“I think a trillion dollars of student loans and a massive skills gap are precisely what happens to a society that actively promotes one form of education as the best course for the most people. I think the stigmas and stereotypes that keep so many people from pursuing a truly useful skill, begin with the mistaken belief that a four-year degree is somehow superior to all other forms of learning.” Mike Rowe
A friend and I were having lunch the other day and getting caught up on the comings and goings in each other’s families.
My friend has three remarkable, talented daughters who have fled the nest and are busy taking the world by storm. All three are degreed engineers and off to fast starts in the oil and gas industry.
My friend’s son, on the other hand, has struggled with college and is not on an engineer’s career path into the halls of corporate America. His father is worried and wonders how to help his boy get off the starting line. But the answer was right there.
His son is not going to be a doctor, engineer or mathematician. He is affable and engaging but tends to talk too much, so a sales or retail environment might not work out.
But he can weld! He’s good at it AND he likes it.
Demand for welders is high. If you are willing to go to remote places or take on difficult conditions, six figure incomes are readily attainable.
Which brings me to this remarkable post from Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame. He sets out to comment on Howard Dean’s foot-in-mouth incident where he attempted to belittle Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for lacking a college degree. He ends up illustrating the crucial difference between competence and qualification.
Truly worth a minute of time to read and consider!