Am re-reading favorite author Charles Murray’s Coming Apart and his dismay that the working class refuses to participate in high tech and take advantage of high income home ownership that is now creating the infamous “equality gap” that the Dems continue to whine about.
Here’s the story:
As in most progressive societies, one is not allowed to sit still and assume life goes on as usual. One of America’s most impressive characteristics has been her ability to adapt and show the world that we are visionaries. This isn’t happening amongst the once flourishing middle class in the U.S. because nobody seems to understand the concept of change.
Car, tool & die, textile factories are shutting down and sent overseas.
But what about the enormous need for plumbers, electricians, landscape architects, cleaning services that are necessary to maintain our continuous growth and wealth?
My cleaning lady charges me $200 an hour; my landscaper $600 a month to mow my lawn, fertilize, and trim foliage. (As Hyp would say) WTF is their problem?
Don’t want to do those jobs? Here is my solution: Heavily endowed state universities who sponsor very expensive NCAA programs (trade school for the pro leagues) should be developing 2 year programs for the highly skilled technicians who keep our homes and businesses running. I can barely change a light bulb! These people are critical to an ever growing affluence but they seem to need more validation.
Yes, I know there are plenty of “trade” schools but I’ll refer to my friend K, my computer tech. As a retired Marine, he rcvd a Masters from the University of Florida (on the GI bill) and is well on his way to becoming a rich man.
Colleges can help and they should but not at $50K a year. They have the money and the endowments to add this aspect of education to their agenda. God knows the lib arts majors could be covering this nut!
ST UnWoked & UnVaxxed! 
Murray is an expert at stating the problem, in ‘Coming Apart’. Wondering if any of his work discusses practical solutions.
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He correctly attributes the breakdown of social mores for most of our problems but you’re right, he offers rare solutions. I have a few of my own, but that’s for another post. Perhaps we can work together on that? 🙂
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We have oil heat and none of the companies up here have service contracts any more. They say they can’t get employees who know how to service furnaces, air conditioning, etc. I wanted to start a school for HVAC techs. I would love to invest in something like that, a way of giving back to my beloved community. But my BMD pointed out that if there are no HVAC skilled people around here, where would we get teachers?
We had a big problem last year, and I actually think the man who came here serviced our furnace with his dying breath! Really, he died soon after.
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My wife is a professor at a Trade College (they still have to take basic courses, and she teaches English), and many of them, especially the welders, are hired before they graduate at excellent salaries. Many of the employers will also take care of tuition. So these kids have little to no student debt and excellent pay from day one. If I had teens today, I would be less inclined to send them to college, and more inclined to encourage trade school. Of course, a college degree in “13th Century Chinese pottery” leaves little in the way of career paths.
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Agree but you’d think major universities would give this type of education a shot without the high price tags. God knows, the universities are rolling in it! And don’t forget their emphasis on diversity or does that only apply to STEM and lib arts majors?
Student debt is no fun but student life can be rewarding and useful in its own way. And certainly, schools such as Michigan have impressive engineering and tech departments. I’m only saying trade students should have options.
In any case, I’m impressed with the school at which your wife teaches and I do know they exist. I’ve been reading too much Charles Murray lately with his gloomy outlook on the high rate of unemployment so I’d thought I’d suggest a teaser …
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Anyone remember ‘Shop Class’ in high school? God forbid we should teach high school boys a trade.
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