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When you consider how wages have stagnated and also many of the kinds of the then Middle-class jobs which didn't require specific (higher) education but had ser

When you consider how wages have stagnated and also many of the kinds of the then Middle-class jobs which didn't require specific (higher) education but had serious potential for advancement via on-the-job training (Manufacturing) were almost entirely offshored it isn't that hard to understand. It is hard to get a well paying job without education. It is hard to afford education without a well paying job. The places with the most jobs, especially low-paying entry level jobs are quite often the most expensive places to live (cities). The cost of living is highly variable depending on where you are in the country, but only in the last few years have states/municipalities worked to try and close the gap in minimum wages so that people who work there can afford to live there.

ed25519FUUU 5y ago
Education as a means of upward mobility is extremely narrow, and applies to less and less fields every year. In fact, for many people it’s a way to guarantee you’ll never be able to climb any financial ladders because you’ll be saddled with unpayable debt and a worthless degree.
- perl4ever 5y ago
  One of the sickest things about popular culture in recent years has been the brainwashing of people to stigmatize community colleges (or public universities). Have you noticed how many major politicians have ties to predatory for-profit schools?
dvt 5y ago
> It is hard to get a well paying job without education. Absolutely not true. This is a dangerous myth that has gotten people stuck with worthless liberal arts degrees and $xxx,xxx in student debt. You can make a very decent wage with a trade skill (plumber, electrician, HVAC technician, etc.) Starting out, for most of these jobs, all you need to do at first is merely "show up." I say this as someone that deeply values education, and I myself have one of those "worthless" liberal arts degrees. But the difference is that I went to school as a way to become a more well-rounded person, I already had a skill prior to going to school, and I also had a full academic scholarship that I was able to maintain due to good grades.
- hellotomyrars 5y ago
  Trade schools aren't exactly cheap either, and it is much harder to get financial aid or even loans to cover trade school than traditional university education. I 100% agree that we do a huge disservice to high school kids by pushing this myth of higher education, but that is the direction they are pushed and trade school is hardly in the conversation most of the time.

ed25519FUUU 5y ago

Education as a means of upward mobility is extremely narrow, and applies to less and less fields every year. In fact, for many people it’s a way to guarantee you’ll never be able to climb any financial ladders because you’ll be saddled with unpayable debt and a worthless degree.

perl4ever 5y ago
One of the sickest things about popular culture in recent years has been the brainwashing of people to stigmatize community colleges (or public universities). Have you noticed how many major politicians have ties to predatory for-profit schools?

dvt 5y ago

> It is hard to get a well paying job without education. Absolutely not true. This is a dangerous myth that has gotten people stuck with worthless liberal arts degrees and $xxx,xxx in student debt. You can make a very decent wage with a trade skill (plumber, electrician, HVAC technician, etc.) Starting out, for most of these jobs, all you need to do at first is merely "show up." I say this as someone that deeply values education, and I myself have one of those "worthless" liberal arts degrees. But the difference is that I went to school as a way to become a more well-rounded person, I already had a skill prior to going to school, and I also had a full academic scholarship that I was able to maintain due to good grades.

hellotomyrars 5y ago
Trade schools aren't exactly cheap either, and it is much harder to get financial aid or even loans to cover trade school than traditional university education. I 100% agree that we do a huge disservice to high school kids by pushing this myth of higher education, but that is the direction they are pushed and trade school is hardly in the conversation most of the time.