Comments on: College-educated autoworkers http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/blog/college-educated-autoworkers/ Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:18:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Steve Wei http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/blog/college-educated-autoworkers/#comment-15458 Steve Wei Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:51:24 +0000 http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/blog/college-educated-autoworkers/#comment-15458 "That means nearly three-quarters of adults in this state families feel getting a high school diploma sets their kids up for life!" ---hey this is NOT True. Thats a false generalization from the statistic without basis of why people think that way. Its really disrespectful to infer that michigan adults have no reason for having their thoughts. - Thats like saying "one quarter of michigan families think anything more than a high school diploma guarentees a lifetime of exceedingly high top salaries". Many michigan families believe in trades like contractor work and HVAC, PLumbing, Welding, Tech certificates, Or joining the Military. Some families are old fashioned and just beleive that their daughter will marry a man that will provide for her and a family and no need for college. Some of these views may be changing and may be wrong in generalized today's society, but many are still correct. Not everyone thinks their family members are shooting for a 90k per year deskjob, or some field in medicine or law. Besides that, there are still many jobs in Michigan that require a 4 yr degree and still dont pay very high, many with starting salaries below 30-35k. I think the massive layoffs and high unemployment and faltered economy has been a wakeup call to most people that a college education is now your best Bet on a high paying future, but you are still not going to dissuade someone from skipping college if they really want to be a carpenter as a teen, or a teen thats worked on cars for 4-5 yrs straight might want to just work as a mechanic after highschool. generalizing michigan's families like that off one single unexplained statistic isnt helpful. "That means nearly three-quarters of adults in this state families feel getting a high school diploma sets their kids up for life!"
---hey this is NOT True. Thats a false generalization from the statistic without basis of why people think that way. Its really disrespectful to infer that michigan adults have no reason for having their thoughts. - Thats like saying "one quarter of michigan families think anything more than a high school diploma guarentees a lifetime of exceedingly high top salaries".

Many michigan families believe in trades like contractor work and HVAC, PLumbing, Welding, Tech certificates, Or joining the Military. Some families are old fashioned and just beleive that their daughter will marry a man that will provide for her and a family and no need for college.

Some of these views may be changing and may be wrong in generalized today's society, but many are still correct. Not everyone thinks their family members are shooting for a 90k per year deskjob, or some field in medicine or law.
Besides that, there are still many jobs in Michigan that require a 4 yr degree and still dont pay very high, many with starting salaries below 30-35k.

I think the massive layoffs and high unemployment and faltered economy has been a wakeup call to most people that a college education is now your best Bet on a high paying future, but you are still not going to dissuade someone from skipping college if they really want to be a carpenter as a teen, or a teen thats worked on cars for 4-5 yrs straight might want to just work as a mechanic after highschool.
generalizing michigan's families like that off one single unexplained statistic isnt helpful.

]]> By: Jeff Salisbury http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/blog/college-educated-autoworkers/#comment-13837 Jeff Salisbury Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:10:22 +0000 http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/blog/college-educated-autoworkers/#comment-13837 I’ll happily concede that there is a segment (currently at HS-grad or less) who could achieve at some post-secondary level. Some choose to do so, others choose not and, importantly, they need not. For some, Nature has already chosen by way of lesser or different giftedness. Not everyone is selected for medical school or auto tech school, because not everyone is so gifted. Then why do we chant the senseless mantra “everyone to college”? Other than making college-educated columnists feel superior, other than employing a lot more gypsy PhDs (teaching non-credit college-readiness / remediation courses) it’s going to be a pointless exercise. Yes, in years past, many high school grads and non-grads went to work at “Ford’s” (a telling turn of phrase; Power’s snobbish backhand to the lower castes). Many skilled, semi-skilled, and lesser-skilled workers joined Detroit because workers’ skill levels (whatever they were) were rewarded with commensurate good pay and benefits. And, interestingly, when Detroit was making in-demand, high-profit cars, nobody in Detroit cried about high wages and health care premiums and legacy costs—the profits more than covered the costs and still permitted executives to build their dream homes safely north of 8 Mile Road. Today, there are still good choices available to high school grads and those choosing to go beyond high school, whether to internships, apprenticeships, certificate programs, or college. This continued harping about college-for-all only reflects a different side of the same dismissive, superior attitudes that brought Detroit to where it is today. Egotism is not reserved for auto executives; there’s plenty among pundits. The point is: Offer opportunities, not conscription. Serve all students with appropriate educational choices according to their desires and giftedness. College-for-all is not the singular path to prosperity. To suggest otherwise is either arrogant or ill-informed; probably both. I’ll happily concede that there is a segment (currently at HS-grad or less) who could achieve at some post-secondary level. Some choose to do so, others choose not and, importantly, they need not. For some, Nature has already chosen by way of lesser or different giftedness. Not everyone is selected for medical school or auto tech school, because not everyone is so gifted. Then why do we chant the senseless mantra “everyone to college”? Other than making college-educated columnists feel superior, other than employing a lot more gypsy PhDs (teaching non-credit college-readiness / remediation courses) it’s going to be a pointless exercise.

Yes, in years past, many high school grads and non-grads went to work at “Ford’s” (a telling turn of phrase; Power’s snobbish backhand to the lower castes). Many skilled, semi-skilled, and lesser-skilled workers joined Detroit because workers’ skill levels (whatever they were) were rewarded with commensurate good pay and benefits. And, interestingly, when Detroit was making in-demand, high-profit cars, nobody in Detroit cried about high wages and health care premiums and legacy costs—the profits more than covered the costs and still permitted executives to build their dream homes safely north of 8 Mile Road.

Today, there are still good choices available to high school grads and those choosing to go beyond high school, whether to internships, apprenticeships, certificate programs, or college.

This continued harping about college-for-all only reflects a different side of the same dismissive, superior attitudes that brought Detroit to where it is today. Egotism is not reserved for auto executives; there’s plenty among pundits.

The point is: Offer opportunities, not conscription. Serve all students with appropriate educational choices according to their desires and giftedness.

College-for-all is not the singular path to prosperity. To suggest otherwise is either arrogant or ill-informed; probably both.

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