Disclosure: I dropped out of college just before my senior year in order to accept a position in my chosen field.
I don't think that college is unnecessary. In fact, I'd say that as more and more people go to college, it becomes more necessary to hold a degree in order to compete--even at entry-level positions. I have friends that are getting beaten out for restaurant work because they don't have a degree (really).
This, to me, is where the problem lies. We are simultaneously overvaluing (for basic, entry-level work) and undervaluing (for higher-level jobs) college degrees.
There is no doubt that to get, say, an entry-level engineering job in today's market, you need a degree (and from what I've seen, preferably a Master's). But if you have your bachelors and are still struggling to get work that traditionally doesn't require one (administrative assistants, call center employees, service industry staff, etc. come to mind), is it worth spending $40-$200k on a degree?
Furthermore, skilled trades in the United States are plummeting. Mike Rowe addressed this very well in his TED talk[1]: electricians, plumbers and mechanics are getting more and more rare (and are still highly in demand) because of the stigma of not attending college.
I believe that in the next several years, as unemployment for college graduates becomes more visible, that skilled trades will once again become respectable, admired careers. It's crazy to me that people like Master Electricians ever became stigmatized at all--we are in serious need of their services, and it requires immense skill and intelligence to perform their jobs.
In some communities people can get away without doing any work. I know dozens who have perused degrees in liberal arts only be barristers or get an MS in a field like journalism and get paid 35,000 to write music reviews (the quality of which could be found on mechanical turk). I take it as fact that enjoying your life and living off your parents is more socially expectable than skilled trades: I think we have a long way to go before plumber becomes respected.
The stigma might be associated with jealousy. I know I would be annoyed if the median income of a HS-degree profession were higher than my college-degree income. If not watched carefully, that would lead to thinking that while they are better off financially, they lack in other areas, like small world view, no critical thinking, etc - in other words, stigma.
I don't think that college is unnecessary. In fact, I'd say that as more and more people go to college, it becomes more necessary to hold a degree in order to compete--even at entry-level positions. I have friends that are getting beaten out for restaurant work because they don't have a degree (really).
This, to me, is where the problem lies. We are simultaneously overvaluing (for basic, entry-level work) and undervaluing (for higher-level jobs) college degrees.
There is no doubt that to get, say, an entry-level engineering job in today's market, you need a degree (and from what I've seen, preferably a Master's). But if you have your bachelors and are still struggling to get work that traditionally doesn't require one (administrative assistants, call center employees, service industry staff, etc. come to mind), is it worth spending $40-$200k on a degree?
Furthermore, skilled trades in the United States are plummeting. Mike Rowe addressed this very well in his TED talk[1]: electricians, plumbers and mechanics are getting more and more rare (and are still highly in demand) because of the stigma of not attending college.
I believe that in the next several years, as unemployment for college graduates becomes more visible, that skilled trades will once again become respectable, admired careers. It's crazy to me that people like Master Electricians ever became stigmatized at all--we are in serious need of their services, and it requires immense skill and intelligence to perform their jobs.
1: http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty_jobs.htm...