Forty plus years ago we could complete high school where we actually learned how to do tasks which would lead to immediate employment. Today by the time most kids complete high school they may have covered a lot of different material but most of it is just “stuff” IMO which, with a $3 bill will get them a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts or a job flipping burgers.
Some of the same jobs are still out there - electrician, plumber, etc. - but a lot of the jobs that high school graduates did in “our day” have totally disappeared or left the country.
Forty plus years ago we could complete high school where we actually learned how to do tasks which would lead to immediate employment.
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Yep. In the ‘50s, I had metal shop, electrical shop and wood shop in Jr. High. In Sr. High there were two different programs that gave credits to students that left school before the last two classes and went to work part-time at local businesses.
One of the programs was called Industrial Education, where students worked in various trades like plumbing, auto mechanics, electrical, auto body shops, etc. The other program was for people working in retail shops/stores as stockers, cashiers, floor sales, etc., but I can’t recall what that program was called.
The store/shop owners or managers kept records on each student regarding being on time, skills, dealing with customers, etc., and reported all that back to the school.
In the late ‘50s, a large percentage of graduates were getting married within a year after school and working for a living. In my area (Dallas) only about 15-20% went to college.
I knew I wasn’t college material, so joined the USNR (Weekend Warrior) at the beginning of my Sr. year when 17 and went on active duty about 4 months after graduation in ‘60. ...Best thing I could have done! Straighted me out! Earned AAS ‘72, BBA ‘74 and MBA ‘83 (age 41), all while working full time, married and raising kids.
Sorry for the long post. Just wanted to make the point that college is not for everyone right out of high school AND to signify my agreement with Grams A.