4 ms·

"What "we" really need is less stigma against vocational schools and related college alternatives. Not everyone likes sitting still at a desk and doing abstract

"What "we" really need is less stigma against vocational schools and related college alternatives. Not everyone likes sitting still at a desk and doing abstract symbol manipulation" Amen. Not everyone is good at it, or suited for it, either. Some of the 'blue collar' workers I know are earning more than the college-degree holding workers in my circle, but societally somehow we 'look up' to the office-y professions, regardless of the value/merit of the job.

jacquesm 12y ago
It's the Ragusnik problem on a different scale.
- mreiland 12y ago
  never having heard of that before, I did a search and came across this wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strikebreaker_(short_story) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strikebreaker_(short_story) I'm guessing this is what you're referring to, I found the idea interesting. Do you know where I can get access to this story? I'm willing to pay if necessary.
  - Zarel 12y ago
    It appears to be part of the book Nightfall and Other Stories. Amazon has it: http://www.amazon.com/Nightfall-Other-Stories-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0385081049 http://www.amazon.com/Nightfall-Other-Stories-Isaac-Asimov/d... A PDF seems to be available online as the first Google result for it: https://www.google.com/search?q="Nightfall+and+Other+Stories"+filetype%3Apdf https://www.google.com/search?q="Nightfall+and+Other+Stories...
  - jacquesm 12y ago
    It's in the book 'nightfall'. Should be still in print.
marincounty 12y ago
Yea, that is so true. When I was in my 20-40's the thought of sitting at a desk doing Anything felt like I was wasting my life. My father always said, 'I want a job where I spend the first hour at a desk--the next seven anywhere else.'.
mindcrime 12y ago
It would also help to reduce the "path dependence" problem by increasing the ability to tranfer courses between "vocational" training and "academic" training. Not to say you should necessarily get credit towards a B.S. degree for, say, a Welding course... but to the extent that it's possible, the English, Math, etc. should be as easily transferable as possible. Why? So if you chose one option you aren't so tightly "locked in" later in life, if you desire a change (in either direction).
- TheSpiceIsLife 12y ago
  I happen to be a boiler-maker / welder by trade. My last non-fabrication job was at an ISP doing project management, programmed maintenance, and fault response. I got the job because of my trade background. I've had to move to a ~100k population centre in another state so I'm back doing fabrication and getting paid a lot more for it.

jacquesm 12y ago

It's the Ragusnik problem on a different scale.

mreiland 12y ago
never having heard of that before, I did a search and came across this wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strikebreaker_(short_story) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strikebreaker_(short_story) I'm guessing this is what you're referring to, I found the idea interesting. Do you know where I can get access to this story? I'm willing to pay if necessary.
- Zarel 12y ago
  It appears to be part of the book Nightfall and Other Stories. Amazon has it: http://www.amazon.com/Nightfall-Other-Stories-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0385081049 http://www.amazon.com/Nightfall-Other-Stories-Isaac-Asimov/d... A PDF seems to be available online as the first Google result for it: https://www.google.com/search?q="Nightfall+and+Other+Stories"+filetype%3Apdf https://www.google.com/search?q="Nightfall+and+Other+Stories...
- jacquesm 12y ago
  It's in the book 'nightfall'. Should be still in print.

marincounty 12y ago

Yea, that is so true. When I was in my 20-40's the thought of sitting at a desk doing Anything felt like I was wasting my life. My father always said, 'I want a job where I spend the first hour at a desk--the next seven anywhere else.'.

mindcrime 12y ago

It would also help to reduce the "path dependence" problem by increasing the ability to tranfer courses between "vocational" training and "academic" training. Not to say you should necessarily get credit towards a B.S. degree for, say, a Welding course... but to the extent that it's possible, the English, Math, etc. should be as easily transferable as possible. Why? So if you chose one option you aren't so tightly "locked in" later in life, if you desire a change (in either direction).

TheSpiceIsLife 12y ago
I happen to be a boiler-maker / welder by trade. My last non-fabrication job was at an ISP doing project management, programmed maintenance, and fault response. I got the job because of my trade background. I've had to move to a ~100k population centre in another state so I'm back doing fabrication and getting paid a lot more for it.