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Index » Regional/Local » USA/Canada » It's the economy stupid. Page: Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7  Next
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aflanigan

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Location: At Sea
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 20, 2015 - 2:25pm

I alluded to the shrinkage of the middle class previously below. Another aspect of this issue is that, however we define middle class these days, regardless of their numbers, they are not doing so hot financially.

This was posted on Huffpo today presumably in anticipation of the SOTU speech tonight:

The Sad State of America's Middle Class, in 6 Charts 


aflanigan

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Location: At Sea
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 16, 2015 - 9:46am

 miamizsun wrote:
it looks like i've started my first meme

who knew?

 
Should we rename the topic COASTAL PUNS?
MrsHobieJoe

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Location: somewhere in Europe
Gender: Female


Posted: Jan 15, 2015 - 4:25pm

I thought the thread might be referring to exchange rate turmoil in Europe, but no!


miamizsun

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Location: (3261.3 Miles SE of RP)
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 15, 2015 - 3:10pm

it looks like i've started my first meme

who knew?


cc_rider

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Location: Bastrop
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 15, 2015 - 7:38am

 aflanigan wrote:

I suspect pier instruction only works for stevedores.

 
I'm gonna dock you ten points for that.
ScottFromWyoming

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Location: Powell
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 15, 2015 - 7:35am

 aflanigan wrote:

I suspect pier instruction only works for stevedores.

 

miamizsun

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Location: (3261.3 Miles SE of RP)
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 15, 2015 - 7:15am

 aflanigan wrote:

I suspect pier instruction only works for stevedores.

 
good catch

yeah them too
aflanigan

aflanigan Avatar

Location: At Sea
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 15, 2015 - 6:33am

 miamizsun wrote:

pier instruction/training or self taught
 
I suspect pier instruction only works for stevedores.


Coaxial

Coaxial Avatar

Location: Getting comfortably numb in So Tex
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 15, 2015 - 5:33am

Geoff shared this next door...VERY NSFW!!!!


miamizsun

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Location: (3261.3 Miles SE of RP)
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 15, 2015 - 5:17am

 BlueHeronDruid wrote:
I've often been bewildered by the whole "need a degree" stuff. I have a friend who had to get an associates degree to be a park ranger - basically plowing roads, participating in controlled fires, etc. Then there's my own spouse who flunked out of college twice but made the reason for his flunking (goofing around on the computers back in the early days) into a career. Pretty much EVERY job he's ever had required a degree, but his experience has trumped that. He wouldn't succeed in the same way today, I'm afraid. Us computing dinosaurs used to get a kick out of the CS majors coming into the industry. Book learning did NOT prepare them for the trench (fun) jobs.
 
agreed

life experience

on the job training/journeyman

peer instruction/training or self taught

competency versus credential-ism

fortunately your hubby's employers understood this

{#Good-vibes}

gamification is going to help bring competence back (Curriki)

 




BlueHeronDruid

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Location: planting flowers


Posted: Jan 14, 2015 - 6:09pm

 ScottFromWyoming wrote:

Sure, but the difference is you were after a degree/education. If we send the boy just because everyone should go to college, it's doomed to failure. If he finds himself wanting it, then cool.

 
I've often been bewildered by the whole "need a degree" stuff. I have a friend who had to get an associates degree to be a park ranger - basically plowing roads, participating in controlled fires, etc. Then there's my own spouse who flunked out of college twice but made the reason for his flunking (goofing around on the computers back in the early days) into a career. Pretty much EVERY job he's ever had required a degree, but his experience has trumped that. He wouldn't succeed in the same way today, I'm afraid. Us computing dinosaurs used to get a kick out of the CS majors coming into the industry. Book learning did NOT prepare them for the trench (fun) jobs.
Alexandra

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Location: PNW
Gender: Female


Posted: Jan 14, 2015 - 5:48pm

 ScottFromWyoming wrote:

Sure, but the difference is you were after a degree/education. If we send the boy just because everyone should go to college, it's doomed to failure. If he finds himself wanting it, then cool.

 
 
I know so many non-collegiate people who found their niche (some more than just one), threw their all into it, and absolutely thrived. That was MY plan at first. Then, four years after high school, I decided I wanted to teach the little ones and started a nine-year journey of part-time college with a full time job. Life and its curve balls.....
ScottFromWyoming

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Location: Powell
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 14, 2015 - 5:44pm

 haresfur wrote:

Being crap at book learning doesn't necessarily mean college is a bad thing. My brother and I both navigated it successfully using different strategies.  He went to a large Uni and applied his genius to figuring out how to get by while using the minimal effort. (When he was in High School they had standardised exams but students with a good enough record through the year didn't have to take them.  He decided it was much easier to read the text the night before the exam than to do all those assignments during the year).

I went to a small liberal arts school with small classes and lots of personal attention from the professors who managed to encourage/cajole/drag me through the program. Somehow they brought out the best in me.

 
Sure, but the difference is you were after a degree/education. If we send the boy just because everyone should go to college, it's doomed to failure. If he finds himself wanting it, then cool.
haresfur

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Location: The Golden Triangle
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 14, 2015 - 4:48pm

 ScottFromWyoming wrote:

We're there. The girl will thrive in college (our biggest challenge will be steering her toward a useful major). The boy will not. He's sharp as a tack but has his dad's knack for book-learnin'. I certainly would have been better served to have a focused non-college plan. Well, after the 2-year AS that I got locally, anyway. We're assuming he's going to get that alternative plan.

 
Being crap at book learning doesn't necessarily mean college is a bad thing. My brother and I both navigated it successfully using different strategies.  He went to a large Uni and applied his genius to figuring out how to get by while using the minimal effort. (When he was in High School they had standardised exams but students with a good enough record through the year didn't have to take them.  He decided it was much easier to read the text the night before the exam than to do all those assignments during the year).

I went to a small liberal arts school with small classes and lots of personal attention from the professors who managed to encourage/cajole/drag me through the program. Somehow they brought out the best in me.
ScottFromWyoming

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Location: Powell
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 14, 2015 - 8:51am

 aflanigan wrote:
So far I don't think middle class parents are convinced.
 
We're there. The girl will thrive in college (our biggest challenge will be steering her toward a useful major). The boy will not. He's sharp as a tack but has his dad's knack for book-learnin'. I certainly would have been better served to have a focused non-college plan. Well, after the 2-year AS that I got locally, anyway. We're assuming he's going to get that alternative plan.
aflanigan

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Location: At Sea
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 14, 2015 - 7:38am

 ScottFromWyoming wrote:

Well it's in the best interest of everyone who has a degree to make it stay that way. I know a guy who flunked out of college who's smarter than any of us, and worked his way up to fairly upper management in the oil industry... who considered transferring to a local business so he didn't have to travel. It would have been a huge step down in responsibility, pay, etc. but he put in for it anyway. Didn't even get a second look... because it's a small town, he heard back that the college was the problem... no one would hire him because if it didn't work out, their boss would have fired both of them.

 
Good point. Credentialism has been with us since the days of the guilds, right?

Letting go of old patterns and habits can definitely be difficult. There are various people sounding the alarm regarding credential inflation and pointing out that four year degrees/ advanced degrees aren't the bargain they used to be.  So far I don't think middle class parents are convinced.

Maybe we need to convince people that we've reached a sort of singularity/tipping point with respect to our current version of capitalism. If trying all the old tricks that worked in the past fail to yield results now, if the middle class continues to shrink and wealth/wage gaps of various kinds continue to grow, maybe we can accept that some fundamental changes beyond the usual approach are in order.
ScottFromWyoming

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Location: Powell
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 14, 2015 - 7:29am

 aflanigan wrote:
How do we change the national dialog away from the current mantra of "four year degree or you'r going to fail as an adult"? If middle class parents start valuing vocational ed, the schools will probably reemerge to accept their dollars. 
 
Well it's in the best interest of everyone who has a degree to make it stay that way. I know a guy who flunked out of college who's smarter than any of us, and worked his way up to fairly upper management in the oil industry... who considered transferring to a local business so he didn't have to travel. It would have been a huge step down in responsibility, pay, etc. but he put in for it anyway. Didn't even get a second look... because it's a small town, he heard back that the college was the problem... no one would hire him because if it didn't work out, their boss would have fired both of them.
aflanigan

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Location: At Sea
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 14, 2015 - 7:28am

 mrtuba9 wrote:

I agree with Vo-Ed and Vo-Tech, but being employed in higher ed, and one of 9 legacy children to attend the same school, it's hard for me to encourage one of my sons to pursue a vocation, though I really think it might be his route.

 
Just because we can't envision ourselves in a particular life path or life style doesn't mean it might not be suited for anyone else, offspring included. 
mrtuba9

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Location: most likely near Normal
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 14, 2015 - 7:17am

 aflanigan wrote:

I heard the unemployment rate for college grads is around 7 percent. Maybe you mean half can't find a career in the field they studied in, and settle for a lower-wage job? That sounds more likely to me.

I did throw out a lot below, so we should probably stick to one issue at a time, and college is a good start, I suppose.

I mostly agree that college is not really appropriate for everyone, especially every graduating HS senior. I think bringing back Vo-Ed or Vo-tech training would be good as well. How do we change the national dialog away from the current mantra of "four year degree or you'r going to fail as an adult"? If middle class parents start valuing vocational ed, the schools will probably reemerge to accept their dollars. 

 
I agree with Vo-Ed and Vo-Tech, but being employed in higher ed, and one of 9 legacy children to attend the same school, it's hard for me to encourage one of my sons to pursue a vocation, though I really think it might be his route.
aflanigan

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Location: At Sea
Gender: Male


Posted: Jan 14, 2015 - 7:03am

 kurtster wrote:

You put a lot on the table there, bud.

I'll start with the free tuition thingy.  I think its a bad idea out of the box, at least for 4 year institutions.  The widely accepted stat for grads is that half cannot find a job upon graduation.  Why compound that and make it worse ?  We already have Pell Grants which can cover nearly all costs for a community college.  Its how I did mine and got an Associates degree basically fully paid for.  

I believe that a 2 year degree is more practical and leads to quicker and surer employment than a 4 year degree.  Too much worth is placed on a 4 year and the return for the cost of tuition is dismal presently.  Not everyone is college material.  A renewed emphasis on Vo-Ed training might be a better approach, providing training for jobs that do exist and have openings.

I've long been an advocate for community colleges over a 4 year institution for several reasons.  First the cost, much lower per hour, the fact that a two year transferable degree sure looks better on a job ap than 'some college' and lastly, if a 4 year is the ultimate goal, no one will hold an associates / bachelor combination against you.  Its what I have.  Its the name of the school on the 4 year that matters most, more than whether or not you did all 4 years there.  

That's my opener ... 

 
I heard the unemployment rate for college grads is around 7 percent. Maybe you mean half can't find a career in the field they studied in, and settle for a lower-wage job? That sounds more likely to me.

I did throw out a lot below, so we should probably stick to one issue at a time, and college is a good start, I suppose.

I mostly agree that college is not really appropriate for everyone, especially every graduating HS senior. I think bringing back Vo-Ed or Vo-tech training would be good as well. How do we change the national dialog away from the current mantra of "four year degree or you'r going to fail as an adult"? If middle class parents start valuing vocational ed, the schools will probably reemerge to accept their dollars. 
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