|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Threequalseven
Joined: 08 May 2012
|
 Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 8:53 am Post subject: |
 |
|
| bmaw01 wrote: |
| There are jobs out there. The problem is we need people who are skilled in areas such as math and science. The problem is most young people are led to believe that any degree will do. |
There are two points I want to make in response to this. First, this whole "math and science are the only worthy degrees" bit was not true even ten years ago. You could graduate with a degree in, say, communications and find work at a local TV or radio station. A psychology degree could get you work in a hospital or rehab center. Even an anthropology degree could land you a job at a museum or library. Just type in "What can you do with a ______ degree?" in Google, and those jobs used to exist. That's why people took those degrees to begin with. So when your college advisers say, "You could be an engineer and start out at $50,000, or you could do something less lucrative that you enjoy more and still start out at $30,000," there was some truth to it. Today, that's not the case, and it didn't happen by accident. Unemployment has doubled in the U.S. over the last 10 years, the recession hit human services (particularly government) especially hard, plus a new conservative movement has taken over the media and politics demanding even more cuts.
The second problem is access and affordability. Americans 40 years ago could do a four or five year program, pay for it as they go, and walk out certified pharmacists and doctors. Today, those programs are at least eight years long and cost over a $100,000 easily. That kind of price requires a lot of financial backing that most people just don't have. Another example is an engineer I met in Korea last week. He's an older guy working in the shipyards, and he told me that all he did was go to tech school. Back when he was studying, tech school was next to free. So, I'm sure there are plenty of anthropology majors and many others who would love to go back for something more marketable, but the cost is far too outrageous for most people to do so. This also isn't an accident, as "state" universities are getting less and less funding from the state which jacks up tuition costs. Who's instigating these cuts? You guessed it.
I'll end with an anecdote. My girlfriend's dad visited Korea last winter, and we got to talking on a similar subject. He told us that back in the 80s, the idea of staying at a job you hated was laughable. You could quit your job and get hired somewhere else the next day. This seems to explain a lot of the rhetoric about low-wage workers back home when people say, "nobody's forcing you to work there!" Half the country is detached from the problems younger people face entering the workforce. And there are plenty of people who benefit from those of us having said problems. The GDP hasn't stopped growing just because wages have. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 9:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Threequalseven wrote: |
| bmaw01 wrote: |
| There are jobs out there. The problem is we need people who are skilled in areas such as math and science. The problem is most young people are led to believe that any degree will do. |
There are two points I want to make in response to this. First, this whole "math and science are the only worthy degrees" bit was not true even ten years ago. You could graduate with a degree in, say, communications and find work at a local TV or radio station. A psychology degree could get you work in a hospital or rehab center. Even an anthropology degree could land you a job at a museum or library. Just type in "What can you do with a ______ degree?" in Google, and those jobs used to exist. That's why people took those degrees to begin with. So when your college advisers say, "You could be an engineer and start out at $50,000, or you could do something less lucrative that you enjoy more and still start out at $30,000," there was some truth to it. Today, that's not the case, and it didn't happen by accident. Unemployment has doubled in the U.S. over the last 10 years, the recession hit human services (particularly government) especially hard, plus a new conservative movement has taken over the media and politics demanding even more cuts.
The second problem is access and affordability. Americans 40 years ago could do a four or five year program, pay for it as they go, and walk out certified pharmacists and doctors. Today, those programs are at least eight years long and cost over a $100,000 easily. That kind of price requires a lot of financial backing that most people just don't have. Another example is an engineer I met in Korea last week. He's an older guy working in the shipyards, and he told me that all he did was go to tech school. Back when he was studying, tech school was next to free. So, I'm sure there are plenty of anthropology majors and many others who would love to go back for something more marketable, but the cost is far too outrageous for most people to do so. This also isn't an accident, as "state" universities are getting less and less funding from the state which jacks up tuition costs. Who's instigating these cuts? You guessed it.
I'll end with an anecdote. My girlfriend's dad visited Korea last winter, and we got to talking on a similar subject. He told us that back in the 80s, the idea of staying at a job you hated was laughable. You could quit your job and get hired somewhere else the next day. This seems to explain a lot of the rhetoric about low-wage workers back home when people say, "nobody's forcing you to work there!" Half the country is detached from the problems younger people face entering the workforce. And there are plenty of people who benefit from those of us having said problems. The GDP hasn't stopped growing just because wages have. |
Just curious: did you graduate from college 10 years ago? I graduated 12 years ago and the job market wasn't as robust as you are describing. It was similar to now...
I agree with most of what you're saying, but I think you're painting a rosey picture of the past. The "good times" seemed to have died with the recession due to the dotcom bubble popping and 9/11. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
