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.

The Next Generation of Thugs is on the Way

INDIANAPOLIS — A study shows Indianapolis Public Schools have the lowest graduation rate for black male students among 63 urban districts nationwide.
School leaders say they're working to turn around the statistics. In the 2005-06 school year, just 19 percent of black males graduated from IPS, according to the rankings compiled by the Schott Foundation for Public Education.
IPS has introduced dropout prevention programs and has worked to ease the transition into high school.
"This continues to emphasize what I've been trying to emphasize: the urgency of turning this district around as fast as possible," said Superintendent Eugene White. "I think we have the things in place now to do that."
One reason the district's graduation rates may be so low is the district's high concentration of students from low-income families.
That is a key predictor for which students are at risk for dropping out.
Urban districts elsewhere often encompass larger areas of the city, including more wealthy students in the mix. Only about a quarter of public school students in Indianapolis attend IPS, which has about 35,000 students.
IPS School Board President Mary E. Busch said the 2005-06 statistics do not reflect recent efforts, such as the district's push to connect with students and require alternative schools instead of expulsions.
"We're working hard to bring the graduation rates up," she said. "We have special initiatives and strategies in place to truly address the situation. We're not pleased with where we are."
But Mark A. Russell, director of education at the Indianapolis Urban League, said more work needs to be done.
"There is not a person in the state Department of Education charged specifically with addressing the achievement gap between blacks and whites. Does the IPS board have a committee on it?" he asked. "If we're wanting to save these children, where is the effort?"


Pasted from <http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2008/07/27/statenews.qp-5501176.sto?1217164858>

 

New graduates...take heed! 

Education, Work and Crime

Young people hear so much about the value of education and “stay in school” admonitions that they surely get bored by it. And those most in need are most likely to ignore or defy such advice. If I were advising young people I would use a different approach.

I would ask my young audience (I am thinking Junior High to young adult) “what can you do?” What knowledge or skill do you have that anyone would pay wages for? This is a tough question and is perhaps unfair for the youngest but nonetheless it gets at the heart of the matter. University is not the answer for everyone. For many, a skilled trade learned through training or on the job would be better. Good mechanics with documented training credit can make good momey. There is always demand for HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning)technicians who are certified.

I would also ask “can you show up?”. A frequent complaint of employers is that workers cannot get out of bed and get to work on time or at all. It seems a basic enough ability but this is a widespread problem especially in low pay and part time work. A person who is reliable and has a work ethic is a valued employee and is worth training.

Related to this subject is your desired standard of living. Today in the USA basic needs are met for most people even if they do not work. The issue becomes wants...nice car, nice house, nice clothes, vacations, entertainment, etc. So I would say to young people that if you can forgo “wants” then you will not need training, education or a work ethic. But, quoting Shakespeare , “Aye, there’s the rub.” If you want, want ,want then prepare to work, work, work.

There is an alternative to work and it is called Crime. For people who can’t show up, refuse to be trained or educated, have no work ethic and still have “wants” there is this path. From earliest times when it was perceived that one can steal a crop rather than grow it, crime has been part of humanity. When the number of criminals becomes large relative to the number of workers society collapses into chaos and ruin. This includes the purse snatcher and the CEO who is stealing the company assets. A study was published back in the 1970’s that showed that if the number of dishonest workers and businesses approached 20% of the total our country could not function.