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Tyler Fink
Mrs. Cramer
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
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
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
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
'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
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
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
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
everyone to prosper. We need everyone able to get out there and help keep this great civilization
Works Cited
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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
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Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. ferris.edu/jimcrow/coon/. Accessed 12 Nov. 2018.
NMSU - Journal.
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Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
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