The concept of learning additional skills outside of your "degree path" is lost on this generation. Completely lost. Kids think they are worth only what their degrees say on them. Before this generation, people learned vocational skills and certifications in labor or technical fields so they could FIND A JOB while still looking for one in their CAREER. That thought process is completely absent. I have no sympathies.
Yes and no. Is it true that the Democrats have cut the funding for vocational schools that Reagan implemented? Yes. The government bought into the idea that everyone can and should go to college, but that is what baby boomer, immigrant, and middle class people want to hear/vote for. But it is also cultural/technology based. People don't stay at the same job forever anymore and it is too easy to get an SBA loan to start your own business. People are very selective about who they train, because that guy will probably open his own shop and compete with you in five years. That's why we've seen the growth of all the ridiculous licensure requirements -- to keep competitors out of the marketplace. For all the free love, free country, crap they Baby Boomers spouted and all the small government, free market crap that state Republican law makers run on, they dont hesitate to put up economic barriers in exchange for political campaign contributions.
Next, because of unionization, insurance costs, and sheer efficiency/precision, robots are taking over a lot of the skills you would learn at a vocational school. or the items are being shipped overseas prefabricated Technology has also affected the employment of skill trades like auto mechanics. While we still need people to do auto body and thats a skill best learned early and in a classroom, technology has made it impossible for many routine auto service repairs that used to be taught at the vocational school level. More over the dealers and manufacturers have changed the design of certain parts so that only dealers or manufacturer approved repairs can be done. There just isn't that much to teach in vo-tech anymore.
Also the problem: the supply of undereducated, underemployed workers is greater than the number of jobs available at the price people are willing to pay and employers are willing to afford. There is no need for vo-tech when the Toyota dealership only promotes from within, they conduct their own training, and everybody starts out in the oil bay regardless of background or experience.
We want a knowledge based economy, but we don't want to pay for services that fall outside of that economy. that's rational, but unrealistic.
