Is It Possible To Enter The Middle Class Without A College Degree? Eagster: I heard VP Biden say that soon in this country (U.S.) 6 out of 10 jobs wil require a college degree, now currently only 30 percent of Americans have a post secondary education. Is The need for well educated workers going to be detrimental to people who want a middle class job? Eagster: I think it's also noteworthy that 3 million jobs are available in this country but due to America's lack of skilled workers business' have to go to other countries to get those jobs filled. Guess tuition and cost of attendance has become too much for families to afford to send their child to school smh sad.  lori100: also, fewer fulltime jobs, more and more businesses only offer part time jobs,best to get degree in a field that needs workers--medical, technology, a general degree is not much help  harlett anathema: next big too hit the fan disgrace will be about all those who cheated to earn on line degree's and how incompetent those folks are who are using them... heck.. i have known folks going back as far into the 1990's who weren't able to land positions in their college degree fields... .  Farrah_: in my country, it still possible. we have different education approach for different field of employment. those certs just show that you studied and maybe productive.  duncan124: I am not sure what you mean by a college degree. In the UK a degree from a university is thought of as slightly better then a 'college' type of degree, a good example is MAs BAs in economics or such which are 'college' types. Once you have done all your hard work at university you are not likely to enjoy the company of scammers or free loaders. Eagster: College Degree: Associates, Masters, Bachelors, Doctorate, post secondary education. I guess that is how I would define it. Farrah_: mine in universities are more theoretical (tertiary ed) while college community (2nd ed) are more practical and offer professional skill certs that some companies seek for. people here hire you if you 'can' work we went on trial/contract first then you may apply permanent but that only applies in govt sector. need to sleep almost 4 am here. Snowy_: Depends what you take in college. There are some college courses which pay more than a university degree. A university degree, depending however what it is doesn't guarantee success. Especially if the job market is flooded by the same people with the same degrees. I know people with university degrees stocking shelves at grocery stores. Now that is a honorable job as I believe any hard working job is. A piece of paper doesn't guarantee success.  OCD_OCD: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/nyregion/immigrant-entrepreneurs-succeed-without-english.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Without English and many without much of a formal education. OCD_OCD: Do you feel dejected or left behind by your peers because you don’t have a college degree? Do you see your supposed illiteracy as a limitation to achieving your dreams? Or are you in the group that thinks education is the ultimate yardstick for success? If any of these questions best describes you, then please read on. How does it sound to your ears that most of the world’s richest men and women were school drop outs? Well don’t be surprised; it’s the truth. http://www.strategicbusinessteam.com/successful-entrepreneurs/the-worlds-richest-school-drop-out-billionaires/ Richard Branson: Best known for his adventurous spirit and outrageous business tactics. He dropped out of school at the age of 16 to start his first successful business venture; Student Magazine, bought his own 79-acre Caribbean island when he was just 24 and he was knighted in 1999. He is the billionaire founder of the Virgin brand and its 360 companies. His companies include the famous Virgin Atlantic Airways. Michael Dell: He dropped out of college at the age of 19 to start PC’s Limited; later renamed Dell Computers Inc. Dell became the most profitable PC manufacturer in the world making Michael Dell a billionaire. Walt Disney: Walt, regarded as the most influential animator because of his creativity with cartoons. He dropped out of high school at 16 and founded Walt Disney; a company which now has an annual revenue of about $30billion. Ray Kroc: Billionaire Ray Kroc never saw the four walls of school and spent most of his life working as a salesman. He bought McDonald’s in 1961 for $2.7m and grew it into a multi billion dollar company. ******** Read the article. They list 55 massively successful individuals with little to no college education, some with very little formal education at all. OCD_OCD: Snowy is right. Some degrees aren't worth the paper they are written on. College degrees were few and far between until what...probably the 70's? People went to work in a field they enjoyed, they worked hard, learned their company, became an asset to the company and were moved up based on their knowledge and hard work. That is pretty much a thing of the past now, though. People don't seem to have any company loyalty and vice versa. With or without a degree, it is going to take hard work and sacrifice. (Edited by OCD_OCD) Snowy_: @ Eagster. All I am saying is that you can't think a degree will guarantee you either a job or success. OR a certain place in society. There are plenty of people without degrees who are very successful. WHY? Because they made their own success in life by working hard and finding their niche in the market. Eagster: Everybody would like to be the next Steve Jobs but Let's be real here, most people aren't gonna drop out of Harvard like gates did, or invest their life savings into a small startup in California in hopes that it will go big. I do appreciate those ballsy and innovative people like Gates, Jobs, Zuckerberg etc. but in an overly competitive Capitalist system we all can't be like them, most of us just take the safer and predictable route of getting an undergrad degree and probably working in an office somewhere lol. Snowy_: Good luck ,and you have your whole life ahead of you. I hope you find your niche and are very successful . | Off Topic Chat Room Similar Conversations |