Happy Spring…from Linley Jones

Happy Spring! As we move into the spring season, many families are anticipating the close of another school year and some are thinking about the future path of their children. Many parents have dreams for their children to experience financial security and a fulfilling career, believing that a college education is the ticket. I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree and I sometimes meet others in grad school who are seeking another degree because they were unable to get a job after completing their Bachelor’s degree or found that their degree didn’t set them apart in their field. No one is unaware of the stories of college graduates who work for minimum wage for lack of other options as they pay off their exorbitant student loans. There is no doubt that the availability of higher education is a blessing in our country. But is it possible that too many people are going to college?

Americans are proud to live in a country where anyone has the freedom to build any life they dream up that can be built with the brick and mortar of hard work and ingenuity. That kind of respect for hard work is what has created a large middle class consisting of many skilled workers. Today those who decide to pursue training in skilled trade are finding jobs and high wages. With so many young Americans forgoing entering the work force directly and first going to college, there are fewer and fewer skilled workers.

As the need grows, some are stepping up to illuminate options. The mikeroweWORKS Foundation is an organization dedicated to bolstering the skilled work force. Mike Rowe, of Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs, works to educate young people about the value of skilled trade workers and providing scholarships for training schools and job information. Many major companies provide training schools for jobs in related fields. Certainly a college education is necessary for some career paths, but perhaps college shouldn’t be the automatic course for each of us. Today as much as ever, we need intelligent, creative, and hard-working individuals in every sector of the work force. Regardless of the path chosen, isn’t it a blessing to have so many available choices before us?

Sincerely,

Linley Jones
(Our daughter)