“Fill Your Pocketbook of Knowledge”

1. 

   Without question, education is extremely important, but it certainly has changed in the new normal, the times that we are currently living.

   A friend of ours daughter is a UCLA graduate, standing in line to get a job with the TSA, she is extremely bright and articulate, and finished well in her graduating class, two years after graduation, she is a trainee security specialist, working for the government.

   Graduates today face the stark reality that a college education is no guarantee of a better job, or any job for that matter. Employers are seeking experienced people, that have a track record of successful employment. The level of risk with graduates lacking real world experience and expertise has never been lower in the current economic climate.

   The obvious point that education is extremely important, must be taken in the proper perspective, this country needs more than college grads, business majors, lawyers and such. At some point we need to put “extremely important” in the non-college categories, supporting our trade apprentice programs, rebuilding our manufacturing skill base so that we may continue to support the age-old concept of converting raw materials to finished goods.

   One of the most brilliant men that I ever have the privilege to work with, made wooden patterns that were used in a foundry to produce castings. He created millions of dollars worth of products with his incredible expertise and brilliance, he never went to college but it took him a lifetime become a journeyman pattern maker. The sad reality is that his job was eliminated, those beautiful mahogany patterns are currently made in a dimly lit Chinese wood shop.

   The real message here, is that education comes to people in different ways, let’s keep our options and our perspective in check.