On a much larger scale, the whole state of California is forging a massive campaign to get more people into skilled trades to bolster the economy, addressing the changes and developments in manufacturing that have led to losses of manufacturing jobs. They’re doing this by advancing programs in community colleges (as well as adult education that is delivered by K-12 systems), in collaboration with employers, using regional coordination and paying keen attention to labor markets and industry demands, so as to boost the number of workers with in-demand skilled certification and other training of two years or less.
California is forging exactly the kind of educational system that would have served the OP very well. This is not empty talk, but rather an extremely well-funded and carefully thought-out, long-term plan to transform the state’s economy and make it an example for the rest of the nation on how to lift the country out of this problem of blue collar unemployment and underemployment. (While Trump is talking empty BS and doesn’t have a clue about how to change anything, the state of CA is well into action.)
I’ve thought the same, but most of the recent grads and college kids I encounter seem to share the attitude of your Thai acquaintance - they’re there for vocational training and anything not related to that is a waste of their time.
My own gripe is that college seems to be the kew HS diploma as far as business is concerned - a degree is the minimum requirement, and it doesn’t matter what field it’s in. I worked in banking in we hired people with degrees in drama and speech pathology for management.
In other words, they restored it to what it originally was: a branch of Mathematics. I don’t see a problem here.
You seem to be of the opinion that college is Vocational School on steroids. Please explain core curriculum, please. Why does a programming drone need English Composition or Psychology or Chem?
Sorry. College is not intended to be indoctrination for industrial machines, no matter how Business has brainwashed the adherents to that crack-brained philosophy.
People attend college with an expectation to get a career afterward.
I don’t object to core classes in English, literature, History and math. Everyone needs this training. Electives in art, music and theatre can make a person more well rounded
My concern is the degrees offered are often out dated and of little value in the modern tech world. Colleges need to update and stay relevant.
No, people attend college to get educated, not necessarily for a particular career. If you graduate from high school at 18, graduate from college at 22 and retire at 67, you’ve had a working life of 45 years. Few things you learn in school will be applicable decades later, and in fact some professions will be obsolete or changed over that time. So you’re going to have to reinvent yourself and your career, probably more than once.
That reminds me of my dad who went to university in Asia. When I was doing my college freshman schedule here in U.S. he was just utterly shocked and even angry I was scheduling history, English, etc for my pre-med studies. Then I had to explain that was the requirement for the prereqs. He was just about stunned speechless at the liberal arts curriculum for all the pre-health majors.
Except for skilled trades. Electricians still pull wire through walls and attach outlets and switches like they did 50 years ago. Wires and tools may have changed and also more stringent code requirements. Only major changes were the types of devices attached at the end of the wire runs and the materials used.
Plumbers still attach porcelain fixtures to copper pipes. Copper pipes are being phased out for tubing. The drains are most likely plastic now than cast iron. Toilets and drains still plug and will as long as young humans exist to throw entire rolls of toilet paper or toys in them. Again, same theories with different materials and more stringent code.
Carpenters still join pieces of lumber together with various metal fasteners to stick build houses. Now more metals and plastics are used but the basic methods are the same. Same with masons and bricklayers.
None of this even touch the skills of those that work in industry such as the steamfitters and welders. Let alone the electricians, HVAC, and millwrights there. I worked with many that recently retired after coming out of service from the VietNam war. They just kept adapting to the equipment but their basic skillset was still usable.