Today..........College Education For A Good Paying Job?

[ClassicRockr]

I really wish that I would have continued college and, at least, got an AA Degree. Unfortunately, it seemed like I just couldn't be a "college boy", even though the Veteran's Admin. was paying me to go. Anyway, today many companies, depending on the job, require a Bachelor's Degree to be hired. My wife was smart.........she knew, to get higher pay in accounting, would mean getting a Bachelor's Degree. She got hers when she was 49 years old.

Another thing added on to today's "job requirements" can be having a Certificate in the job applying for. My last Supervisor/Dept. Director had a Bachelor's in Business and Certification in Purchasing (CPM) and Certification in Production/Inventory (CPIM). He also had a membership in APICS. He was the Head of the Materials Dept. and I was a Materials Coordinator......in-charge of the Dept. when he was at a meeting or on vacation.

Now I know that not all jobs require a college/university degree, but many do. And, some companies don't require a "Certification" either, while many do.

Did you get a major Degree when you were younger? Did you work at jobs that required that Degree? Were you ever "Certified" for anything?

Just to name a couple of jobs that have changed their job "requirements":
Today, most Vet Assistants (animal) are required to have a Certification. When I did, there was no such certification!
Today, a Fork Lift Driving Certificate can be required by many companies. This was started by OSHA due to too many accidents dealing with fork lift drivers. When I started driving a forklift, there was no such certificate! But, in 1995, Clark Fork Lifts came to the company I worked for and certified the ones who used fork lifts, including me.

Years ago, a college education was needed nearly as much as today. And, being "certified" in something......I just never heard of it.

 

[Warrigal]

One sensible measure we have over here that assists mature workers to gain vocational qualifications is RPL which stands for Recognised Prior Learning. If you have had the appropriate experience you can gain advanced credit for up to 50% of a vocational course.

My husband became a teacher without any teacher training or experience, going directly from industry to a school as an industrial arts teacher. After 10 years of teaching he decided to formalise his qualifications and was able to complete a 3 year course in 18 months using RPL.

 

[WhatInThe]

You got that right with the certificate thing. These companies want specialists no matter how generic or teachable the job is. Part is insurance, liability etc but the other is an employer's market. Then you put those training and certificates on a resume or application for something different the HR ASSumes you will return to that trade. Throw in a lot loans, grants, subsidies, reimbursements etc what should be 200 dollar course is now a couple thousand. The scary thing is that these companies and their product/service aren't really that much or any better.

 

[ClassicRockr]

Another thing a person doesn't see much of, if any, into today's online employment ads is this......"OJT offered". Guess OJT is now looked upon as a person getting their college degree and certification in the area that originally would have been taught as OJT.

 

[WhatInThe]

Another thing a person doesn't see much of, if any, into today's online employment ads is this......"OJT offered". Guess OJT is now looked upon as a person getting their college degree and certification in the area that originally would have been taught as OJT.

Excellent point. If there is on the job training that means you would have to considered an actual employee of the company. Now a days many companies treat their employee as a contractor. The employment terms are very cut & dry including requirements or benefits.