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| Years ago, a person knowing a trade could make a good
living for his family. It did not really matter if he
completed high school. (Very few workers had a high school
education). A few years later, there was little chance
for advancement in any job if you did not finish high
school. (Most workers had a high school education). A
hard working person knowing a trade and having a high
school education could do quite well. Depending on the
industry, their income could easily exceed that of many
college graduates. Today, some high school graduates are
finding they need at least a college degree to compete
for jobs in their field. (Many graduate high school and
attend college). Highly skilled workers without a high
school education are finding very few job opportunities.
They are competing for jobs against workers with high
school diplomas and sometimes those with college degrees.
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| Why is this happening? The work force has evolved and
is continuing to evolve. The bulk of the work force was
once composed of people with a grade school education.
It evolved to a point where almost all workers had a high
school education. Continuing advancements have made it
rare for workers in some fields not to have an associates
or a bachelors degree. Other fields are seeing the shift
from bachelor degrees to advanced graduate degrees such
as a masters or doctorate. |
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| An employer often reasons that if the firm hires individuals
with better levels of education, the firm is hiring employees
with a larger set of skills for basically the same money.
An employer may feel the more educated employees need
less training and employees with more education will learn
new skills quicker than less educated employees. Therefore,
when an employer has a choice between someone without
a high school diploma and someone with one, who do you
think they will hire? |
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| How can workers stay competitive in the
work force? If you are in high school, stay in and graduate.
If you dropped out of high school, take classes and get
your GED. While you are working towards your diploma or
GED you are demonstrating to employers that you are capable
of advancing your career through further training. The
same thing applies to those with high school diplomas
and GEDs. Enroll in college classes. If you are working,
take one or two classes each semester at night. Yes, it
will take years to complete the degree but remember you
are demonstrating to your employer, and future employers,
your ability to perform more complex tasks/jobs. |
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| Where do you want to do your college course work? Some
people want to attend either a large state university
or an exclusive private university. Each student will
be impacted differently by the type of university they
attend. How you are personally affected by each type of
university will have bearing on your success as a college
student. You may find it wise to attend a local community
college,knock out the basic classes, then transfer to
a large state university or a private university. |
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| Why start at a community college? For one thing classes
will be less expensive. Secondly, the material in the
basic undergraduate courses is the same at the large state
universities as at the community colleges. Also, the course
work is about the same. The difference boils down to two
things -- the class size and the teachers. At the large
universities, you may find yourself being another faceless
student -- just a student number on a course roster. Some
students complain that when they attempt to contact professors
concerning problems they are having with their courses,
the professors attitude was that the student had not made
a good attempt at solving the problem or studied the material
long enough. Some students find a different experience
at the community colleges. Many of their classes are small
enough that the professors get to know their students.
The professors attitude may be different about learning
too -- if a student does not understand a problem, the
professors may attempt to present/explain the material
in a different manner. Finally, you will find less distractions
at the community colleges. Universities have numerous
activities to participate in (sports, student organizations,
and parties) while you may have limited time to study.
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| How do you pay for college? There are a number of options.
If you have some money saved you may wish to use it to
pay for a portion of your tuition. I know of no investment
that offers you as more return on your money than you
will receive by investing in yourself. There are scholarships,
grants and low cost student loans available. Some firms
offer tuition reimbursement when the worker earns an "A"
or a "B" on their college course work. Still
others will pay the employees full tuition provided the
courses are passed. |
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| How did I pay for my education? While working on my
undergraduate degree (my BBA), I first used my savings.
When I transferred to St Mary's University, I found there
were scholarships available for the top students. I applied
for, and received, a number of these scholarships. Since
my savings had run out, I then financed the remainder
of my BBA with student loans, which I still make an automatic
payment on each month. When I decided to work on my master
degree (MBA), my former employer offered full tuition. |
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| Once you get a degree you stop learning, right? Wrong.
To keep current with what is going on about us, one must
keep learning. Since I completed my MBA, I have taken
several undergraduate classes. Also, I do computer based
training modules and research topics which interest me.
Yes, learning is a life long process. |
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| Do employers want their employees to keep learning?
Many employers stress personal mastery (personal development,
self development, or whatever term you want to use) of
their employees. Some offer in-house courses and computer
based training on a variety of subjects. Other firms stress
employees studying to acquire industry certifications.
Yes, they want you to keep learning too. |
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| The bottom line is this -- the economy has changed.
Where employers were once looking for at least a high
school diploma, they are now looking for a bachelor's
degree. One should try to get a good education early in
life. If you are having trouble with a class, reflect
on your successes and failures and honestly evaluate why
there are problems. Maybe you need to try a different
school or degree. Find someone you can discuss the problem
with (a mentor). Remember this, you are only a failure
when you stop trying. |
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Education Philosophy