I'm guessing you are in the US? Kids that are good in STEM skills are in private colleges, to maximize their earnings. Those that aren't .. can't handle the difficulty / stress of taking classes for an Associates degree. And/or, they are content living at home with Mommy and Daddy. *Maybe* they'll work part-time in retail or the food industry, to pay for their video games / vaping supplies / clothing..
Yes, I'm in the U.S. A kid in the program that I mentioned can go on to a private or public college (if they want to) and then earn a 4 year degree. What you take in the first two years of college are generally core classes. If you want to obtain a 4 year degree, you generally don't declare a major until AFTER those first two years of core classes. You can transfer those credits to a 4 year school after you get the core classes out of the way in most cases. So there's no academic or financial advantage to attending a 4 year private or public college in those first two years. So I'm thinking that you're right, that it's got something to do with a lack of knowledge, motivation or ambition. Maybe they don't have enough examples in their surroundings that show them that an education, or gaining skills, is the best way to have more options as life goes on. I also agree with you, that there are too many "easy" distractions that don't serve any practical purpose. So a kid becomes great at playing World of Warcraft or whatever that dopey game is called. Who cares? What does that pay? Several years ago, I had a kid/young person tell me that he was a "pro gamer" and that's why he was showing up late for work. This other (non-paying) "job" was causing him to stay up late and he couldn't wake up in time to get to work. And yeah, he still lived with his mommy & daddy and they paid for his cellphone and his car insurance. Kid was making $45K/year and eventually pissed that job away. Don't know where he is now. Probably still living with his mom & dad and pursuing his "pro gamer" career in their basement.
We've talked about this before. I'm in favor of companies that are, "struggling to find qualified workers" to do something radical; train them. Why the fuck not?
Many/most are training people. They have to. You have some connection to the machining sector, right? Well, Haas is one of the supporters of the public/private partnership that I spoke of in the OP. After you get your associates in the program, you can then attend the Haas program at another location to get higher level machine tech training and an advanced certificate. I believe that's a one year program and it's free as well. Complete that, get a job with Haas or a Haas distributor (or someone else) and start out at about
$30/hour. $62K+ a year for a 21 year old (just starting out!) ain't bad money, is it? But depending on the job, even the kids who've completed the programs that I referenced above will need some sort of training. Higher paying entry level jobs have certain minimum requirements. So it makes a company hesitant to hire someone, who wouldn't even bother to take advantage of a program that offers the opportunity to fulfill those minimum requirements on their own, even when it's free. To get a job, you have to bring something to the table. Before they'll spend money on training (which is expensive), they need to know that you have some level of motivation.
A lot of companies also offer tuition assistance programs for workers who want to improve their skill level and climb the ladder. Two of my former companies were Fortune 500s that offered such assistance. From what I know, neither company had that many employees that took advantage of that assistance. That always confused me too. But that's how I got my MBA. I had to fulfill a two year employment contract with the large bank that bought my mortgage company way back when. While there, I completed my MBA and they paid for most of it. Then I left. Yes, I set a bridge on fire when I resigned. But I did what was best for me. IMO, these kids need to realize the value of what's being offered to them (totally free!). How to reach them and communicate that... I don't know. I wish that I did.
It is an US problem that other countries do not have, to this degree. Here in Germany, we do have private schools, and universities, but every child can go ands learn and study with their education being paid by the state. There are somethings that have to be paid for by the student or his family, mostly, books etc., but we see it as a great investment into our country's future to make sure we have well educated citizens
If you never break thie chain of demanding future generations get a better start into their lives that their parents and grandparents, you will keep up the unfortunate and unfair status quo
From what I know of Germany, you still have rather amazing apprenticeship programs there, right? The kid still has to show some sort of aptitude and a desire to further himself and work, right? I mean, most apprenticeship programs that I'm aware of aren't exactly easy. And that's why employers place value in them; they weed out the slackers and lay-abouts. But how are you guys able to drum it into kids' heads that that's what they
need to do? At least here, that's what we're struggling with. Some areas in our country have a high school dropout rate above 50%! Most larger companies here (outside of fast food) won't even talk to you if you don't have at least a high school diploma or GED
(classes and a test that you take after you dropout and realize your mistake)... and really, why should they?
Incitement is the key, I think. Give student an incitement to pick those programs, tell them why it would be a good pick. And companies who struggle to find workers should also incite workers to join them. With a good living wage, for starter.
I kids know that picking this program would make them qualified for jobs with good wages and little chance to be fired if they perform well and don't do stupid things, I guess they would pick that program.
Right, I agree with you. I think you mean an "incentive", but I'm with you. Yeah, you would think so. $20-$30/hour, plus a real chance to advance above that over the years versus $10/hour with very little chance to advance. A skilled job, where you can go somewhere else for even more money or a better opportunity versus a low skill job, where your position isn't really valued and could go away at any time. Maybe that message just isn't being communicated well enough in our schools? :dunno: I don't have kids and I have no connection to the public school system now, so I don't know.
I think what's important is that you get people working regardless of the edu reqs. If the free schools aren't doing well, then provide incentives for companies that employ the "uneducated" workforce, and disincentive unjust welfare (Often you can be better off on welfare than working a min wage job; crap like that needs to stop).
I see where you're coming from. But because we're in a global economy, many larger companies that still have lower skilled positions seek to have menial labor and repetitive tasks done overseas or in Latin America, where there are very low relative wage rates. At least in the tech field (say, IT), you can make really good money with just an associates degree. But companies aren't going to beg American kids to apply. In tech, from Facebook to HP or IBM, they just snap up H1B visa holders from India or China. Notice how "woke" Marky Mark Zuckerberg talked one game, but lobbied Obama to expand the H1B visa program. And while I have nothing personal against Chinese or Indian people, I am amazed at how many of them are doing jobs that could/should be done by Americans...
if they were qualified to do those jobs.
So, I'm not convinced that it's
just the cost of education that's actually holding American kids back - especially when they're getting fluffy, feel-good degrees that don't lead to an in demand career. I'm not sure what it is, or how to fix it. Frustrating to see it though.
