[quote=AN][quote=CA renter]Students/job seekers are being fed the myth that *they* are the problem, when (IMO) the problem is our global economic system. We have an oversupply of labor, globally-speaking, and demand for the goods and services being sold is drying up in many cases. So now, parents are expected to shell out upwards of six figures for their children’s educations without any guarantee of a decent job…or even if the decent job exists today, no guarantee that the specialized training will be able to qualify that person for a job in another field if the job market should change.[/quote]Really? Upward of 6 figures? CSU tuition are only ~$6k/year while UC are about $12k/year. That’s hardly 6 figures. Now, if you waste your money on private school for a degree that doesn’t pay, well, that’s essentially your own fault for wasting that money. No one forces you to pay $40k/year for a BA in underwater basket weaving.
[quote=CA renter]And let’s just consider for a moment what would happen if *everybody* got an engineering degree. What would happen to wages for those job applicants? Would our economy, or the job market, be any better off? If we compare the “innovations” of the past few years with the innovations from our “glory days” in the 1940s-1960s, we’re not doing so well. If Facebook is what we consider to be innovation and progress, then we’re in serious trouble, IMHO.[/quote]There’s much more than just Facebook. How about iPhone, Android phones, iPad, autonomous cars, drones, computing power that far exceed desktop computers from 10 years ago in the palm of your hand, 24/7 connectivity, ability to communicate and see people across the globe, voice recognition, nano-tech, biotech, etc. I can go on and on and on. You seriously need to open your eyes if you think Facebook is the only innovation we got in the last few years.
As for if everyone has an engineering degree, you fail to see that it’s not a zero sum game. Even more start ups will occur and maybe we’ll find new markets and new innovations. Maybe we’ll have EV cars that can drive 1000 miles and cellphones that’ll last a month. Maybe we’ll have a cure for cancer and AIDS. Maybe we’ll be able to do things we never would have thought of.[/quote]
I agree that CSU is relatively inexpensive, especially if the students live at home (which is what we’re planning to do), but for students who want to attend a private university, or a university that specializes in a particular major (can’t live at home), the costs increase quite a bit.
According to the CSU Standard Student Expense Budget (and I think their estimates are on the conservative side), the *current* annual cost for a student to attend college is $15K-$16K if they live at home, $20K-$24K if they live on campus, and $22K-$24K if they live off campus. If the student attends only four years, the cost will run between $60K and $96K for just a B.A./B.S. If they aren’t able to get all of their classes when they need them, or if they change majors, or if they pursue an advanced degree, the costs go up from there. And this is basically the least expensive option.
We must also note that today’s “in” major could very well be tomorrow’s over-saturated major when everyone rushes to get the same degree and/or the job market shifts. Look at what’s happened to nursing, for instance. So people might start out in the “right” major, only to enter a saturated job market with few prospects. That’s every bit as “worthless” as an underwater basket weaving degree, especially if the major is highly specialized, so it can’t really transfer easily (one of the benefits of a liberal arts major).
———
As for those innovations, while I respect the fact that many people are in love with their iPhones, the main innovation was getting a mobile phone into a person’s hand. That was done well before this past decade. Navigation is cool, but the rest is just “fluff” as far as I’m concerned. We had notebook/laptop computers decades ago, so the iPad isn’t such a big deal, IMO. And 24/7 connectivity is as much a burden as it is a blessing. We had voice recognition decades ago, TV cards for computers were available back then, too. And “Picturephones”/teleconferencing was available decades ago, as well. There have been some advances in biotech, but with cancer, for instance, we’re still using many of the same drugs and treatments that we were using decades ago. Drones???? Don’t get me started on drones! 🙁
Sorry, but I’m just not seeing the life-altering innovations that you seem to be seeing. Of course, I’ll admit that you are more tech-focused than I am, so you’re more likely to notice the incremental changes that might be a big deal to you (and others like you), but not nearly as impressive to me (and others like myself).
I also think you greatly underestimate the extent to which our economy IS zero-sum.
