Posted on 09/08/2013 8:07:06 AM PDT by rickmichaels
Many young men and women headed back to the classroom this week, equipped with texts on cultural relativism and stars in their eyes. They should enjoy it while it lasts. Those stars will turn to dollar signs not long after graduation day, when the realization sets in that that medieval feminist studies degree is not as marketable as they had anticipated.
The problem isn’t unique to those who have chosen to pursue so-called “soft” degrees. For years now, graduates of teachers colleges (especially in Ontario) have found themselves with few job openings, as have journalism grads, some business majors and a growing cohort of law school alumni. In some industries, such as teaching, there is an oversupply of labour and too few job opportunities. For other fields, such as journalism, the stream of grads remains constant even though the industry itself is shrinking. And as for those equity studies and philosophy majors — unless they can flip that paper into a PhD and teach the courses themselves — they’ve long been looking at a career behind the counter.
(Excerpt) Read more at fullcomment.nationalpost.com ...
The truly sad thing is many *can* get a job - at universities. I have a lesbian relative that has a PhD in feministsomethingorother and has been regularly employed for decades.
. . . for which I financed $75,000!
It’ll be interesting to see how well they graduate from the School of Hard Knocks!
The real problem is that useful degrees are hard. And far too many college age kids are soft...
The article does address that:
And as for those equity studies and philosophy majors — unless they can flip that paper into a PhD and teach the courses themselves — they’ve long been looking at a career behind the counter.
But, getting a doctorate takes longer, and you run up more debt. And you perpetuate the cycle.
The article makes one proposal that I really like: stop the government subsidies for education plans that have no future, and steer students into degree programs that will prepare them for a needed job, like nursing and skilled trades.
The problem (from the article): social science and humanities programs are glistening cash cows for universities.
‘swhy I left the Scribbling Profession.
And we (as a society) are willing to give or loan them money to "study" for the easy degrees, so they can party for 4 years or more.
Does she/he weigh about 400 lbs.? If so we are related. ;)
Sadly, there are many professors that meet that description.
An awful lot of kids have no idea what different jobs pay or what the employment prospects are. Many see school as an opportunity to party w/o parental control for a few years. After that idyll ends, however, they have no idea what to do.
But wait. These are the jobs that teaching professionals say are for losers.
I wonder what a journeyman machinist or tool & die maker makes these days.
Your chart doesn’t show nuclear effects testing.
Here’s how to do it kids:
1. Get a degree, major doesn’t matter (Cost = $100,000)
2. Get technical certifications (Cost ~ $5,000 - $30,000)
I will check to see if you have a degree, and then hire you based on your technical qualifications. You can skip step 1 by getting a low end technical job and banking 2-3 years experience. Now do you understand what has real value in today’s marketplace?
Every year I see tons of people walking down to the local Art school and I have to laugh.
They are spending thousands for those art supplies, tens of thousands for the classes, and graduating with tens of thousands of other art students into careers that don’t exist, with tens of thousands in debt.
Tool makers are making damned good money.
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