Mayor Bloomberg's Solution to the HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT Among College/

1. 83

   gmwilliamsposted 10 years ago

   
   University Graduates
   
   According to  news reports dated 5/20/13, Mayor Michael Bloomberg strongly argued that high school students who are deemed to be average or so-so  have NO BUSINESS attending college/university but should attend vocational/trade schools in order to learn a suitable trade which would PROFIT them in the long run.  Mayor Bloomberg contend that "so-so students should skip college/university and become plumbers." Mayor Bloomberg further asserted that unless one graduates in the upper ranks of his/her college/university, he/she will have a DIFFICULT time finding commensurate employment.
   
   In other ways, those students who are neither honor students nor graduated in the upper tenths of their classes have dim or less career/job prospects.  Mayor Bloomberg is concurring with Charles Murphy's premise that only those high students who demonstrate VERY HIGH academic aptitude should consider pursuing tertiary education.  Many college/university professors maintain that A-B students have a BETTER chance of obtaining employment than those who make lower grades. 
   
   Mayor Bloomberg asserted that it would be a WASTE of time for average students to even consider college/university.  He strongly contend that the chances of  so-so, average, or not stellar college/university graduates finding jobs/careers are FEW to NONE.  Do you agree with Mayor Bloomberg?

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   1. 81

      dashingscorpioposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      He makes some very valid points. I have seen companies not only require college degrees but state they type of college they wanted the applicant to graduate from. University of Phoenix, Kaplan College, or National University degrees don't hold water for companies like Google.
      The value of a "college degree" has decreased over the years. The only exceptions are within specialized disciplines. The cost alone has to be factored as well. It's not unheard of to hear about grads with student loans that are well over $100k.
      
      Having said that I believe life is a (personal journey) and your dreams or goals are yours! If someone can change your mind with a speech or a list of statistics then you (really) don't want it all that bad. One of the key reasons why students have poor grades has nothing to do with intellect. A lot of them just chose not to put in a lot of effort in high school. There are also several billionaires who are college drop outs. As I stated life is a personal journey.

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      1. 68

         AJReissigposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Most of the time I find myself in agreement with Bloomberg, but this time I have to agree with him, at least up to a point.  I think that if you are not on the college prep track, then you should go through the vocational program. 
         Over the years, vocational training has gotten the reputation as for people who "can't cut it" in college.  Much of this reputation has been spun by educators who have a vested interest in more bodies in Universities.  However, many people in the trades equal or better their college educated counterpart in pay, benefits and job security.  Both my father and brother are products of vocational training (my father is a machinist and my brother is a chef) and both have had better pay/job security than I (and I have 2 degrees).
         My day job is a chemist at a power station, so on a daily basis I am surrounded by people with a vocational background.  Most make more (much more in fact) money than I do.  But just because they don't have a college education, doesn't mean they are unskilled or uneducated.  To get on at the power station, they need a vocational background, and then after hire go through a five year training program.  But these guys are well rewarded for their effort... most make $80k+ a year, and I know several who make six figures.

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2. 87

   Zelkiiroposted 10 years ago

   I don't have the skill set required to be a plumber OR a businessman.
   
   Your move, Bloomberg.

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3. 94

   wildernessposted 10 years ago

   Bloomberg has a point.  Not everyone is cut out to be a white collar worker.
   
   Something else to consider as well - the US is moving away from blue collar work, the building trades included.  At the same time, higher wages are producing more and more people that simply won't do their own work in their home - they have neither the desire nor knowledge to do it - and the inevitable result of that is an increasing demand for people that can and will do the work.  We need more plumbers, electricians and other repairmen - if we all go to college and push pencils for a living who will repair your toilet?  Who will fix your car?  I'm seeing more and more professional lawn care being done in my neighborhood - who will mow your lawn?  And while we're at it, how many of us look down our noses at the very people that keep our lifestyle alive - how long will that last?  If we can't learn the lesson that those people are just as good, just as smart (if not smarter) than we are, that their job is just as necessary as our computer time will we lose them? 
   
   Even as we move to punching a keyboard the skills to fix a car or a toilet are becoming more and more esoteric.  Workers need more and more knowledge to complete their blue collar jobs and schooling is more and more necessary.  We badly need to accept that we are dependent on the people to take care of us, babysit our ignorance and keep us going.

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