by Amy Taylor

Created on: January 19, 2009   Last Updated: January 27, 2009

In an ideal world today's students would be able to learn both technical skills and a greater, liberal-type of education, compared to earlier generations where you had either technical skills or you were college-educated. In other words you became a mechanic or draftsman or you became a doctor, lawyer or worked in businesses. One was based in training or skill development and one was based in education and one's ability to think. It is not that a welder does not think, but his skill at welding determined success, not the ability to understand and interpret the cultural overtones of communication in a negotiation. However, these days, the argument can be made that the welder might want or even need the ability to negotiate for either services or products that can be made for a global market. Additionally, the technological nature of the world in which we live requires ever more blending of technical training and a broad-based knowledge of the world.

I think about the next 20 years and the people who can negotiate a global market place, people who have taken economics, anthropology, sociology, and even literature and have technical training in computer language, programming, network administration, or even graphical design will have a leg up on those of us who can only work in one arena or the other.

So, the suggestion would be to seek learning opportunities where one can specialize in electrical engineering and global economics or network design and cross-cultural communications or nursing and world literature. For centuries institutions of higher education have looked down on technical training, but for their own future and the future of global market competitiveness, American institutions should be looking to develop creative solutions where students can explore both a technical training and a liberal education.

Ok, let's say you buy into this argument, how then do you get this education? Practically speaking I would start off with technical training. Going to a community college, training, or professional school allows you to go out and establish a career that will support your future education. Then, once a career is started the additional work toward a more holistic educational experience can begin.

One of the best arguments to support this philosophy is made in The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman. He summarizes that those who will be competitive in our shrinking world will be those who can work in multiple dimensions and that our future will be predicated on technologically-driven advances. The argument put forth here is that students learn to work in multiple dimensions; both technological and broad-based.

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