Unfortunately, higher education has gone from a means to earn a living to a 4, 5, 6, 7 year very extravagant vacation. Only rich folks can afford to send their kids to college to get a worthless degree. The rest of us have to wake up and pay the bills after the party is over.
To add, jobs that might offer a decent wage such as in manufacturing, are gone either because of modernization or from competition over seas.
So, what is a person to do... but to go to college and get a degree in Gender Studies or Art.
The most important thing to do is research the job market before you go to school and then make a rational decision on your major. When the oilfield went to hell in 1983 I went back to school again and became a pharmacist.
There are many that are not suitable for university work. They should become tradesmen. My plumber makes more money than my pay as a pharmacist.
To add, jobs that might offer a decent wage such as in manufacturing, are gone either because of modernization or from competition over seas.
So, what is a person to do... but to go to college and get a degree in Gender Studies or Art.
But if he decides on going to Community College or apprenticing somewhere to learn a trade, I'll not be disappointed. Unless he goes to college to learn to a job - engineering, nursing, education, etc - it's a waste of time and money. The country doesn't need another BA in Post-Modern American History Studies.