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Tyler Fink

Mrs. Cramer

College Comp 1 Pd. 5A

November 29, 2018

Higher Education in Modern Times

Do people need an education to be successful in the modern job market? Higher

education. This is important because the growing job market is requiring more and more jobs to

have a degree as well as experience within that field. Some people however aren’t following

along with the world’s growing demands, and this turn of events has both benefits and

consequences. An education is necessary for personal, local, national, and even international

prosperity for everyone. An education also develops several beneficial real-world skills.

To start, pursuing some sort of education after high school is a great first step for future

success. Whether that’s attending some college or university, a trade school or an apprenticeship.

All are great options, no matter what ones plans for their life may be. For example, going to

college gives those who graduate benefits in civic involvement, better communication (verbal

and written), greater sense of discipline and sense of accomplishment. Furthermore, the skills

developed and improved when pursuing a higher education are the abilities to collect info,

organize it, and then analyze with both a critical and open mind for the necessary pieces to be

included into another project or thought. They also encourage the exploring of new ideas on how

to approach a problem, asking meaningful or difficult questions, more creative, and think at a

much higher level. All these skills help contribute to a more stable society. According to

Rebecca Mead, staff writer for The New Yorker, college teaches students "to nurture critical

thought; to expose individuals to the signal accomplishments of humankind; to develop in them


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an ability not just to listen actively but to respond intelligently;" all of which "are habits of

mind…from which a letter carrier, no less than a college professor, might derive a sense of self-

worth." In 2011 74% of students said college helped them "grow intellectually" and 69% said

college helped them grow and mature as people. Investments into higher education can provide

benefits to both society as well as the individuals applying these skills to their community. (Pew

Research and New Yorker)

Some might say that pursuing college as a higher education is not worth going into deep

debt with student loans to achieve it. Mostly because student loan debts overwhelm students after

they graduate, which is primarily to blame on the students just not being able to find good stable

work fresh out of college. But If a person has graduated and they play their cards well and are

employed in a job that has potential for that person to move up within and change the field they

should no trouble at all with paying their debt off over time. College graduates on average have a

student loan debt of $37,172. Graduates career earnings though in comparison to only high

school grads are around 71% to 136% higher on average. 1 (Forbes)

Another potential argument one would possibly make is that learning a trade profession is

sometimes more beneficial for someone than a degree. While for some this may indeed be true,

the growing job market is covered mainly by professions that require a degree (engineers, doctor,

etc.). 65% of future jobs in the United States will require some sort of higher educational degree

or experience. Trade professions are necessary for society to function, require less than four

years of training, and often pay above average wages. The high number of young adults choosing

college over learning a trade has created a 'skills gap' in the US and there is now a shortage of

1 (Antanagoge on line 7-8)


I’m doing a comparison something kind of bad while using something good to cushion it.
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'middle-skill" trade workers like machinists, electricians, plumbers, and construction workers.

One 2011 survey of US manufacturers found that 67% reported a "moderate to severe shortage

of workers," "Middle-skill" jobs represent half of all jobs in the US that pay middle-class wages.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "middle-skill" jobs will make up 35% of projected

job openings through 2014, but as of 2012 only 25% of the workforce had the skills to fill those

jobs. While not a higher education like college that awards a degree. Learning the skills to do

these jobs is an education none the less. But statistically it is more likely for someone to benefit

from receiving a degree because of the new job market that’s in demand for educated people

with a degree. 2 (Huffington Post) (Pro-Con)

Lastly, a higher education or a type of degree is required for many jobs in the new market

to gain economic and job progression success in the field. The “College Board” says that the

benefits of college education in the 21 st Century to include increased overall earnings, personal

development, and a realization of one's passions. The average college graduate makes

$570,000 more than the average high school graduate over a lifetime. In 2016, the average

income for people 25 years old and older with a high school diploma was $35,615, while the

income for those with a bachelor's degree was $65,482, and $92,525 for those with advanced

degrees. The average income for families with a bachelor's degree holder was $100,096 in

2011—more than double than that for a family with only high school graduates. This shows

statistically that those with a degree will be much more financially sound then those with

only a high school education. Having a higher education also creates more potential

opportunities down the road of one's career. They are prioritized or have more attention

drawn towards them. When companies and businesses are looking for new employee’s, they

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I use it to simplify or get my point across clearly.
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look at their qualifications for the position. When reviewing job applications, if any

applicants have some sort of degree or valuable work experience within their field, they’re

put into a separate pie to looked over more carefully for consideration. As opposed to high

school grads with no credible qualifications. This leaves those with an education or trade

with an immediate head start for getting hired, promotions later, and potential raises for one's

excellent work in their job and field. If a person does not pursue a degree or some form of

credible education in a trade, then have effectively sabotaged the rest of their life. (College

Board and Vista College)3

To sum up, for prosperity locally, nationally, and internationally. A trade education or

degree is necessary to accommodate the growing demand of educated individuals in the new job

markets. Receiving an education of any subject whether its electrical, engineer, or machinist;

they all help people economically, helps with the progression of one's profession, as well as

social and developmental skills. These come into play while being educated on the material and

procedures as well as when applying it to one's everyday lifestyle. All of which contribute to

improving society for all who reside in it? So, in modern times is it necessary for a person to be

educated to be successful in today's job market? In today's market it is necessary one way or

another to have some sort of education to be successful in this world. We can’t just focus and

prioritize one type of education over another that’s equally as important. Society has been

pushing more and more people into college, but we’re seeing a massive lack of trade professions

as a result of this; which hurts our society a great deal. We need society to push people towards

both routes of education, because our complicated society needs both to work in unison for

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I use it to emphasize or increase the perceived consequence of this viewpoint.
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everyone to prosper. We need everyone able to get out there and help keep this great civilization

we have built together thriving for many generations to come.


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Works Cited
American Psychological Association. 23 May 2003, www.apa.org/research/action/smarter.aspx
Accessed 19 Sept. 2018.
Annual Reviews. 23 Apr. 2012. Annual Review of Sociology,
www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev.soc.012809.102503?af=R Accessed 18
Sept. 2018.
College Board - Education Pays. trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/education-pays-
2004-full-report.pdf. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Fink, Dee. Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing
College Courses. 2013,
books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cehvAAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT9&dq=have
+college+courses+become+easier+for+the+modern+student&ots=GCjGtVarEJ&sig=MV
T4ktRxOnMQd3wQYD4jlSbwXzs#v=onepage&q&f=false. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
"The Importance of a Higher Education." WWW.visitacollege.edu,
www.vistacollege.edu/blog/resources/higher-education-in-the-21st-century/.
Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. ferris.edu/jimcrow/coon/. Accessed 12 Nov. 2018.
NMSU - Journal.
web.nmsu.edu/~susanbro/eced440/docs/standards_here_today_here_tomorrow.pdf.
Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
ProCon. "Is a College Education worth It?" ProCon, college-education.procon.org/. Accessed 12
Feb. 2019.

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