#colleges #universities #CollegeDegrees #jobs #JobPromotions #CollegeDebt
“I was a human resources professional for 20 years. But, I reached a ceiling.”
That quote, from a lady in a TV ad for the University of Maryland Global Campus, tells the story of how she has been able to pursue a good career until recently, when, apparently, she no longer qualified for advancement without a college degree.
So, the ad says, she went to UMGC to get her degree, and it is paying off.
When you couple that story with a column by George Will of the Washington Post talking about the declining value of college degrees, as well as other ads about paper ceilings, it paints an interesting picture of today’s world.
As Will points out, some jobs today that don’t appear to require a college degree suddenly require them.
Will’s column was also published Aug. 31, 2025, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In the past few decades, we were all told that a college degree was essential to getting a good job – or, at least, one that would be more likely to put you in an office than outside doing hard physical labor.
But, over time, college degrees have become unaffordable for many – so much so that many students had to incur debt that they may spend a lifetime trying to pay.
If you are fortunate to go to law or medical school, you are more likely to be able to pay off that debt in a relatively short time, presuming you are successful in either of those professions.
But, the job market for other degrees can be a bit unpredictable. If you need debt to finish college, you had better have reasonable assurance of a good income afterward to pay it off.
The need for people in the trades, like plumbers or electricians, is much more acute in many places.
Those jobs do not require a four-year degree, but they do require trade school, certifications, licenses etc., that are much less costly than college.
And, of course, those jobs require sometimes hard physical labor.
But, if you are good at your trade and you are reliable to your customers, you can make a better living than a lot of people with four-year degrees.
When college degrees were rare among young people, companies hired those with degrees, regardless of what the degree was in, then trained them for the job(s) they wanted them to do.
But, on-the-job training is harder – and more costly – for companies these days. They expect their workers to know what they are doing on Day 1.
The lady in the UMGC ad probably was very capable of doing the job she was striving for without a college degree. But not having a degree made it much easier for the hiring manager to reject her for that job.
Also, colleges pride themselves on their “elite” status in society and community. In today’s milieu, politicians want to cut out that elite status colleges have by threatening their government grants. That’s way too extreme a reaction.
It may be best to let colleges and universities conduct business as usual by giving them their research grants etc. They perform a great function in society by doing that work.
But, the average student is getting priced out of the college market. The colleges will have to do something to find the balance between teaching and research.
The average student may want to rethink his or her life options as he or she decides how to make a living, and what he or she has to do to get there.
Peter
Tag Archives: universities
WHEN DID SCIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE BECOME THE ENEMY?
#science #knowledge #learning #reading #BanningBooks #neighbors
In past decades, we wanted our children to be smarter and more knowledgeable than we are.
We wanted them better educated than we might not have had the opportunity to be.
We wanted them to be more successful at whatever they did, than we were.
In recent weeks, that has changed.
We now don’t want children learning certain things, reading certain books or even interacting with other children who might be, perhaps, different from them.
We don’t want the agencies we rely on to conduct the research into diseases to help find a cure.
We now don’t think colleges and universities, which in the U.S. are the envy of the world, should educate, research and otherwise do what they do best without constraints.
The term “we” is certainly not everyone. Likely, it is not the vast majority of us.
It is a small group of people who want to take the country backward, rather than forward.
The next time someone tells you “I want to move forward,” you might ask them, “Are you sure?”
If you are not among those who want to move backward, it is important that you, and those who agree with you, resist with every fiber of your being.
There are certain things you can’t do without the power to do them, but there are many things you CAN do, even without the power you might desire.
The best places to resist these trends are in the courts, at the ballot box and in the streets.
Tell your elected officials what you think. The more people you have on your side, the more likely the officials will get the message.
If your officials are not resisting these trends to your liking, check your state law to see whether they can be recalled.
If they can, start a petition.
If they can’t, work to make sure they are not re-elected.
Whatever you do, VOTE whenever you have the opportunity.
The U.S. is still, despite what some would prefer, a country by and for the people. People need to use their power to beat back the tendencies of some in power.
You may be looking at what’s going on and wondering, “did I vote for this?” If you think not, you may not have been paying attention.
These tendencies were well advertised ahead of the last election.
But, that is thinking backward. Now is the time to think forward. It’s time to think about ways to move the country forward at a time when some are working to move it backward.
Short of action in the courts, at the ballot box or in the streets, begin by being kind to your neighbor, even if he or she is different from you.
Most mean you no harm. Some could even become your friends.
And, always think forward, toward more knowledge, more science and a smarter population as a whole.
The country, as you know it and would like to see it, will depend on it.
Peter
In past decades, we wanted our children to be smarter and more knowledgeable than we are.
We wanted them better educated than we might not have had the opportunity to be.
We wanted them to be more successful at whatever they did, than we were.
In recent weeks, that has changed.
We now don’t want children learning certain things, reading certain books or even interacting with other children who might be, perhaps, different from them.
We don’t want the agencies we rely on to conduct the research into diseases to help find a cure.
We now don’t think colleges and universities, which in the U.S. are the envy of the world, should educate, research and otherwise do what they do best without constraints.
The term “we” is certainly not everyone. Likely, it is not the vast majority of us.
It is a small group of people who want to take the country backward, rather than forward.
The next time someone tells you “I want to move forward,” you might ask them, “Are you sure?”
If you are not among those who want to move backward, it is important that you, and those who agree with you, resist with every fiber of your being.
There are certain things you can’t do without the power to do them, but there are many things you CAN do, even without the power you might desire.
The best places to resist these trends are in the courts, at the ballot box and in the streets.
Tell your elected officials what you think. The more people you have on your side, the more likely the officials will get the message.
If your officials are not resisting these trends to your liking, check your state law to see whether they can be recalled.
If they can, start a petition.
If they can’t, work to make sure they are not re-elected.
Whatever you do, VOTE whenever you have the opportunity.
The U.S. is still, despite what some would prefer, a country by and for the people. People need to use their power to beat back the tendencies of some in power.
You may be looking at what’s going on and wondering, “did I vote for this?” If you think not, you may not have been paying attention.
These tendencies were well advertised ahead of the last election.
But, that is thinking backward. Now is the time to think forward. It’s time to think about ways to move the country forward at a time when some are working to move it backward.
Short of action in the courts, at the ballot box or in the streets, begin by being kind to your neighbor, even if he or she is different from you.
Most mean you no harm. Some could even become your friends.
And, always think forward, toward more knowledge, more science and a smarter population as a whole.
The country, as you know it and would like to see it, will depend on it.
Peter