You Don't Need A College Diploma To Make A Living !!!!!!!!!!

[Daanyeer]

Source: www.rep-am.com
April 9, 2007 Author: By CAROLYN SAID



Without a college degree, you are condemned to a lifetime flipping burgers.

That's the conventional wisdom. Studies, aphorisms and the press all preach the gospel that a baccalaureate is the only way to achieve success in an increasingly competitive job market. What with outsourcing, technology advances and productivity increases, one might think the only jobs left for those who haven't graduated from college would be service-sector ones, such as nurse's aide and janitor -- jobs that don't pay enough to support a middle-class lifestyle.

Truth is, there are plenty of decent-paying jobs that don't require a four-year degree. They include many familiar occupations -- nurse, carpenter, truck driver, plumber. But a number of up-and-coming jobs are also on the list: MRI repair person, solar-panel installer, biotech lab assistant, biodiesel technician. You could think of some of the new ones as "chrome collar" (working as technicians in various fields) or "green collar" (clean energy, environmental).

"If you're interested in the steak but not the sizzle, look at where the jobs are," said Marty Nemko, a San Francisco career coach. "There are livable-wage jobs in areas like plumber, carpenter, auto mechanic. A student with low SATs would be far wiser to pursue one of those paths."

Government studies show that the overwhelming majority of jobs, both today and in the future, will require some post-secondary education, but not a four-year degree. Jobs requiring high school and some college currently account for 110 million out of 145 million total jobs in the United States, said Richard Holden, regional commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2014, the "some college" jobs will account for 121 million out of 165 million expected jobs.

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"Clearly, most jobs are not college-degree jobs, and there are a great many of these jobs that pay well and are satisfying occupations," he said.

In fact, the majority of students do not earn a college degree.

"It used to be thought that the only way you could be successful in society is if you have a college degree," said Jose Millan, vice chancellor of economic development and work force preparation for California Community Colleges, the agency that oversees the state's 110 community colleges.

"If that's the case, then why do community colleges get so many re-entry students -- people who already have a four-year degree in sociology, philosophy or English? They come back to community colleges to learn a skill to enable them to earn better wages than what they can get at Starbucks or being a salesperson at Macy's."

Some students are eager to start working and don't necessarily plan to pursue a four-year degree.

"I like the 'CSI' stories on TV," said Aeeshah Diggs, 21. "I like teamwork and investigating." She expects to have enough coursework soon to land a job in forensics or ballistics. While she once considered being a lawyer, forensics appeals to her more, she said.

"I don't need a four-year degree to be a police officer," said San Francisco resident Max A (his full last name), 20. "It's a good, reliable career always in demand."

Futurist Paul Saffo cautioned that it's a fallacy to think that jobs available to people without baccalaureates are simple. "Whether you have a formal degree or not, you still need more knowledge and intellectual skills than ever," he said.

Saffo pointed out there has been a change in how people approach their careers. Between longer life expectancies and constantly evolving technology, a career is no longer a single static vocation.

"Our grandparents thought about having a job at one company," he said. "Our parents thought about a career (in one field) because they knew they'd work at multiple companies. Today, kids have to think about multiple careers."