High school seniors are applying to college without much of a clue about the world of work. This is one of the reasons why many of them have enormous student debt and low starting salaries. No one stopped to figure out if that career would support loans of that magnitude.
And, high school seniors aren’t aware of the range of possibilities for employment. If you don’t have a chemical engineer in your family, why would you want to be one? Or a physical therapist? Or a neurologist? Or…..
Parents can play a role in this type of education, but the schools should be the focal point, with educational curriculum specific to careers. Not to direct students to a certain career, but to make them aware of the possibilities and ramifications. After all is it more important to read Hamlet, or to figure out how you want to spend the rest of your life? No disparagement to Hamlet intended.
Thanks, Carole. One of the pleasures of my retail career was mentoring and developing employees. I taught classes in retail math and customer service, coached on the sales floor, encouraged folks who never thought they could grow - to do just that. At HD, we were directed to spend at least 25% of our time preparing our troops to help us open new stores and fuel the growth of the company. Another pleasure was speaking at high schools and community college about what a career in retail was like. A sort of "day in the life" conversation. I don't miss the long hours or the pressure. But I do miss mentoring. For me it was a payback for the mentoring and guidance I received as a kid.
Ditto, Carole and Bill. It’s crazy how tunnel visioned our educational system has become. I was so delighted when a friend told me her son, a recent HS graduate, is apprenticing with a plumber, another friend’s son is apprenticing as a mason. We have so missed the mark in our country.
This brings to mind Michael Moore’s film: “ Where to Invade Next,” which portrays this common sense approach adopted by European countries regarding health, working and LIVING, prison, etc. Quite amazing.
Bill, I agree with you 100% on this.
High school seniors are applying to college without much of a clue about the world of work. This is one of the reasons why many of them have enormous student debt and low starting salaries. No one stopped to figure out if that career would support loans of that magnitude.
And, high school seniors aren’t aware of the range of possibilities for employment. If you don’t have a chemical engineer in your family, why would you want to be one? Or a physical therapist? Or a neurologist? Or…..
Parents can play a role in this type of education, but the schools should be the focal point, with educational curriculum specific to careers. Not to direct students to a certain career, but to make them aware of the possibilities and ramifications. After all is it more important to read Hamlet, or to figure out how you want to spend the rest of your life? No disparagement to Hamlet intended.
Thanks, Carole. One of the pleasures of my retail career was mentoring and developing employees. I taught classes in retail math and customer service, coached on the sales floor, encouraged folks who never thought they could grow - to do just that. At HD, we were directed to spend at least 25% of our time preparing our troops to help us open new stores and fuel the growth of the company. Another pleasure was speaking at high schools and community college about what a career in retail was like. A sort of "day in the life" conversation. I don't miss the long hours or the pressure. But I do miss mentoring. For me it was a payback for the mentoring and guidance I received as a kid.
Ditto, Carole and Bill. It’s crazy how tunnel visioned our educational system has become. I was so delighted when a friend told me her son, a recent HS graduate, is apprenticing with a plumber, another friend’s son is apprenticing as a mason. We have so missed the mark in our country.
This brings to mind Michael Moore’s film: “ Where to Invade Next,” which portrays this common sense approach adopted by European countries regarding health, working and LIVING, prison, etc. Quite amazing.
Love your blog, Bill. Please sign me up!