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> If government gave retraining - by which I mean REAL retraining rather than a cheap (lowest private sector bidder running it, minimal quality requirements) co

by sedachv 10y ago

> If government gave retraining - by which I mean REAL retraining rather than a cheap (lowest private sector bidder running it, minimal quality requirements) course to draft a CV and perhaps import some low job security call centre work. Real retraining would be free, universal access to vocational schools and higher education. You are very correct in pointing out the shortfalls of current US retraining programs. Most of thoes came about during the Reagan administration and I think they are first of all a Republican trick to distract people from the need for free universally accessible vocational and higher education, and second of all a privatization scam to benefit people running the private retraining programs. Recommended reading on the topic: http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100040300 http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=8014010004030...

zip1234 10y ago
I think it is a bad idea to have free higher education as you say. Studying doesn't help. Studying the correct things does. Free education in no way encourages people to study the correct things (the in-demand skills that pay). All it does it make people raise the bar for hiring to 'college educated' for jobs that probably don't require it.
- sedachv 10y ago
  > Studying the correct things does. Free education in no way encourages people to study the correct things (the in-demand skills that pay). Your argument implies that everyone is too stupid to go to school for the "correct things." Do you realize that the truck drivers had to go to truck-driving school to get their truck-driving jobs? Implying that people are incapable of choosing a field of study that will lead to employment, to argue for denying people the right to education, is a vicious and idiotic lie of the "kill the poor" variety. You should be ashamed for even suggesting it.
  - Kalium 10y ago
    The argument could be made that non-zero numbers of people currently choose courses of study that very rarely lead to employment in that field. In such a context, is it unreasonable to consider that perhaps this might continue to occur in an environment where tertiary education is free? You may also wish to consider dialing back the vehemence of your rhetoric. Accusing people of adopting "kill the poor" rhetoric in response to relatively polite disagreement may potentially be seen as a somewhat less that reasonable reaction.

by sedachv 10y ago

zip1234 10y ago

I think it is a bad idea to have free higher education as you say. Studying doesn't help. Studying the correct things does. Free education in no way encourages people to study the correct things (the in-demand skills that pay). All it does it make people raise the bar for hiring to 'college educated' for jobs that probably don't require it.

sedachv 10y ago
> Studying the correct things does. Free education in no way encourages people to study the correct things (the in-demand skills that pay). Your argument implies that everyone is too stupid to go to school for the "correct things." Do you realize that the truck drivers had to go to truck-driving school to get their truck-driving jobs? Implying that people are incapable of choosing a field of study that will lead to employment, to argue for denying people the right to education, is a vicious and idiotic lie of the "kill the poor" variety. You should be ashamed for even suggesting it.
- Kalium 10y ago
  The argument could be made that non-zero numbers of people currently choose courses of study that very rarely lead to employment in that field. In such a context, is it unreasonable to consider that perhaps this might continue to occur in an environment where tertiary education is free? You may also wish to consider dialing back the vehemence of your rhetoric. Accusing people of adopting "kill the poor" rhetoric in response to relatively polite disagreement may potentially be seen as a somewhat less that reasonable reaction.