by Michael Cronin

Created on: August 27, 2011

The rising cost of a high school education from an administrative standpoint is forcing cutbacks on all levels. Teacher layoffs are common in many districts with mismanaged or underfunded budgets. The idea that every child should be afforded the opportunity to receive a quality education does not mean that every student wants to or should be forced to choose a future based on the idealism set forth by our government. Students that want to enter a trade or other sector that does not require a formal education might be doing themselves and the school system a favor by exiting the system early and getting a head start on their career. In the meantime the additional resources available to students interested in pursuing careers that require an education will be afforded the remainder or the resources that would otherwise be wasted on students that do not want or need them.

A recent study that appeared in Time Magazine revealed that high unemployment rates and a staggering economy will cause 85% of recent college graduates to move back in with their parents. While we keep hearing stories about how higher education is necessary for a better future, the job market is flooded with college grads that cannot find jobs and are saddled with student loan debt. At the same time, we hear about the goals of our government to increase the number of college grads in the US and that there are all of these high paying jobs out there, but not enough college grads to fill the positions. It is difficult to figure out whom to believe.

Entering a trade that may not require a traditional education may be the next wave of the future. As college costs keep rising and high-tech jobs are sent overseas, there are good paying jobs abroad that can never be outsourced. If your heater goes out in the middle of winter, even a highly skilled HVAC tech in India will do you no good. When your pipes break and your house is flooding, a plumber in China won’t be able to help you. This goes for electricians and many other skilled tradesman as well. Forget about all of the promises for a better tomorrow that all of these educational institutions would have you believe. Education is a business too and as long as the customer is buying they will continue to sell. When I went back to school to get my second degree in a field that was supposed to be recession proof, (Accounting) I was promised the same thing that students are promised today. This phenomenon is not just occurring in a few select fields. Ask all of those recent nursing student grads how their job search is going.

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