Weekend Reading

The Dark Side Of Recycling
Lies, Damned Lies, And Recycling
RIP, Paul Adolph Volcker
Trump's Tax Cut Was A Mammoth Fraud
Is College Worth It? A Georgetown Study Measures Return On Investment
How Business Leaders Caused Black Poverty
Economic Errors: Right-Wing Edition
How Oil Companies Avoided Environmental Accountability After 10.8 Million Gallons Spilled
Jillian Michaels Says We Shouldn't 'Celebrate' Lizzo's Body
The College Wealth Premium Has Collapsed
Popularity Of CBD Oil Vexes Regulators And Researchers
Deceased GOP Strategist's Daughter Makes Files Public That Republicans Wanted Sealed
Trump's Biggest Fox News Boosters Suddenly Stop Railing Against 'Deep State' Intelligence
Damning New E-Mails Show Trump Knew He Was Breaking The Law On Ukraine
Ex-Apprentice Staffer Noel Casler Speaks Out: 'Trump's A Raging Drug Addict'

Education Can Be The Answer

The U.S. is a highly educated country. We've taken pride in knowledge, science, understanding, innovation and entrepreneurialism. Yet, we've also taken this beyond the reach of the job market. We have bank managers that studied literature in college. We've told everyone they need to get at least a four-year degree to be successful. Despite the fact that most jobs only need a high school diploma, some on-the-job training and/or an associates or trade degree.

We've used the more education mantra as more of a club than a means to an end. We should be educating and training for needs not ego. It sounds nice for everyone to have a medical doctorate or a juris doctorate, but the world needs more than doctors and lawyers. 

An op-ed in Urban Milwaukee echoed the more education mantra: State’s Future Depends on Knowledge Economy

Four of the top five occupations with the highest projected numeric change in employment have salaries under $30,000 per year. 13 of the 20 earn less than $40,000 annually. And many of these only require a high school diploma or on-the-job training.

Get all the education you can. More education is always better. But have an endgame. Find a career. Find something you enjoy. Don't go ridiculously in debt chasing the education savior. People who would have been better at trade school becoming an electrician, plumber or mechanic end up with Bachelors and Masters degrees. 

Too many pundits love writing about the creative class, entrepreneurship and the knowledge-based economy. All somehow magically dependent on more and more education. And, as if this was the majority of jobs and workers. This elitist view ignores the majority of employees. Which, again, have only a high school diploma, some on-the-job training and/or an associates or trade degree. Only one-third of the workforce has a bachelor's degree or higher.

For Further Reading:

Projections of occupational employment, 2016–26

Occupations with the most job growth

Fastest Growing Occupations

Fastest growing occupations

American Education

What do international tests really show about U.S. student performance?

U.S. Education At A Glance 2013

Education At A Glance 2014

 
HIGHER EDUCATION State Funding Trends and Policies on Affordability

  

 
Students now pay more of their public university tuition than state governments

Most States Funding Schools Less Than Before the Recession