4 ms·

I think Norway has a similar program. 16 year olds go to school - it can be trade school or continuing education for university prep (or both, depending). It al

I think Norway has a similar program. 16 year olds go to school - it can be trade school or continuing education for university prep (or both, depending). It also isn't mandatory, even though most folks go.

Thlom 8y ago
Yes. Unfortunately trade school looks more and more like regular high school these days and apprenticeships in many trades is I low supply. :-(
- hinkley 8y ago
  Do you think there's a way we could run apprenticeships that makes them more attractive to adults seeking to retrain? I wonder sometimes how much of the problem with switching careers comes down to the usual scapegoat - lack of humility - and how much of it comes instead from infantilizing the students. If we're going to keep moving the workforce around every 15 years then we need a way for someone^W most people to comfortably have 3-4 fairly distinct careers in their lifetime.
  - hajile 8y ago
    Worked construction when I was younger. If you're in the electrical Union, you'll easily make 60k per year (even in southern States where average family incomes are often under 40k). After a few years, making over 100k is very possible. In addition, the benefits and retirement are very good. But you'll be putting in 50-60 hour weeks in the cold and heat. On the bright side, the work isn't as physically demanding as some other jobs. I've pitched the idea to a bunch of friends who seem to have an aptitude. They'd all rather with as delivery boys, waiters, or whatever low end job. They don't want a "dirty job". They want to hold out for an easy money desk job. Screw working in the cold, I'll just stick with my $7.25/he job.
hinkley 8y ago
Can we just go ahead and split computer programming into vocational and science-based tracks while we're at it? There are a lot of people who can or could stitch together existing libraries to accomplish results. There are a lot fewer people (than are currently participating) who have any business writing those libraries in the first place. My hope is that if we just acknowledged the difference in these two problem domains we might get more quality over quantity in the places where it really matters.
- baroffoos 8y ago
  We already do. Its called junior web development. Which most of the time just involves installing wordpress plugins.
- dagw 8y ago
  Sweden does this. You can either go to university and get a Computer Science or Computer Engineering degree in 3-5 years or go to vocational school and get a programming diploma in 1-2 years.
- stereographic 8y ago
  The college I went to in Eastern Canada does this, I'm employed after a two year diploma based program, rather than a 4 year CS degree

Thlom 8y ago

Yes. Unfortunately trade school looks more and more like regular high school these days and apprenticeships in many trades is I low supply. :-(

hinkley 8y ago
Do you think there's a way we could run apprenticeships that makes them more attractive to adults seeking to retrain? I wonder sometimes how much of the problem with switching careers comes down to the usual scapegoat - lack of humility - and how much of it comes instead from infantilizing the students. If we're going to keep moving the workforce around every 15 years then we need a way for someone^W most people to comfortably have 3-4 fairly distinct careers in their lifetime.
- hajile 8y ago
  Worked construction when I was younger. If you're in the electrical Union, you'll easily make 60k per year (even in southern States where average family incomes are often under 40k). After a few years, making over 100k is very possible. In addition, the benefits and retirement are very good. But you'll be putting in 50-60 hour weeks in the cold and heat. On the bright side, the work isn't as physically demanding as some other jobs. I've pitched the idea to a bunch of friends who seem to have an aptitude. They'd all rather with as delivery boys, waiters, or whatever low end job. They don't want a "dirty job". They want to hold out for an easy money desk job. Screw working in the cold, I'll just stick with my $7.25/he job.

hinkley 8y ago

Can we just go ahead and split computer programming into vocational and science-based tracks while we're at it? There are a lot of people who can or could stitch together existing libraries to accomplish results. There are a lot fewer people (than are currently participating) who have any business writing those libraries in the first place. My hope is that if we just acknowledged the difference in these two problem domains we might get more quality over quantity in the places where it really matters.

baroffoos 8y ago
We already do. Its called junior web development. Which most of the time just involves installing wordpress plugins.
dagw 8y ago
Sweden does this. You can either go to university and get a Computer Science or Computer Engineering degree in 3-5 years or go to vocational school and get a programming diploma in 1-2 years.
stereographic 8y ago
The college I went to in Eastern Canada does this, I'm employed after a two year diploma based program, rather than a 4 year CS degree