After High School--What?

This month millions of youth graduated from high school. Commencement exercises rang with the promise of glorious futures full of meaning and success. Unfortunately, for most of those youth, the promise will not be fulfilled because they stop their education.

Over the next few weeks we will review how to prepare for a career. This week will discuss the consequences of not getting post high school training or education. Other topics we will explore together include how to:

1. Decide what career you wish to pursue--to ensure it makes you happy
2. Select the educational or vocational program that is right for you
3. Complete applications that wow admissions committees
4. Find the funding to pay for your continued education

The National Center Education Statistics declared in 2010 "The status dropout rate declined from 14 percent in 1980 to 8 percent in 2008. A significant part of this decline occurred between 2000 and 2008 (from 11 percent to 8 percent). Status dropout rates and changes in these rates over time differed by race/ethnicity. In general, the status dropout rates for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics each declined between 1980 and 2008. However, in each year during that period, the status dropout rate was lower for Whites and Blacks than for Hispanics. " The good news: fewer students fail to graduate than in years past.

Unfortunately, most youth do not continue with further training. Once again, the National Center for Education Statistics states "Overall participation in adult education among individuals age 16 or older increased from 40 percent in 1995 to 46 percent in 2001 and then declined to 44 percent in 2005. In 2005, among the various types of adult education activities, individuals age 16 or older participated most in work-related courses (27 percent), followed by personal interest courses (21 percent), part-time college or university degree programs (5 percent), and other activities (3 percent)."

In other words, 66% of our high school students do not gain any additional training after high school. In the past, they had other options that would give them decent salaries and train them on-the-job. Too many factories have outsourced oversees. Too many mines now use robots and mechanical miners to save lives and cut costs. The ability for fathers and uncles to help nieces and nephews get into the trades has almost completely disappeared. The last vestige of decent wages for people with only a high school diploma was construction--and look what has happened to construction.

So, what jobs await high school graduates with no additional training or certification? Fast food, retail, and unskilled services. I offer the following as evidence: when I was younger the average age of fast food workers was 16-18. Now, ask yourself "How old are the average fast food workers that serve me today?" Your answer may include 18, late 20s, mid 30s, and even early 60s. I'm not against fast food or retail. I believe they provide very fulfilling work for a lot of people. However, I also note that a lot of people work fast food and retail, not because they love the work, but because it is all they can find.

Lack of post high school training condemns people to lives in poverty. Education is the key to advancement and opportunity. So, if you have a loved one that graduated this month, or if you are an adult who did not gain additional skills after high school, consider the advantages of further training. It need not be college, there are other wonderful opportunities, that we will explore next week. Please join us.