[Kenton]

There was a time, say, oh, prior to the mid-1970s, when corporations preferred someone with a liberal arts degree, because they were considered to be more well-rounded individuals than people who were just "learning a trade".

My degree in political science hasn't made me a lot of bucks over the years, but I've pursued a career with a Fortune 500 company that had nothing to do with my degree field.

Starting around the early '80s, preferred college majors had swung competely in the direction of specific career training, teaching students how to actually do something to make a living, and it has never gone back. Anybody who expects to make a living in the 2000's should carefully evaluate what sort of market will be available for your services when you graduate. A liberal arts degree in the social sciences will not allow a person to be competitive in today's market.

[Willie Green]

There was a time, say, oh, prior to the mid-1970s, when corporations preferred someone with a liberal arts degree, because they were considered to be more well-rounded individuals than people who were just "learning a trade".

My impression is the exact opposite.
Such specialized training and skills were highly valued and sought after.
However, as they increasingly became more scarce, many companies had to "settle for less".
As a result, they often became corrupted and decayed from within when the liberal arts majors began incorporating social theories into company decision making.