The Crippling Effects of the American “College for All” Mentality

I remember walking through the halls of my high school to see the phrase “College and Career Ready” outside every classroom and constantly receiving brochures in the mail about my school’s success in helping students become “College and Career Ready.” Throughout my four years in high school, it was apparent that only one end of this mission statement was being upheld in our curriculum; college readiness. Countless ACT workshops left me less motivated to perform well on the test and numerous college representatives smothered my peers and I to the point we believed college was the only choice for a future. This same mindset that a college education is more important than a path in vocational education continues to overwhelm the minds of the majority of America’s youth into thinking that college is the only option for higher education. This ideology appears to be increasing college entrance rates across the country. However, the higher numbers of college dropout rates and overwhelming job openings in the vocational fields are being overshadowed by the idea that “College is for everyone.” Instead, more emphasis needs to be placed on career and technical education due to the lack of student engagement in the current educational system, students’ need for diverse employability skills, and the increasing demand for middle-skilled workers in the United States.

According to The Christian Science Monitor (1999), over ninety-six percent of high school seniors believe college is important with over half of these students saying they expect to attain a bachelor’s degree (Clayton, 1999). Although these numbers seem high in overall support in gaining a college education, further statistics show only thirty percent of students complete a bachelor’s degree by their mid-twenties (Paulson, 2011). As a country that already lacks in international leadership in education, this small percentage of Americans earning college degrees should be alarming and we should recognize our current educational system is not substandard. Our current educational state pushes students towards college as the only option for higher education leaving many non-traditional learners feeling left behind, leading to increasing high school and college drop outs (Paulson, 2011). Unlike other advanced countries, our educational system minimally offers an alternate system for higher education that leaves many students believing college is their only option for the future (Paulson, 2011). In contrast, vocational education, specifically, Career and Technical Education (CTE), maintains high learner engagement by making curriculum seem important as it relates to students’ future careers. CTE offers courses in a variety of subjects including agriculture, healthcare, computer science, marketing, business, and engineering. With such a wide variety in learning opportunities, students are able to study topics that are of interest to them and keeps students engaged in their educational journey. Unfortunately, many do not see the educational value in vocational schools due to the traditional stigma associated with CTE as the “…dumping ground for poorer students and students of color” (Paulson, 2011). By offering an alternative form of learning through CTE to many students who may be disinterested in traditional education, we as a society open doors to successful futures for students no matter their social, economic, or school performance backgrounds.

Although CTE is an excellent alternative for nontraditional learners, the programs can still offer vital skills to the standard student that will make them attractive to future employers. CTE programs offer a unique approach to education by providing by “…content-rich programs containing both academics and hands on skills…” to allow students to apply the curriculum learned in the classroom to real-world applications (Moore, 2015). Therefore, students are more apt to grasp a better understanding on how to apply skills in their future careers because they already practice them beginning as early as middle school. For many American employers, they have access to several highly qualified applicants who possess the academic background to perform the tasks at hand, but such applicants lack basic soft skills to be successful in the workplace and with clients. Luckily, CTE teaches such skills within its curriculum to prepare students for the workforce and set them apart from students from core education backgrounds. Whether students plan on attending a conventional form of college education or the vocational track, career and technical education should be emphasized greater in order to equip students with the soft skills necessary to be successful in their future careers.

As mentioned, CTE is vital in providing students opportunity in attaining successful careers in both the professional and middle-skilled workforces. Unfortunately, our current educational system that primarily focuses on college education is negatively impacting our current economy and employment in the United States. In a Georgetown University study, there has been about 14 million job openings since 2008 in middle-skilled occupations (Paulson, 2011). Middle-skilled occupations include careers as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and many others. Although these careers are labeled as “middle-skilled,” they actually require advanced skills that are currently in high demand in the United States, however, these careers are only possible through vocational education due to required certifications (Moore, 2015). Although the American economy is slowly improving, our economic status is still fragile in comparison to other industrialized countries as unemployment and poverty are still issues that cripple the American economy. In order to overcome these problems and maintain economically relevant in the world, we must “…address the talent shortage and skill gaps of our current workforce…” as these shortages directly correlate with our decline in career and technical education support (Moore, 2015). Ultimately, Dr. Moore (2015) writes in her article, “The Importance and Relevance of CTE”, “Flexibility in the ways we offer education empowers the disenfranchised to work toward achievable educational goals to overcome a life limited by economic struggle.” Therefore, CTE must be held to high preference in order to allow all students to succeed in their futures beyond their educational journeys that will correlate with the ability of America to remain economically competitive and relevant in the global market.

If America’s educational system continues its current ideology of “one size fits all” in relation to attaining higher education, we cripple nontraditional students’ ability to advance their economic and social situations by limiting their career opportunities. Our current educational system must adapt to offer an alternative vocational system with the same emphasis as college receives in secondary school today. Specifically, career and technical education should be viewed in higher regard as it increases student engagement, teaches all forms of students employability skills, and addresses the rising demand for vocational careers. As a society, we have a choice in how we develop our educational system for the future, however, our current students lack the choice in their path to higher education.

References

Clayton, M. (1999, October 19). Is college for everyone. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from https://csmonitor.com

Moore, J. (2015, March, 4). The importance and relevance of CTE. Retrieved from the Psychology Today website: https://www.psychologytoday.com

Paulson, A. (2011, February 2). Does everyone need a college degree. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from https://csmonitor.com

Thomas Fordham Institution. (2016, April 7). Benefits of CTE Coursework [Digital image]. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from http://edex.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Benefits of CTE Coursework (teal none).png