. That is not a credit check. The criteria for government to then distribute loans is by lowest income bracket receiving the most, while the wealthier do not receive loans; the real reason why so many college grads default on their loans.
Banks are just the opposite, they do credit checks, background checks, and then a interest rate is charged depending on the results of the credit check, or no loan is given at all if deemed appropriate.
“I’m sorry, I though we were having a discussion about society as a whole, not your personal feelings. But yea, I’ll bet you if you poll 100 people who are working mulitple jobs but still need government assistance to get by, 99% would say they’d rather be Gates. Yea, money certainly helps with the happiness when you can afford to feed your kids, go to the dr or not have to decided if you should pay for power or water.”
If you go back to my original statement, none of the dribble you purpose has anything to do with my comments. Read the book, “Drive,” by Daniel Pink. After you read the book, get back to me. You may reconsider your comments. I thought most liberals hate the rich, though? Why would you want to be Bill Gates, then?
“We do – its called General Studies and requiring internships for graudation.”
General Studies is an almost worthless degrees. If you are looking to increase the unemployment rate and debt by Americans, GS degree sounds like a good choice. The word you were looking for was, ‘graduation.’
“I’ve certainly never heard of a liberal asking to be handed a job – just that there should be jobs for them. And there should be. Your statement seems to imply that the reason so many people are unemployed is because they didn’t work hard enough. No, there’s just not enough jobs. As for free education – we have a public school system for 6 year olds to 18 year olds. Are they working for access to that? No, it was handed to them. And conservatives are attending those free schools, unless they get a privite school education, which is handed to them by their parents. Yes, they have to work hard to get good grades and pass but the access was handed to them. They didn’t work for the oportunity just to attended.”
“I’ve certainly never heard of a liberal asking to be handed a job – just that there should be jobs for them.”
-You counter what you said in the first part of the sentence by the second. The hypocrisy, that you cannot even see, is very sad. To make sure you get the point, you are NOT entitled a job.
Ever heard of the Occupy movement?
1. “We demand the immediate expropriation of the health insurance industry, which holds American working people hostage to a system that systematically deprives a significant portion of the population access to vital health care services when they need them.”
2. “We demand the immediate institution of publicly funded zero-interest student loans and the gradual implementation of a publicly funded pre- and post-secondary education system in order to provide equal opportunity to education across lines of race, gender and class and to end the systematic debt peonage of young people.”
3. “We demand that private corporations producing goods and services be required to create an employee ownership plan that contributes a percentage of corporate profits into a fund to purchase shares in the corporations to be held by workers. Over a 10- to 12-year period this fund would become a majority stake in the company at which point elected representatives of the workforce will replace the managers and board of directors and any existing outside ownership of the enterprise will be purchased at fair market value by the workers.”
These are just three of my favorites of the 36 ‘demands’by the protesters. The entitled portion of society, like yourself, who think corporations should give charity to workers for simply being workers and debt forgiveness on loans for college students who drink designer coffee and pound away at their Apple Ipads and laptops, is humorous. I could go on for days about the entitlement of the left, which has made me rethink voting for a liberal democrat ever again. Some questions for you. Are you entitled to a pension and healthcare benefits if you are a public employee? Are you entitled to Social Security and Medicare? Are you entitled to more of corporations money, by means of wealth distributions? I’ll answer for you, you are so far ingrained in entitlement mantra you don’t even understand you are an entitled little brat.
“Are really saying that success=hard work, even though I’ve given you examples of luck being invovled in success as well?”
You’ve missed the point. Paris Hilton’s father worked extremely hard to obtain wealth to provide his family with a better life. Good luck trying to be the next Paris Hilton, though.
The rest will take too much time to explain to you. My advice to you is to make sure to educate yourself before you enter into the real world, it will help you out tremendously. Good luck!
Again, your grammar and spelling is atrocious. You also need to work on your verb tenses and watch for run-on sentences. I recommend taking a few more English courses to make your General Studies degree a bit more rounded. Good luck, again!
It seems curious that you’re attacking my age, education, or employment status since you don’t know any of the above. Again, I haven’t made any personal attacks towards you but you seem to think that’s perfectly fine to personally attack me. If your points were so strong, you wouldn’t need to do that.
“Actually, I never once had to apply for a student loan or grant, because my small business paid my way through college. However, I am well aware of the process. There is no background check, there are no credit checks. You are mistaking a credit check with your parents filling out how much they make in a year. That is not a credit check. The criteria for government to then distribute loans is by lowest income bracket receiving the most, while the wealthier do not receive loans; the real reason why so many college grads default on their loans.”
So you’ve never filed for government aid yet you claim to know how they work? Its common sense that the government does a background check of some kind – or else people would put whatever they want. Further, there are strings attached – there are pentlies for not paying back your student loans. Prehaps you should talk to someone who actually has loans?
Here’s some actual info: http://www.direct.ed.gov/applying.html
“You counter what you said in the first part of the sentence by the second. The hypocrisy, that you cannot even see, is very sad. To make sure you get the point, you are NOT entitled a job.”
Oh right, this country totally wasn’t funded on the idea of life, liberty and the pursuit happiness. And then when people can’t find a job because they are no jobs, conservatives love to tell them that they’re not entitled to welfare either.
So, again, why are conservatives so dedicated to making abortions impossible to get?
Again, Occuply Wall Street is about making sure there are jobs – not just handing them a job. It’s no different from when the Republicans were complaining about outsourcing years ago.
“I thought most liberals hate the rich, though? Why would you want to be Bill Gates, then?”
Could you tell that to Hollywood then? Tons of rich liberals there. Everyone certianly hates Oprah right? Who’s a rich liberal.
“Paris Hilton’s father worked extremely hard to obtain wealth to provide his family with a better life.”
Thanks for proving my point – so Paris herself actually did nothing for her success. Certainly supports your “the only way to success is hard work.” For Paris, George Bush and the like, the way to success was being lucky enough to be born in the right family.
Oh? And by the way, General Studies, while it can be a degree, usually refers to the first two years of a college education.
Prehaps you should step outside you’re little bubble and actually learn about what other people are going through. A little empathy would go along, particulary since I’m sure you benifited from free education, access to public roads and military protection that the government provides.
But hey dude, keep on piling shit on people who are actually trying to climb their way up the income latter like yourself. Prehaps you realize there’s only so much room at the top and you know you need to keep them down to stay on top?
Whatever, I’ll never understand the average blue-collar conservative’s desiree to defended corporate America. You realize that CEO’s really aren’t working that hard to earn over a half-million+ a year right?
Keep on keeping dude. I’m sure it’ll work out well for ya.
I worked 60-90 hours a week for many years. I achieved a master’s degree and beyond, with poor parents and little financial help. I worked my ass off–and bet I worked harder than you. I had the bad luck to run into a psychopathic boss who lied, cheated, and stole my career from me by blacklisting me in the region when I caught her doing unethical things. My career is gone, and during the recession due to my age couldn’t find another good job. So we lost our housec. I could only find part-time work that is very low paid. So don’t sell me the bald-faced lie that “I earned everything through hard work.” You just can’t see and acknowledge the GOOD LUCK you had, because it would threaten your clear sense of self-righteousness. If you didn’t have any a) major illness (i.e. cancer, szhizophrenia, etc.) b) abusive parents who stuck cigarettes in your flesh c) encounters with criminal bosses d) children with major health issues that bankrupted you–then you are where you are due LUCK as well as work. You just can’t admit it–for admitting it would keep you from patting yourself on the back, which you clearly need.
Liberal Fascism 101: hate, attack, blame, lie, deny
“Your comments are so past ignorant, I don’t know where to start, so I won’t.”
You’re so indoctrinated you’re BEYOND stupid. You’re so beyond stupid you’re blathering on about “punctuation” and you can’t even properly punctuate a few dozen words. A comma is not a period.
I just can’t believe how ignorant you are. lol I’m done sweetheart, as I said please stay in school and plan on taking a few more English classes. Good luck!
You’re so delightfully charming! I provide actual facts, both in this thread and in the “teacher unions” argugment we had. Of course you have nothing and are just a condensing asshole.
I leave you with this and hope my kid never ends up in your classroom. I’m already embrassed that my taxes pay your salary.
“John Steinbeck once said that ‘socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.’ This helps explain why American culture is so hostile to the idea of limits, why voters during the last energy shortage rejected the sweater-wearing Jimmy Carter and elected Ronald Reagan, who scoffed at conservation and told them it was ‘still morning in America.’ Nowhere does the myth of progress have more fervent believers.” – Ronald Wright (An Illustrated Short History of Progress)
But I’m sure you’ll reply again with even more personal attacks and stomp off saying I’m done again.
Pro-tip: There’s only so many times you can stop off saying you’re done and keep returning. At this point, its clear your arguement holds no water and you know it. Hence the personal attacks and the condensending.