Posted on 03/16/2023 4:36:57 PM PDT by karpov
Last spring Dina Sosa Cruz sat with her parents and sister in the family’s living room and reviewed her options: a full academic ride to the University of the District of Columbia, or an apprenticeship in the insurance industry.
The college route meant at the end of four years the 22-year-old would have a degree, a little debt and no work experience. The apprenticeship would leave her with a two-year degree, money in the bank and training in a profession that appealed to her.
Her family was unanimous: Take the apprenticeship. “You’ll be worry free,” her mother said.
Family conversations like the one in Ms. Cruz’s living room are bubbling up around the country as high-school seniors recalibrate their options after the pandemic prompted a historic disengagement from school. The result has been the acceleration of a shift away from the nation’s half-century “college-for-all” model toward a choice of either college or vocational programs—including apprenticeships.
Today, colleges and universities enroll about 15 million undergraduate students, while companies employ about 800,000 apprentices. In the past decade, college enrollment has declined by about 15%, while the number of apprentices has increased by more than 50%, according to federal data and Robert Lerman, a labor economist at the Urban Institute and co-founder of Apprenticeships for America.
Apprenticeship programs are increasing in both number and variety. About 40% are now outside of construction trades, where most have traditionally been, Dr. Lerman said. Programs are expanding into white-collar industries such as banking, cybersecurity and consulting at companies including McDonald’s Corp., Accenture PLC and JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Apprenticeships take many forms but generally pair students with a course of study focused on a particular occupation and practical work experience under the supervision of a mentor.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
“Programs are expanding into white-collar industries such as banking...”
Do they the necessary critical banking skills to get ahead such as CRT, DEI, ESG, and wokety-woke?
I went to Northeastern which had a coop program for the engineering students. I worked 50% of the year and school the other 50%. 5 years for a BSEE but I got to work at 3 very different companies and settled on one field. Stayed in that sector for my whole career. The work experience was at least as valuable as the classroom work and I understood what being an engineer really meant. Debt was nearly negligible when I graduated too.
They are becoming quite competitive. You either must have the highest drive and skills or be completely melachicktastic
On the whole this is a very healthy development. What is not new is that two year colleges’ skills training curricula have been the unsung heroes of the education enterprise for decades, maybe finally reaching the respect they deserve.
People who want an intellectual education should go to a classical-curriculum college.
People who want a professional education should go to pre-med, pre-law, or pre-seminary.
Everyone else should pick a trade, blue- or white- collar, and apprentice in it.
A million educators, including yours truly, would be out of work, but the society would be a much better place.
chajin,
A very intelligent post based on experience. Thanks.
I worked for a large corporation that would only hire college graduates for sales positions. A sales manager asked for an exception to hire an experienced salesman who had a great track record but no degree. I approved he hire. The individual turned out to be the best sales person in the unit and was a critical player in making the division the top performing in the corporation for several years.
Of further interest this salesperson had stronger communication and math skills than many of salespeople holding college degrees.
I encourage kids to go into good, accredited trade school. Get out in a couple of years with good grades and step into a high five figure career with little debt.
“Dina Sosa Cruz...her options: a full academic ride to the University of the District of Columbia”
I’m old enough to remember when AMERICANS got scholarships.
No indoctrination, brainwashing or programming? And if you like your genitals, you can keep ‘em?
I worked for a large corporation that would only hire college graduates for sales positions. A sales manager asked for an exception to hire an experienced salesman who had a great track record but no degree. I approved he hire. The individual turned out to be the best sales person in the unit and was a critical player in making the division the top performing in the corporation for several years.
Of further interest this salesperson had stronger communication and math skills than many of salespeople holding college degrees.
*******************
My prediction is over the next two decades stories like yours will become the norm for businesses that want to remain successful. Demographics are going to make labor utilization one of the most important factors to commercial success.
Talent should never be ignored or discriminated against because of rules, not having the right paperwork, or lack of the right credentials.
Job performance should be the priority.
In any company you need to know just as much as every other role and the skillets needed to perform the work. That way you get full cooperation from all.
If that was you thanks
I know several very bright twentysomethings that did a cpl years in CC and lots of self study actually learning and getting extra in cybersecurity who are making >200k a year with non stop unsolicited offers coming at them
Coops can be very important. They can help a student decide what he or she wants to do, but sometimes more importantly help a student decide what he or she does NOT want to do.
Northeastern is famous for their Coops.
Indeed. I thought microwave stuff was really neat until I worked at a microwave company. That killed that. The one that I meshed with was semiconductor.
If these dumbass kids would listen to MIKE ROWE they would be set up for jobs (good paying jobs) when they completed an apprenticeship program.
Mr. Rowe even offers scholarships for students who are willing to hoe the row!
NU grad here too
We need a like button on here. Your comment is spot on.
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