More people enrolling in vocational schools at higher rate today than college

[LurkerNoMore]

Saw the ticker shoot across about some study that has been in regards to vocational schools having a higher influx of new students than colleges are at the current moment.

I didn't catch it (or know if it even said) what percentage of the #'s of new students were recent HS grads (or soon to be new grads) and what percent of the #s were from people returning to school because being unemployed or what.  It would be interesting to see though.  Mainly because I think that high school grads would make up a smaller percentage of the # since they will more than likely still live at home and can have little to no overhead living costs while pursuing 4 years of education.  (Assuming their parents are still employed)

I guess the appeal of vocational schools and learning a useable trade in 10-12 months that will generate some kind of income is attracting the middle age peeps who lost their jobs and need something fast and don't want (or can't) go back to college for a couple of years to change majors.

[Deicide]

Saw the ticker shoot across about some study that has been in regards to vocational schools having a higher influx of new students than colleges are at the current moment.

I didn't catch it (or know if it even said) what percentage of the #'s of new students were recent HS grads (or soon to be new grads) and what percent of the #s were from people returning to school because being unemployed or what.  It would be interesting to see though.  Mainly because I think that high school grads would make up a smaller percentage of the # since they will more than likely still live at home and can have little to no overhead living costs while pursuing 4 years of education.  (Assuming their parents are still employed)

I guess the appeal of vocational schools and learning a useable trade in 10-12 months that will generate some kind of income is attracting the middle age peeps who lost their jobs and need something fast and don't want (or can't) go back to college for a couple of years to change majors.

Uni was a total waste as far as pragmatic things are concerned, learnt shit loads of useless stuff (which I nevertheless enjoyed) but it was a total waste career wise, if I could could go back I would be much more practical and praxis oriented. I grew up in a household that clung to the residue of the 60's/70's myth that a liberal arts education could actually get you a job, problem being that it was carried too far into the present or even into the 90's. Still, I made my bed and have to lie in it.

[LurkerNoMore]

Well in my case, it was worth it.  I couldn't (or anyone else could either) get my current position without a MHA.

However, I can't speak say this applies as a generalization everywhere, but here in S. FL there are not many careers for people once they graduate from college or for those already possessing degrees at the moment.  At least in some fields.  Healthcare will always be there.  That is pretty recession proof for most careers in it.  But engineering, IT, business, Finance, marketing, etc...  forget it.  (refering to S. FL)

Not saying that it is worthless, in the future the economy could support those fields again so that jobs are plentiful again.  But from what I have seen personally from first hand accounts of my friends talking about kids and siblings and such... most are indeed hitting up the vocational school for a year to get employed in a trade/skill area and then pursuing college afterwards at a slower pace.  No sense in going full time and finishing sooner if you only end up unemployed sooner.

And especially with people out of work.  They don't want to spend 2+ years going back to college (even though the state will send them), because they simply can't wait that long to generate income again.  So they do the 10-12 months thing and reenter the workforce.

[Deicide]

Well in my case, it was worth it.  I couldn't (or anyone else could either) get my current position without a MHA.

However, I can't speak say this applies as a generalization everywhere, but here in S. FL there are not many careers for people once they graduate from college or for those already possessing degrees at the moment.  At least in some fields.  Healthcare will always be there.  That is pretty recession proof for most careers in it.  But engineering, IT, business, Finance, marketing, etc...  forget it.  (refering to S. FL)

Not saying that it is worthless, in the future the economy could support those fields again so that jobs are plentiful again.  But from what I have seen personally from first hand accounts of my friends talking about kids and siblings and such... most are indeed hitting up the vocational school for a year to get employed in a trade/skill area and then pursuing college afterwards at a slower pace.  No sense in going full time and finishing sooner if you only end up unemployed sooner.

And especially with people out of work.  They don't want to spend 2+ years going back to college (even though the state will send them), because they simply can't wait that long to generate income again.  So they do the 10-12 months thing and reenter the workforce.

I studied German, Latin and History as an undergraduate. Was it interesting? Sure. Useful, no.

[Soul Crusher]

Well in my case, it was worth it.  I couldn't (or anyone else could either) get my current position without a MHA.

However, I can't speak say this applies as a generalization everywhere, but here in S. FL there are not many careers for people once they graduate from college or for those already possessing degrees at the moment.  At least in some fields.  Healthcare will always be there.  That is pretty recession proof for most careers in it.  But engineering, IT, business, Finance, marketing, etc...  forget it.  (refering to S. FL)

Not saying that it is worthless, in the future the economy could support those fields again so that jobs are plentiful again.  But from what I have seen personally from first hand accounts of my friends talking about kids and siblings and such... most are indeed hitting up the vocational school for a year to get employed in a trade/skill area and then pursuing college afterwards at a slower pace.  No sense in going full time and finishing sooner if you only end up unemployed sooner.

And especially with people out of work.  They don't want to spend 2+ years going back to college (even though the state will send them), because they simply can't wait that long to generate income again.  So they do the 10-12 months thing and reenter the workforce.

Other than state schools, most universities are a complete rip off.

[sync pulse]

Having a population with a high percentage of university educated persons reduces the gullibility quotient of your citizenry.  It may sound elitist, but a well rounded education does make a person superior...

[Soul Crusher]

Having a population with a high percentage of university educated persons reduces the gullibility quotient of your citizenry.  It may sound elitist, but a well rounded education does make a person superior...

No doubt, but some can argue that spending 150K over 4 years is just not worth the price.   

[Deicide]

No doubt, but some can argue that spending 150K over 4 years is just not worth the price.   

[LurkerNoMore]

I studied German, Latin and History as an undergraduate. Was it interesting? Sure. Useful, no.

My employer offers excellent tuition reimbursement benefits which I am using to complete my MFA in Photography via online/distance learning in my spare time.  (Photography has been a very rewarding hobby of mine for many years).

People like myself who are enrolled in it simply for personal reasons and such are rare.  Though to be honest if I had to pay for the course myself, I wouldn't be doing it.  But it is kind of saddening to look at the students there who are pursuing this in hopes of making a career out of it.  Especially in today's times.  I just have to shake my head.  I have made some very nice coin from doing this as a hobby simply by word of mouth and have been rewarded in other ways (free concert tickets, vacations, paid travel all over the world, etc..) but I was very very lucky to have stumbled into this.  "Right place right time" type of thing.   These kids have no idea what they are facing when they go out there and try to compete with the professionals who are looking for work too.  They would come out better simply getting a business degree (which would be more useful in the long run) and learning photography on their own by reading general books.  

[Deicide]

My employer offers excellent tuition reimbursement benefits which I am using to complete my MFA in Photography via online/distance learning in my spare time.  (Photography has been a very rewarding hobby of mine for many years).

People like myself who are enrolled in it simply for personal reasons and such are rare.  Though to be honest if I had to pay for the course myself, I wouldn't be doing it.  But it is kind of saddening to look at the students there who are pursuing this in hopes of making a career out of it.  Especially in today's times.  I just have to shake my head.  I have made some very nice coin from doing this as a hobby simply by word of mouth and have been rewarded in other ways (free concert tickets, vacations, paid travel all over the world, etc..) but I was very very lucky to have stumbled into this.  "Right place right time" type of thing.   These kids have no idea what they are facing when they go out there and try to compete with the professionals who are looking for work too.  They would come out better simply getting a business degree (which would be more useful in the long run) and learning photography on their own by reading general books.  

I would not have changed too much, languages are a forte of mine and I think I would have stayed there but perhaps used them in a more practical way. Even now I am thinking about doing a 2nd MA in the future in Applied Translation.

[sync pulse]

No doubt, but some can argue that spending 150K over 4 years is just not worth the price.   

Therefore the need of states to fully fund and support systems of public colleges and universities.
My per semester tuition cost at the University Of Houston was $800.00.  The only reason conservatives have cut the funding of public universities is the fact they are pissed off about how most of the citizens who were politically active against the Vietnam War were public university students...

[Soul Crusher]

Therefore the need of states to fully fund and support systems of public colleges and universities.
My per semester tuition cost at the University Of Houston was $800.00.  The only reason conservatives have cut the funding of public universities is the fact they are pissed off about how most of the citizens who were politically active against the Vietnam War were public university students...

The existence of massive school loans from the fed gov has driven the cost of college to bubble like prices.  This bubble will pop like the housing market did.