- Credits:
- TechCrunch.com
Helen’s Place LLC Update July 23, 2022
Times have changed in our society around higher education;
The idea that students should pay for an education without a job is no longer a model that’s sustainable in today’s economy, because college costs and student loans are too high for students to pay-off without a job.
This is why it’s no longer acceptable for institutions of higher learning to offer education without employment services to place graduates in jobs with salaries high enough to cover student loan repayment plans.
Currently, discouraged students may drop out of college before graduating, saddled with student loan debt that they then default on.
If students were guaranteed a job, they would be more likely to stay the course and remain in college.
The government should ensure that all colleges are obligated to provide jobs for graduates that pay a living wage, in order to qualify for government funds. This means, for example, that if a college offers a French language major, it will have employers willing to hire these students.
Additionally, if colleges were required to place graduates in jobs, they would be more likely to form relationships with businesses and ensure their curriculum included the skills needed to meet the employer’s requirements.
Employers would then be able to hire more graduates based on a competency based model, without looking overseas for skilled workers.
Colleges must be held partially responsible for creating the disaster when students graduate without jobs, and are then forced to move in with friends or family, and default on their student loans.
At a minimum, colleges should provide temporary employment at their institutions until permanent jobs are secured for these students.
It’s also important to note that many companies will hire students with a college degree regardless of their major, so students should be prepared to do their part and take jobs outside of their chosen course of study.
It would be wise for students to pick a major of interest, but not be devastated if they don’t use the information learned in college on the job.
In other words, it’s reasonable to expect a college to facilitate helping a student get a job that pays a living wage, but not to expect a college to place students in their chosen career field.
It should be the schools job to provide a good education and initial job placement, but the students’ job to navigate their career path from then on.
Statistically, many people change career fields multiple times in their lifetimes, so a college degree is just a steppingstone in a lifetime of work.
Related audio/video recording:
Good explanation for how America got in a higher education crisis:
CNBC, February 6, 2019, “Why College is So Expensive in America”
Other related article you may be interested in:
A look at jobs and training needed in the future:
Pew Research, May 03, 2017, “The Future of Jobs and Jobs Training”
The student loan payment debate:
Helen’s Place LLC, June 17, 2017, “Should Colleges Pay for Student Loan Debt When Students Don’t Find Jobs”
Your comments are greatly appreciated. Send them to Helen’s Place LLC via email to info@helensplacenet.com.
