Articles

As You Were Saying…College not only path to success

Boston Herald –

Throw the “college for everyone” mindset out the window.

This month high school seniors in New England and the rest of the country will be applying for fall 2015 college admission. Their parents, meanwhile, will be wondering how they will pay the tab — around $60,000 for a four-year stint at a public institution; triple that for most Boston area private schools.

Despite those staggering costs, few students or parents are asking, “Is college a good investment of time and money?” Or, “Are there alternative paths to a solid future?” Few ask those essential questions because this country has been sold on the idea that a four-year degree is the only ticket to a bright future.

Government supports that simplistic idea with student loans for all takers — no matter how qualified they may be for academic work. High school counselors steer academically unprepared students toward college, even though those young people will spend much of their time in noncredit “remedial” courses. And parents believe that a four-year degree is all that stands between their children and a life of low-income, dead-end jobs.

Not that a baccalaureate degree is a bad idea. Ask any newly minted computer science graduate, engineer, microbiologist, physicist or applied mathematician. Their know-how is in high demand and is well rewarded. It’s a much different story for collegians who pursue non-technical degrees. For them, employment in and out of their fields of study is often difficult to find and poorly paid. And they often feel saddled with a sizeable student loan debt.

One reason that a four-year college education doesn’t always pack the earning punch it once had is oversupply. For every 100 newly degreed collegians, the U.S. economy offers only about 57 jobs that require a four-year degree. This means that 43 percent of grads end up with work that does not require four years of post-secondary study. This supply/demand issue is predicted to get worse. According to Labor Department forecasts, only 27 percent of new jobs in the next decade will require a bachelor’s degree.

The people most in demand are — and will remain — “middle-skilled” individuals who have a high school diploma plus an occupational associate degree from a community college, an apprenticeship certificate, or high-quality on-the-job training. This is the alternative pathway that too few parents know about and too few young people take. There is no limit to how high middle-skilled people can climb during their careers. Many go on to earn university degrees, enter management or start small businesses.

People in Massachusetts have many opportunities to build valuable, high-demand skills. In addition to its network of community colleges, it has 26 “career and technical education” high schools at which young people prepare themselves for meaningful and rewarding work. I visited one of them — Minuteman Regional High School in Lexington — a model for hand and mind training. And in the North End of Boston is the North Bennet Street School — America’s oldest trade school — where both young and middle-aged people are learning craft skills that most of the world has lost: violin making, book making, preservation carpentry and piano technology to name just a few.

College is not the only path to a secure and interesting future. America needs and rewards people who can build things, fix things, care for our health, restore Colonial-era furniture, cook fabulous meals and keep the wheels of our economy turning.

Nicholas Wyman is an  employment expert, CEO of the Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation and author of “Job U: How to Find Wealth and Success by Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need.” Originally published in The Boston Herald.

Three reasons not to go to college

Huffington Post –

Is college a good investment? Is a college degree likely to set me on the path to my dream career? Are there other, non-collegiate pathways to a solid economic future? Unfortunately, few people ask these questions today; that’s because America has been sold on the false prophet that a four-year college degree is the only ticket to a successful and rewarding career.

Don’t get me wrong; if a high school grad has a real calling to pursue a particular career that does require a college education, then I support that 100 percent. But for many, a traditional four-year stint at college is not the only, and certainly not the best, option. There are three solid reasons why the prevailing ‘college for everyone’ mindset needs careful consideration.
1. Employability: Economics of Supply v Demand
The data clearly shows that a four-year college degree no longer packs the same earnings or employability punch it once did, especially for nontechnical careers. In fact, many college graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to land a job at all. One reason is oversupply. Every year, the United States produces approximately 2.1 million college graduates, yet only 27 percent of jobs in the U.S. labor market currently require an associate’s degree or higher. By comparison, more than 47 percent of workers actually hold an associate degree, while millions of jobs that require no higher level of education and remain vacant, begging to be filled. And, according to the U.S. Labor Department forecasts, this supply and demand imbalance is projected to grow, so that by 2022, only 23 percent of jobs will require a degree.
2. Affordability: The Rising Cost of Tuition
Total U.S. student loan debt has reached a record $1.2 trillion dollars. Student loan debt accounts for 6 percent of America’s overall national debt, second only to mortgage-related debts. Two thirds of students graduate with some level of debt, with the average individual student loan debt doubling over the past decade, to reach $30,000.
Students are graduating with such debt because the cost of education is skyrocketing. Andrew Rossi in his documentary Throwing Rocks at the Ivory Tower suggests that the accumulated college tuition and fees have soared by over 1,000% since the late 1970s. College data shows fees for a public college averaged $22,826 a year and $44,750 for a private college. And that’s not taking into account the costs of housing, books, and other living expenses. So where are these millions of dollars going? Certainly not to educating and equipping students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the workplace. Instead, towards inflated administrative costs and salaries, recruiting bonuses to “celebrity professors” who spend more time publishing than teaching, fancy dormitories and athletic facilities, and other cosmetic expenses aimed at luring donors and wooing top students. For instance, one university spent its ‘profits’ buying the naming rights to a sporting stadium for over $150 million. Should students be really taking on debt to cover the costs like this?
3. Marketability: What are employers really looking for?
Too many colleges and universities are simply not equipping students with the technical, practical, or soft skills that companies are looking for. Even the top colleges are churning out students lacking the real-world, practical skills to succeed in the workplace – like the ability to communicate and work well with others, solve problems, and stay organized. According to a 2013 study conducted jointly by Chegg, an online resource for students, and Harris Interactive, only 39 percent of managers felt that recent college graduates they’d interviewed were job-ready. Overwhelmingly, they reported that recent grads were lacking in practical skills such as time management, communication, problem-solving and organization.
So if you or one of your loved ones is considering enrolling in a 4-year college, how do you decide if the decision is the right one?
Do the math. Before enrolling in any educational training program, understand what the total costs will be. Look at all the costs, not just the tuition. Consider housing, meals, travel as well as course materials. Then consider what other options are out there that deliver the most ‘bang for your buck’.
Ask yourself: do I have the right learning style to succeed in a college environment? The fact is that every single human being on the planet is unique, and no two people posses the same combination of intelligences, skill sets, and methods of learning. So why should we be expected to follow the same cookie-cutter educational path? For example, some people just don’t thrive in a traditional classroom but are masters when working with their hands. Are you one of them?
Consider whether what is being taught in the classroom is in line with your particular interests. Just as we all possess a huge range of different intelligences and aptitudes, so do we each possesses unique curiosities and ambitions. For some, the dream career may indeed be found in the halls of a law firm or investment bank, but for every one of these people there exists another equally intelligent individual who is just as passionate about building airplanes, or tinkering with robotics, or restoring antique furniture. While some people may aspire to save lives as a doctor or surgeon or cancer researcher, is it any less noble to dream of making a difference in the world as an emergency medical technician, or home healthcare aid, or a social entrepreneur? Figure out where your passions and ambitions lie, and see if they can be satisfied through traditional college.
Consider ‘Jobs with Training’ (JWT). If you haven’t yet decided whether college is for you, why not try getting some real world experience before writing a hefty check or signing the loan papers – after all, would you sign a mortgage for a new house before you’d even decided whether or not to move? Taking up the JWT option provides incredible opportunities for all kinds of hands-on learning experiences while you make your decision. And, as a bonus, you get to earn while you learn. And despite what many would have you believe, a JWT path does not close the door to other academic or professional options. In fact, it can often be a springboard to greater educational and career advancement.
So the question is #toBAorNottoBA ? Ultimately, this is a question that only you can answer. It’s not about following some artificially circumscribed path. It’s about the right education, at the right time, for you.

Image: iStockPhoto/fotosipsak

A free community college program could get millions of Americans into skilled jobs

Quartz –

On January 8, President Obama announced a proposal to make the first two years of community college “free for everybody who is willing to work for it,” with states providing a quarter of the funding and the remaining cost covered by the federal government. The announcement captured the nation’s attention; at the time of writing this, #FreeCommunityCollege was trending as a top conversation on Twitter.

The White House confirmed that if all states participate in the program, approximately nine million students are likely to benefit each year, with each student saving an average of $3,800 in tuition fees annually. But as impressive as that figure is, this proposal is about much more than saving nine million college students a couple of thousands of dollars. Aside from helping to ease the heavy burden of student debt that’s gripping our nation, this program has the potential to be one of the most positive and powerful steps in narrowing the ever-growing skills gap in America. Right now, over 9.1 million Americans are unemployed with millions of others underemployed. Yet at the same time, 4.8 million jobs remain unfilled, because there simply isn’t a big enough pool of applicants who possess the right practical, technical, and job-ready skills to do the work companies need.

Free community college could change all that.

While not all the details are yet clear, they so far indicate that participating colleges would have to meet certain academic requirements, with preference given to degrees in high-demand fields. And this is what gets at the heart of the promise to close America’s skills gap, ensuring that the millions of students who receive this government assistance will be trained and educated in the skills that add the most value—and will be the most valued—by 21st-century companies. And by this I mean skills that equip them for the jobs of tomorrow; jobs in lucrative and rapidly expanding fields like information technology, computer science, robotics, health care, and advanced manufacturing. And they’ll get to do it at little or no cost.

associate-degree-graduation

If widely implemented, not only will this ambitious free community college program expand educational and employment opportunities across the US, it could be the essential ingredient needed to ensure a more prosperous economic future for years to come.

Here’s why:

1. Americans need the right skills to compete on the global stage

Globalization and computer-driven automation are squeezing more and more lower-skill jobs out of the US economy, and things are likely to get tougher in the years ahead. An occupation-oriented associate degree, the type of degree earned at a community or technical college, will enable the next generation of Americans to acquire the knowledge and the skills companies need to stay competitive in our global economy, while at the same time reducing levels of unemployment, particularly the number of jobs lost to off-shoring and outsourcing.

2. Free community college will lower the levels of student loan debt crippling the US economy

Total US student loan debt has reached a record $1.2 trillion dollars, crippling students, parents and the economy at large. In fact, student loan debt accounts for 6% of America’s overall national debt, a higher percentage than credit card debt and second only to mortgage-related debts. The average 4-year college graduate leaving school saddled with $30,000 in debt, a number that has doubled over the past decade.

And not only are tens of millions of people currently saddled with mountains of outstanding student debt, default rates are at an all-time high; indeed, according to the most recent numbers, one in 10 borrowers default on their loans within the first two years of repayment. Worse yet, it’s not just the graduating students who are faced with massive debt, but in many cases parents are also taking—and in many cases defaulting on loans—in a well-meaning effort to support their children’s futures.

And the cost of education is skyrocketing: The accumulated cost of college tuition has soared by over 1,000% since the late 1970s. This college debt bubble, as many economists have called it, will only continue to inflate. That is, unless we come up with some ways—like Obama’s recent proposal—to incentivize students to pursue a free community college education instead of racking up mountains of debt at a 4-year university or college.

3. Most thriving economies place far more emphasis on vocational education than the US—and that’s no coincidence

If you look at the US secondary education system in comparison to the rest of the world, one factor becomes apparent: most economically healthy nations place far more emphasis on vocational education than America. Switzerland, for example, has very low unemployment, particularly among its youth – around 3%, in fact – and a highly trained workforce. This is also true of other northern and central European countries, where vocational education is part of the mainstream education system.

In these countries, vocational education plays an important role in assisting high school students make the transition from high school to the world of work. In Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland, after grade 10, between 40 and 70% of high school students opt for vocational education, which combines both classroom and on-the-job learning over three years. On completion, the students are equipped with a qualification that carries real weight in the labor market, reducing unemployment and under-employment levels of young graduates, and also providing a pathway into even higher levels of education and earnings.

4. Vocationally-trained people earn sizable salaries

Community college educations do not tend to confer the same level of status as a four-year degree on a graduate. But, you can’t take status to the bank, as many liberal arts grads from highly touted institutions will be quick to tell you. In fact, many associate degree holders enjoy better employment and earning prospects than their collegiate counterparts, and one-third of them start at higher pay levels. Holders of occupational associate degrees also command a wage premium over peers who have earned associate degrees in non-occupational fields: on average $9,000 more per year. And if the associate degree is in a high-demand field such as health care, he or she can earn an average annual earning premium of almost $20,000. And of course, higher earning potential results in a number of “trickle up” benefits for the US economy, like more people with more money to spend on goods and services.

5. Vocationally-trained people are upwardly mobile

An associate degree is not a terminal award. Many holders go on to earn baccalaureate and graduate degrees—and still higher salaries—especially after a few years working and gaining experience in their respective fields. Twenty-seven percent of US baccalaureate degree-holders in recent years, in fact, have come up through the community college system, and many of them go on to earn high level jobs a variety of lucrative fields.

6. It’s time to move past the stigma associated with vocational education

Many people think that community college leads straight to middle-skills jobs that are menial and low-paying, with no opportunities for advancement. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The reality is that today, there are a bevy of respectable, well-compensated, upwardly mobile careers that don’t require a traditional four-year education; and they found not just in expected places like the world of manufacturing but in a variety of fascinating and prestigious fields like sales/marketing, architecture, culinary arts, and other creative fields.

Yet despite this fact, vocational study has a history of being seen as less respectable than attending university. But with unemployment and underemployment rates of college graduates at such high levels in the US, it’s time for this perception to change. It’s time to spread the word that skills training, perhaps now more than ever, is possibly the most reliable pathway to an interesting and rewarding career.

So while some may ask “why should my taxes be funding handouts,” the answer is simple. As long as we have a skills gap—as long as we have people without jobs and jobs without people—the economy will not be able to reach its full potential. Free community college for all is the first step in bridging this gap and giving each one of us a shot at a brighter and better future.

Original article published by Quartz

5 Resume Building Tips You Won’t Get From Your Typical Career Counselor

Linked In –

If you’re about to finish high school, or have been out for some time but haven’t quite figured out your next move, a tall stack of college brochures and student loan applications may be crowding out a wealth of other information about the myriad alternative educational options for next September. That may because your guidance counselor – like the majority of today’s guidance counselors – has recommended college as your next step after high school graduation – without stopping to consider if it’s the option that’s best for you. Or it might be because your parents are convinced – wrongly – that a four-year degree is all that stands between you and a life of low-income, dead-end work. Or maybe it’s simply because the societal myth of “college for everyone” is so pervasive, pursuing another alternative has never even occurred to you. That’s a shame because with the serious financial investment a four-year college degree requires, it’s a decision that should not be made lightly. And in truth there are many ways to begin building a resume and jumpstart a career without necessarily heading straight to college. A liberal arts degree is the perfect choice for some people, but if it is just a default choice because you aren’t sure of what to do next, it may be a big investment that doesn’t deliver on its return.

In today’s job market, gaining hands-on experience is often the far better way to build a resume. Moreover, work experience can also inform career decisions so that if you do decide to continue with school, you have a better sense of exactly what path you want to pursue, ensuring that no investment made in your education is wasted.
Transferable workplace skills like problem-solving, team-building and critical thinking are a huge commodity in today’s job market. Here are some ways to get these skills and build up a great resume, instead of simply hitting the default button and going straight to college

1. Take a “gap year” and make the most of it
For people who know exactly why they are going to college and what they have to gain from their degree, college is a great choice. But many young people are uncertain about what they want to study, or how relevant their course of study might actually be in the job market. In this case, taking a year off school to explore other opportunities can be invaluable. The key is using the gap year to gain self-knowledge, as well as some practical experience.
Use this time to try out different things. Travel if possible, but see if you can do more than just go backpacking. There are numerous opportunities to do volunteer work overseas, building houses or libraries, working with children, cultivating land, language tutoring—you name it. Many apprenticeships and traineeships offer these kinds of opportunities as well, along with a paycheck. Structured travel is a great way to not only build confidence, but all the soft skills that come with working in a professional environment as well.

2. Follow your passions, not just a paycheck
For some, the gap year might turn into three or four years, or more. A life-changing apprenticeship could lead to rewarding work in a particular field for several years before deciding to pursue a degree, as it did for me. It’s important to see one’s career as constantly evolving, and take advantage of the many opportunities to acquire stackable credentials. By choosing opportunities that genuinely reflect your interests, you’ll add experience, knowledge and skills to your resume naturally.

3. Pursue online courses and certifications
Offered at many local community colleges, these can be an inexpensive way to explore an interest without making a huge commitment. Many are offered evenings and weekends, so you can work and earn a living while gaining practical skills to add to your resume.

4. Try out an entry-level jobs related to your field
Often, a year or two of experience on the ground floor of a career or field can be a huge competitive advantage – and accelerate your ascension up the ladder. For someone interested in hospitality or customer relations, a job in a restaurant or café would be a great place to start. For someone with an affinity for architecture or design, work on a construction or painting crew would make more sense. Seek out entry-level job opportunities in your field of interest and use the experience as a springboard.

5. Take your online reputation seriously
In a world where technology has increased our ability to connect and be visible, the use of online platforms can work to our advantage…or disadvantage. Every day, we are building or damaging our online reputation. Hiring managers and employers will notice, so it’s important to be deliberate with the use of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other platforms. Consider them part of your resume, and be as careful to manage the image they project.
These platforms can also be a big help in building a network of potential employers or clients. Create a sharp, well-written LinkedIn profile that demonstrates your practical, real world skills and experience, and update it regularly. Be sure to list all your specific unique skills and abilities –whether they be a certification in mixology, the knowledge of HTML or a programming language, or the ability to wire a circuit board – not just your work history or educational experience. And remember that thoughtful, diligent network building with other skilled professionals can lead to job opportunities you might not hear of otherwise.

Original article published on Linked In

The Three Best Places to Find Your Next Great Hire

Linked In –

With the hefty price tag attached to a bachelor’s degree these days—over $57,000 at a public university and much more at private colleges[1]—you might well expect recent college graduates to emerge from their expensive educations skilled up and job-ready. Unfortunately, even the loftiest peaks of the ivory tower do not necessasarily guarantee that college grads have what it takes to become your next great hire.

The truth is that despite the perceived value of a college degree, many business owners and recruiters are struggling to find recent graduates who have the practical and soft skills to succeed in the workplace. Even more troubling, there is a surprising gap between graduates’ perception of their own job-readiness and what employers are seeing in interviews. According to a survey of 2,000 graduates and 1,000 hiring managers, about half of recent grads believe they are adequately prepared to take on a job in their field of study. From the hiring managers’ perspective, it’s a very different story: fewer than two in five managers found recent graduates they’d interviewed to be job-ready.[2]

In a recent Wall Street Journal interview, sociologists Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa discussed their latest book, Aspiring Adults Adrift, which tackles the very question of whether today’s college students are getting value for their money. The answer, according to Arum and Roksa, is a resounding “no”.[3] Too many colleges, it seems, graduate students who are lacking in both practical skills and soft skills such as organization, financial planning and critical thinking.

Although a college degree does pay off for some in the long run, it’s clear that it does not necessarily equal job-readiness. So where else can managers and employers look for their next great hire?

1. A two-year college or vocational program.

With the cost of a four-year degree at a record high, many ambitious and motivated young people are rapidly discovering that a two-year vocational degree is the smarter option. Vocational programs are not only more likely to turn out candidates trained in the practical skills you need, but there is evidence that vocational training boosts confidence, work ethic, and high performance in other areas as well.[4]

This is one reason why many astute business leaders are forming partnerships with community colleges. These partnerships ensure that curriculum reflects the needs of local employers and companies so that students graduate with exactly the skills they need to succeed in the workplace.

2. Your own company.

The talent you’re looking for may already be working within your business. Increasingly, companies are finding their best people from the ranks of those ambitious existing employees, ready and eager to acquire a new set of skills. And in fact, Incorporating skills training into your business model, as many forward-thinking companies are doing right now, is far less expensive, time consuming, and risky than recruiting externally. In-house training opportunities build loyalty, encourage a learning environment across the board, and give motivated employees the chance to show you what they can do. Cultivating the talent you already have is a big step toward securing the future of your business.

3. Apprenticeship programs.

In April 2014, President Obama announced the launch of a $100 million competition for American Apprenticeship Grants, to be awarded to partnerships and organizations focused on expanding apprenticeship opportunities. Apprenticeships are making a comeback in the United States, and with good reason. Because their education is hands-on, apprentices learn the whole range of practical and soft skills they need to transition directly into jobs. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 9 out of 10 apprentices are employed upon finishing their training.

As apprenticeships gain momentum, employers are beginning to see that they can find skilled apprentices in a wide range of fields, even some high-tech areas that might surprise you. For example, the U.S. Office for Apprenticeships has recently registered apprenticeships in fields like computer programming, biotechnology and geospatial technology.

Thanks to the hands-on, real-world experience they learn under the direction of a skilled expert, apprentices build the communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities you may not see in the candidate fresh out of the ivory tower. The same is often true of students in vocational programs, as well as company staff who are eager for the chance to move up the ladder. Being able to see a direct pathway to success motivates these career-minded individuals to put their best effort forward, continuing to build on and improve their skills. And isn’t that just the kind of person you’d like to see as your next hire?