“Getting realistic about careers, education” |
| Getting realistic about careers, education Posted: 16 Nov 2010 10:26 AM PST I recently read on CNNMoney.com about how nationwide, a staggering 85 percent of college graduates from this past May have become what is euphemistically dubbed "boomerang kids." In case you aren't familiar with the expression, these are college graduates who have been forced to move back in with their parents because of our country's persistently bad economy. These "boomerangers" have been clobbered by shriveling job markets and face poor prospects in finding suitable occupations that might allow them to be self-supporting. What a pity. While we all can hope for the recession's grip to loosen, let me suggest it is high time our country's education system faces up to a simple fact: one need not necessarily attend the traditional four-year model of college in order to become "successful." I'm living proof of that. Due to my father's untimely death, I was forced from school to run Michael and Son Services and I'm confident my dad would be proud of what I've made of his dream. My classroom was the school of life; my reality was learning how to deal with hard knocks on the fly. Not everyone heading off to college or higher learning will come out a biomedical engineer. As a matter of fact, it's my experience that many students even by their junior year in college still don't know what their career calling may be. There's nothing wrong with that, but I wonder how many students have a goal of becoming (or even know anything about) a career as a construction estimator -- yes, a hot job market exists for the profession -- and construction estimators can expect to earn $75,000 and more annually. To qualify, there most certainly will be college curriculum to master, but wouldn't an early-on whiff of the "trades" benefit high school students' career intentions? Wouldn't a stepping stone or internship in the electrical or plumbing services be a natural pathway toward this lucrative career? So I wonder: are high schools encouraging such thinking? I doubt it. It's high time for our country's education system to seriously, honestly and intellectually present job marketplaces -- all of them -- so that high school students in formative years may make informed choices about their lifework. The so-called "trades" can and should play a significant role in vocation planning because steady, well-compensated positions are almost always in high demand. Don't believe me? Check my company; we're expanding at a rapid rate and always looking for sharp minds with skill sets that can assist us as we grow, no matter the color of their collar. Basim Mansour is president of Alexandria-based Michael and Son Services. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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