Degree Inflation
By Albert B. Kelly
There’s a lot out there
that lets you know the world we live in is not what it used to be. One thing
you’ve probably not heard much of is something called “degree inflation”. Washington
Post Columnist Catherine Rampell, writing on this new inflation, points out
that today’s college degree has become the “new high school diploma”. The
implications are huge, especially for young people and those on the outside
looking in.
Put another way, a college
degree is the minimum requirement or “credential” needed to get what were once
considered basic or entry-level jobs. It’s more than just a vague sense that
this is happening in the job market, there’s hard proof. Rampell cites a
labor analytics company (Burning Glass) that did a study and found that a lot
of jobs; from clerks to sales to administrative assistant- required a
bachelor’s degree (BA) just to get in the door.
Part of the reason is the
job market. Since the job market is weak, those doing the hiring can afford to
be picky about whom they hire. Obviously, they have the “pick of the litter” so
employers can afford to wait for the best candidates and they do.
But a greater part of the
“why” is connected to technology and automation. More and more tasks are
technology driven and this means that those operating machinery, working with software,
or monitoring systems need to have the chops to do it well or at all.
But there’s more. Surveys
of employers also found that if your bachelor’s degree is not exactly in the
field you’re applying for; the mere fact that you have it tells an employer
that you have the drive, self-discipline, and thinking skills to get the degree
and that, as they say, is not nothin.
The bottom line is that more
employers today see those with only a high school diploma as lazy,
undisciplined, or feckless because they couldn’t or wouldn’t get a college
education. You might not think this fair; but it’s how things are today and
there’s probably some truth in it.
So my warning really is to
all the parents and grandparents raising young men and woman who will have to
compete in this new normal. I realize that for some, it’s enough just to get a
young person through high school, but that can’t be allowed to be “enough”
anymore. Do whatever you can to prepare and steer that young person to college
so they can have a shot at a decent life.
Having said that, we know
college isn’t cheap, but that’s another discussion. And while I’m on “other
discussions”, be careful about “on-line” programs that promise you a degree
while you wear your pajamas and lounge on the couch. Some on-line courses are
perfectly legitimate from established colleges; but others will put you in debt
for a credential employers ignore- assuming you even finish.
Cumberland County College
provides the best option. Priced right and ranked among the top 30 two year
schools in the country, you can’t go wrong. They have the necessary
relationships with 4 year programs and universities so that there’s a clear
path to getting a BA right here in our own County.
I gladly beat the drum
about education and I will continue to do so because I care. More than that, I
know well the hardship, the desperation, and even the hopelessness that settles
over a young life when they lack the tools and the confidence to prosper and
thrive.
It’s visible not just in
the lives of individuals, but at the level of community. Just as a 500 credit
score community has a certain dynamic; so does a “high school diploma”
community. A high school diploma should not be the final act of an academic
career, but an intermission on the way to a college degree and good paying job.
If that means that we
start preparing elementary age students with the proper work and study habits,
note-taking, doing homework, completing things and finishing well; then so be
it. Far too many bypass college not because they are incapable, but because
they never learned how to be a “student” and on some level they know it.
Let’s make educating our
young minds (and not-so-young-minds) a top priority; part of community
revitalization- an investment in our infrastructure. We may be long gone before
it pays off in full, but it will pay off and that’s one part of how we revive our
city.