Posted on 07/01/2012 3:24:51 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Andi Meuth earned a history degree from Texas A&M in May and has applied for 150 jobs, so far with no luck.
Jon Ancira graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology last year, but can't find work that uses his degree. After six months of searching, the 26-year-old did finally land a job — at a bank.
Alex Ricard, 21, is grateful to be using his electronic media degree from Texas State at a social media startup company, but it's an unpaid internship.
He says he's sent out three to five resumes a week for the past two months, with almost no response from prospective employers. When he does hear back, he says, it's most often that he doesn't have enough experience.
While the particulars for each graduate are different, the overarching narrative has become familiar.
Up to half of all recent college grads are jobless or underemployed, doing low-wage work outside their chosen fields, according to a widely reported analysis this spring by the Associated Press.
These young women and men still have high expectations — as do their parents — that a college degree will pay off, despite rising tuition and the resulting debt.
But increasingly, say economists and workforce experts, there is a mismatch in today's job market between graduates' skills and those needed in the fastest-growing career fields.
The recession changed the economy permanently, economists say. In this largely jobless recovery, millions of mid- and entry-level positions are gone, the work now automated.
Many of those with college degrees who do find jobs can expect lower salaries and reduced earning potential over their working lives. Rising debt — the average graduate carries about $25,000 in loans — can push the often-necessary advanced degree out of reach.
Locally, the unemployment rate among 20- to 24-year-olds has been about twice as high as the overall rate.
Psych degree overload
Ricard still holds out hope that his degree will eventually lead to a job, given the increased importance of social media and digital technology, but he has his limits: August.
“If I haven't found something by then,” he said, “even though I'd like to think my days of fast-food jobs are behind me, it becomes less about the job I want and more about the job I need at that point.”
Not all graduates face such dire straits. Those with in-demand degrees in areas such as engineering, information technology and nursing enjoy much brighter job prospects.
Kevin Davis, who earned an electrical engineering degree from the University of Texas at Austin, had three job offers before he graduated in May. He took a job with Toshiba in Houston.
John Hollman will graduate from Austin Community College in December with a two-year associate degree in nursing. The San Antonio native already has two job offers, one from his current employer of nine years, Texas Oncology.
But employers and workforce agencies say the labor market is suffering from a jobs-skills mismatch.
Psychology, for example, is the third-most-popular four-year degree in Texas and one of the fastest growing, according to Workforce Solutions Alamo, a public agency that works to bring people and jobs together.
Problem is, there's almost no demand at that level, said Eva Esquivel, communications manager with the agency.
More than 5,000 people graduated from Texas colleges and universities with bachelor's degrees in psychology in 2010, she said, to compete for four job openings in the field, with an annual salary of $22,000.
“That's not even enough to pay student loans back,” Esquivel said. Most psychology jobs require a higher-level degree — and there still aren't many positions available.
Ancira, who saw some of his psychology research published while studying at Northwest Vista, one of the Alamo Colleges, said he found fewer research opportunities after transferring to UT.
Disenchanted, he looked into changing majors or getting an advanced degree, but the burden of $36,000 in student loans put him off.
Meuth, who lives in San Antonio, said she knew the job market for history majors without a master's degree or teaching certification was limited but decided to go for a major she was passionate about, even in a slumping economy. She wants to work in a museum eventually, which requires a master's, but is putting it off for now to avoid taking out any loans.
Conversely, Texas colleges graduated far fewer engineers than psychology majors in 2010 — just 271 petroleum engineers, according to Workforce Solutions Alamo, and demand far outstrips supply, especially as the Eagle Ford Shale continues to boom.
Starting pay for petroleum engineers averages $85,000, Esquivel said. For the 405 chemical engineers who graduated in 2010, it's about $60,000.
Skills in short supply
Chris Nielsen, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Manufacturing in San Antonio, said the company has struggled to fill engineering positions and points to the healthy starting salary as proof of the competitive nature of the field.
But perhaps more crucially, Nielsen said that in the six years the company has been building trucks in San Antonio, it's never been able to fill all its trade positions, or what it calls “skilled job” positions.
Those include maintaining assembly-line robots, which Nielson said requires training in programming, hydraulics and pneumatics.
These are good, career-track positions, he said, many that pay in the $60,000 range.
Toyota is hardly alone.
Manufacturers surveyed in the latest “Skills Gap” report from the Manufacturing Institute, an affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, reported that roughly 5 percent of current jobs go unfilled because of a lack of qualified candidates. That's as many as 600,000 unfilled jobs — machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors, technicians and more — that manufacturers say hamper their ability to expand operations, drive innovation and improve productivity.
Those surveyed said the national education curriculum is not producing workers with the basic skills they need, and the trend is not likely to improve in the near term.
Tom Pauken, appointed to the Texas Workforce Commission by Gov. Rick Perry in 2008, has become a passionate advocate for greater vocational and technical training.
He laments what he calls a “one size fits all” approach to higher education, which assumes that everyone needs a four-year degree.
Those who do are often saddled with enormous debt and still can't find good jobs, he said. “Meanwhile, there is a shortfall of qualified applicants for those with skills training as welders, electricians, pipe fitters and machinists.”
Entry-level salaries for those jobs in the San Antonio area begin in the low- to-mid-$20,000 range, according to Workforce Solutions Alamo, and rise to the upper $40,000s at the expert level.
In San Antonio, Alamo Colleges runs Alamo Academies, which aims to train high school juniors and seniors for skilled employment in fast-growing local industries, including aerospace, information technology and security, manufacturing and the health professions.
The academies, which are a partnership among the community college district, local industry and workforce agencies, also provide college credits, and expose students to occupations that require a college education. Students stay in their high schools, take about half their classes at the academy and participate in a paid internship in their chosen field.
After high school, graduates earn an average starting pay of more than $30,000 and will have earned a couple dozen college credits.
“I tell students they need to do career planning even before education planning,” said Esquivel, who travels a 12-county region talking to high school students about where job growth will occur in the coming years. “I wish more students would take advantage” of the information her agency has to offer.
Luisa Ramirez, the on-campus recruiting coordinator at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said she's seen an increase in freshmen who come to the career center seeking advice, rather than waiting until they're seniors.
“They've seen their parents go through the recession,” she said, “So they're more aware.”
Ancira said many recent graduates might be in for a rude awakening.
“You go to school thinking you're going to graduate and there's going to be a job in an office waiting for you,” he said, “but a few years into it, you realize that's not really going to happen.”
History degrees would be okay in an up economy—libraries, museums, educators, researchers, etc., but those jobs are mostly dependent on tax dollars all which have been cut due to (DUH!) no jobs. It’s a vicious cycle, one which the Libs seemed to have not figured out. (see Wisconsin) They think the $$$$ come from magic $$$ fairies and will be there forever.
Twenty or thirty years ago you were correct. The problem is that you are comparing liberal arts degrees of yesteryear to those of today. The point about “honing critical thinking skills” glaringly illustrates the ignorance of the poster concerning most of today’s liberal arts curriculum.
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!”
Rocky Balboa/Sylvester Stallone
That’s what it’s all about.
I shake my head sometimes at the young people who pass on nursing. Never mind being a new college grad — I went into nursing at the ripe old age of 44! Did a 2nd degree program, graduated, worked in it for 5 years, and now am working on a masters in nursing.
When I suggest it to a lot of them, they just shudder and tell me they can’t stand the sight of blood or some other such thing. They could EASILY start as techs, just drawing blood and being assistants, then work their way up.
I say they are EXTREMELY stupid. Nursing pays well, and challenges you at every level. Of course, you do pay your dues cleaning up poop and various bodily fluids, running your BUTT off taking care of crazy patients — but it’s a fantastic stepping stone to management, nurse practitioner, teaching, research, pharmaceutical sales, etc. ... I have a prior degree in journalism, so I plan to combine the two skills in some way. My writing background has only helped, esp in grad school.
You HAVE to pay your dues sometimes. These damn kids DO NOT want to pay dues of any kind. Either that or they’re just too stupid now to pass the tests.
You have a good point. I truly have no idea about what is being taught today in the liberal arts programs iu colleges and universities. I have no children, hence no grandchildren, so there is no reason for me to investigate the matter.
Of course, in my case, it’s more than 20-30 years ago, more like 45 years.
Good luck, wish you all the best, you may be proof that old dogs can learn new tricks!
I completed a BA in Liberal Arts with a strength in Management. Than I went for the MA in my current field. Depending on your pursuit, a Liberal Arts Degree is fine. In my field the MA is needed to lock in higher pay. The BA was just a stepping stone. I could have spent another year getting a BS in Electronics, but a Liberal Arts degree was an excellent transition to my Masters program. Fact is the percentage of unemployed decrease with the level of education. Degrees are good. Sometimes young people just need to think outside the box, I believe it was Locke that said something about the world being what we perceive it to be. Young people need to think outside the box or change the world as they perceive it if they plan to have successful careers in this new world.
My first job (1967), paid $80 per week. I remember celebrating when I moved up to $100 per week.
My first job (1967), paid $80 per week. I remember celebrating when I moved up to $100 per week.
Well, sadly, not an option for all of us. I have a disability so I can’t enlist. :) Doesn’t mean I can’t root from the sidelines.
Good to hear it! We need more honest businessmen like yourself. Too many of them waddling up to the trough.
“History degree???? What the HELL would they be good for in the workplace?? “
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I majored in History as it was an accepted prerequisite (pre law) to Law which my plan back when I was at university. Switched majors eventually to Business Management but I did have the required GPA and course units to attend Stanford Law school.
My history profs got annoyed when I kept referring to the Civil War as the “War of Northern Aggression”.
Earlier this year my company was hiring for a social media coordinator. We figured it would be a piece of cake to find someone, as social media is so popular with recent grads. As we expected, we got SLAMMED with applications. Strangely, very few of them even maintained a Facebook or Twitter page (that they were willing to show us), and even fewer could string together a 140 character tweet that made sense. We actually had to pay to relocate someone from out of state. We were pretty stunned....didn’t think that would be the case at all.
Wait until you see the neck tattoos. They don't even attempt to hide their bad decisions anymore.
A good liberal arts education is far more valuable than a so-called "liberal arts" degree consisting mostly of mush. It's important not to confuse the two, and the former still exists.
In fact, it's best not to assume someone with a degree has learned anything at all. Care to evaluate the communication skill of the average Communications major?
Veterans cannot protect themselves alone, it takes a team of patriots including those rooting from the sidelines.
I tell every lady I tutor to go into Nursing. Did quite a bit of tutoring in Biology, Chemistry, etc to get them on track for where they needed.
Just because the degree says history, doesn’t necessarily reflect the courses taken. ;) I have the bare minimum of history credits and 60 science credits. 50/50 between science and arts.
“History degree???? What the HELL would they be good for in the workplace?? NOTHING but be Mr. KnowitAll.”
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More like Mr. Knownothing! I have known a couple of recent university graduates who majored in history and I have been amazed to discover that they could not pass the seventh grade history final from 1957. When a history major cannot name the only president of the CSA and cannot correctly name the decade of the American civil war it is pathetic. Words such as Battle of Hastings and Magna Charta went unrecognized.
The main problem is not that college EDUCATED people cannot find jobs, the worst part is that college GRADUATES don’t have a real HIGH SCHOOL education, let alone a real college education.
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