Vocational vs University

U.S.G. and P.T.A. - NYTimes.com: "As Education Secretary Arne Duncan put it to me in an interview, 50 years ago if you dropped out, you could get a job in the stockyards or steel mill and still “own your own home and support your family.” Today, there are no such good jobs for high school dropouts. “They’re gone,” said Duncan. “That’s what we haven’t adjusted to.” When kids drop out today, “they’re condemned to poverty and social failure.” There are barely any jobs left for someone with only a high school diploma, and that’s only valuable today if it has truly prepared you to go on to higher education without remediation — the only ticket to a decent job."

Bill's thoughts:
I think skilled trades are being overlooked here. Installing and repairing HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems jobs can be well paid if the high school graduate has the right combination of vocational training and apprenticeship. This also holds true for auto dealer repair shops and other skilled trade work. There is a shortage of long-haul truckers and they can make good money if they are willing to put up with that life , get a CDL license, pass a background check and a drug screen. Of course, as technology changes some trades will see more demand and others less just as some University degrees are more valuable than others. Of course, the job seeker has to be willing to relocate to where his skills or degree is in demand. Those reluctant to move may be left out. The young drop-out or even the high school graduate who presents himself to the job market with no special skills will find it tough.