Plan B Skip College Louis Steinberg Analysis

Higher education in America is facing many challenges, i.e., low retention, low graduation rates and less funding. Postsecondary institutions are scrambling to remain a competitive entity within society. In order to do so, students must remain in school (Talbert, 2012). The Office of the White House states (2014), educational attainment is critical to our county’s economic success. In essence, the work force is creating more jobs requiring more education and a higher level of skill than was previously achieved. Individuals with only a high school diploma will not make into the middle class sector because of

For decades, students have been told that college is the next step after high school graduation. Society reiterates this by glorifying individuals that have completed a degree and looking down upon those who do not have one. The problem is that many students have not acquired the necessary tools nor have the motivation to be successful while pursuing post-high school education. Some argue that college provides the foundation of liberal studies that will improve career opportunities. Charles Murray disagrees in his essay, "Are Too Many People Going to College." He states, "Most people should be getting the basics of a liberal education. But for most students, the place to provide those basics are elementary and middle school." (Graff, 238) This raises the question, is a four-year education the best option for all students. College provides many benefits that would be difficult to find elsewhere, such as, writing skills or cultural growth, but college is not meant for everyone. A college education does not guarantee a prosperous career, instead, gaining work experience or completing a trade school is a more intelligent option for the majority of potential students.

In society today, a college education is often seen as a “the next step” in a young adult’s life. Whether they actually know what they would like to earn a degree in, they feel the need to continue their education as almost everyone around them is pursuing post-secondary education of some sort. It is often argued that a college education is not necessary to get ahead because of the manufacture based workforce that is up and coming in America, however, there are many benefits to having a post-secondary education such as a higher rate of pay and more job opportunities.

People are told from a young age that the only way to lead a successful life is to go to college. Although there is no denying of the economic advantage post secondary learning can provide for a student, college isn’t necessarily the only available option. Options like trade school or vocational training are other reasonable choices. However, trade school is not seen as legitimate as a traditional four year college, and a trade school student is not seen as having a secure future. The majority of people fail to realize there are hundreds of well paying employment opportunities that do not require the time, money, and effort needed to get a college degree. Not only does the negative perception of trade school hurt the futures of students, it ultimately hurts the nation’s economy. In order to eliminate the stigma surrounding non traditional schools, students and parents should be exposed to trade schools and the benefits of pursuing a vocational career.

A college degree is a valuable asset that could ultimately lead to a productive life in society due to the received education, but people without a college degree do turn out more than adequate in regards to societal success. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the forecasted 30 fastest growing jobs between 2010 and 2020, five do not require a high school diploma, nine require a high school diploma, four require an associate 's degree, six require a bachelor 's degree, and six require graduate degrees to get the jobs (College). In an article called “College Education” by ProCon.org,

“In the United States today, there is no more certain investment than a college education”(Carnevale and Melton). Education has always been a major component of American society. One can only go so far without an education, and the more education and knowledge someone has, the better their chances of being successful. Some people believe a high school education is enough, and it is, enough to land a job at a fast food restaurant. I speculate they feel this way because they feel school is not for them, or maybe they just do not want to go far in life. To get far in life people must go above and beyond, and learn things that others do not know to make them

A job requires skill and knowledge. Murray says, “ The increase in wealth in American society has increased the demand for all sorts of craftsmanship… work of specialized skills in stonework, masonry, glazing, painting, cabin making, machining, landscaping, and a dozen other crafts” (Murray 236). Murray says that college will not provide the skill set for these jobs. College is where. Murray wants these type of people with low academic ability to shoot for one job and not move from that occupation or move up the ladder. Sanford J. Ungar in “The New Liberal Arts” makes a counter argument saying “It is far wiser for students to prepare for change and the multiple careers they are likely to have than to search for a single job track that might one day become a dead end ” (Ungar 191). During the economic recession, many workers in the manufacturing industry were laid off without a guarantee that they would be rehired in the future or that their positions would still be available. Unfortunately some of these jobs will never come back because the positions have been modernized. Non-stop robotic arms have replaced humans in the assembly line, which have financially benefited the companies. The advancement in technology has brought the world to a state where skilled labor jobs are not needed as much as others such as jobs in computer information systems or computer networking. Ungar brings up Geoffery Grain, president of the Hart Research who says that the responsibility of higher education today is to prepare people “ for jobs that do not yet exist” (Ungar 191). Higher education will always be beneficial now or in the future, it will never be a

In “The Great Debate: Is College Still Worth It?” author Ricardo Azziz endorses post-secondary education by stating its economic advantage in today’s society. The author begins his article by introducing a survey done by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, which shows that the majority of college graduates believe college education is worth its cost. Not only are people convinced of the value of a college education, adults with a degree of some sort (bachelor’s degree or associate degree) tend to earn more than those without one. But also, post-secondary education gives people a better chance at achieving the “American Dream” through diligence and hard work. Azziz states that “college graduates were 5.3 times more likely to leave the bottom quintile than non-college graduates”. In addition, in times of an economic downturn, individuals with a college degree are often able to better cope with the difficulty than those without. However, amidst the benefits of college, Azziz does not forget to address the reality that attending college is still, without a question, an expensive endeavor.

Learning a trade profession is a better option than college for many young adults. Today’s society is in need of trade professions to function. There has been a high number of young adults choosing college over learning trade. This has created a ‘skills gap’ in the US causing a shortage of ‘middle-skilled’ trade workers like machinists, electricians, plumbers, and construction workers. (ProCon.org) To work in some trade professions, one must go to a trade

The amount of time someone should spend learning skills relevant to their careers aren’t nearly four years. Most of what people learn about their industry they learn by working, so they have no reason to go to college at all. There are also two year degrees available where it makes more sense to “tailor course work to the real needs of the job,” according to Murray. Furthermore, the internet is making the physical college campus obsolete. Books can be accessed online, which makes university libraries a thing of the past and thanks to the advancements of video streaming, class lectures can also be

David Leonhardt explores the question of whether or not college is worth it in his article. He discusses the challeneges that college graduates often face that make many students wonder if its all really worth it. Because there is growing concern regrding things like student debt, the struggle to find work and being stuck in a job you feel overqualified for its easy to draw the conclusion that college just isnt worth the trouble. However, Leonhardt goes on to explain why not only college is valuble, but why having a four-year degree has probably never been ore valuable. Leonhardt sites data based on an analysis of Labor Department statistics by the Economic Policy Institue in Washington which shows

In their essay “Should Everyone Go to college,” a part of the book They Say I Say, Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill explore the advantages and disadvantages of college and examine the value of college for all individuals. Owen and Sawhills’ purpose is to put an end to the belief that a four-year degree is necessary to be successful. They adopt an informative tone to influence readers to open their minds to a new belief that college is still important but not mandatory for every student. Owen and Sawhill argue that the proposition that college is a requirement to be economically successful has failed to recognize that not everyone is created equally by reminding readers that many factors play into whether college is the right option for someone.

Cofounder and executive chairman of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman calls for the broadened acceptance of alternative routes to higher education. He states, “there are an expanding number of ways to acquire specific skills and knowledge faster and less expensively than one can manage through a traditional four-year degree program” (Hoffman 1). Siemens and similar manufacturers have kickstarted programs that use real life experience in factories and other entry level jobs to build advanced skills in recent high school graduates. The employees are given the opportunity to earn their way up within the company, eliminating the need for a diploma. Although these programs exist, the underlying issue is most employers’ outlook; to employers, a four year bachelor’s degree signals a multitude of positive attributes: commitment, proficiency in at least one subject area, and self-sufficiency. However, the completion of a training program demonstrates these same qualities and is a more fiscally responsible route to preparedness for a job. Furthermore, expendable courses taken to fulfill the mandatory amount of credit hours for graduation waste time and money. School administrations impose such standards to ensure a sizeable profit, and students in turn are being forced to hand over the majority of their savings for knowledge not relevant to their

Steinberg wrote this essay because he has an understanding that earning a degree is no longer synonymous with higher earning and stability, ergo he is accepting that there is a need for alternatives that can equip people with the expertise needed in the work-force. Steinberg, neither persuades or discourages the reader from attending college, in this article he merely sheds light on the fact that most Americans are underemployed and overqualified for many of the careers in modern society and it will be beneficial for some to pay an affordable cost for a college alternative such as a vocational or technical school that will allow the financial gain that we are all in search of. One of the economist that Steinberg referenced is Professors Lerman of American University who spoke with appreciation for a program that the CVS pharmacy implemented where aspiring pharmacists worked as an apprentice and many moved on to become pharmacists themselves. I, like Professors Steinberg and Lerman, agree that if schools, government, and employers offered similar programs it would be beneficial to everyone involved; schools would have a higher enrollment rate, students would have direction and the needed skills to succeed, and employers would have quality employees who are excited and fulfilled by their

Beginning at an early age, children who are encouraged academically by their parents, educators, and coaches will grow up with the realization that a thorough education will provide for them—financially and professionally—in the future. One of the first things that we are taught is that if we graduate with a degree from college, then we will have a better job and more opportunities in the future. There are many instances where this rings true. According to Brookings Institution publication “an individual with a college degree is nearly nine times more likely to make over $100,000 than someone with only a high school diploma and 13 times more likely to make more