Good morning friends!
Hope this post finds everyone well! As of late, I have been thinking about education and employment. See, I have encouraged all of my children to go to college (and I have attended myself) because in this world, it is the "token" that gets you noticed by potential employers. Now, I then think WHY is it like this. The educational system (university level) is SO in bed with the government, literally raping those looking to better and/or secure their future, by immediately putting the pressure of debt onto its students. The book costs are outrageous, the tuition is through the roof, and these poor kids (and seasoned adults) graduate these institutions with their bachelor's degree with only 6 months to find gainful employment before the banks have their hands out for their money. What happens is that approximately half of students with a bachelor's degree enter the workforce from college at low-paying, entry level positions because there are no positions available to them in their area of study, which then takes jobs away from the "under-educated" population trying to make ends meet and support their families. I've also read that a lot of employers will not hire someone who has been "unemployed" for over a year, because it is too much of a time lapse between employment. Now I ask, IN THIS ECONOMY, you can seriously discriminate against someone who has been unemployed due to circumstances BEYOND their control---for HOWEVER long?
My take on this whole scenario is that discriminatory practices go on right under our noses and no one says anything, does anything about it, and just allows this to happen. For one, the word and notion of "REQUIRED" in reference to a level of education in order to even be CONSIDERED for a position should be banned as far as I am concerned. To me, this is discriminatory. I would argue that there are people with half the education or no college education at all and twice the experience that would run circles around a new 4-year college graduate in job performance. In this country of free enterprise, we should promote and defend "OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL", not a select few. And then what happens when these 4-year college grads go and snap up all the entry-level (no formal education required) positions from those who HAVE NO formal education JUST BECAUSE they have "more" of an education? This then, is covert discrimination. Just as it is a requirement for the higher-paying, more technically advanced positions to have a formal education REQUIREMENT to even be CONSIDERED at all, these entry-level jobs should disallow a formal education. Oh, but the latter concept would BE discrimination....REALLY???? Money attracts money...poverty attracts poverty.
It is my thought that there are people out there who have had no formal education in a area of interest or specific INNATE talent they posses. For instance, how many successful musicians were formally trained? I would venture to say...not too many. They don't get signed to a record label because they graduated Julliard...they get signed because their talent is noticed and they are given a chance to prove their talent. A majority of them are self-taught. I think about Michelangelo...and how we would never have chance to glance at the breathtaking work he had done on the Sistine Chapel...or the architectural sculptures had been "required" to have a formal education. Albert Einstein, though a 4-year college graduate, dropped out of high school, was disliked by all of his teachers, and while working as a patent clerk wrote the first of his scientific papers to be published, was offered positions to teach at various universities---(without that dreaded Master's degree or even PhD that is *required* nowadays to do such a thing) and to be totally honest, he didn't NEED the education to do any of it...he had an inquisitive and expansive mind and an innate understanding of what interested him...he only went to college because he felt he HAD to in order to do what he already innately knew how to do to begin with...and to be honest, if you know anything about him...he balked at the educational system as a whole and felt it also to be a very insignificant part of his motivation, knowledge, and gave it pretty much no credit at all for any of his achievement---even HIS teaching style.
I will tell you with a pretty solid belief that there are a ton of people who could do the same job as well if not even better than someone who is technically trained to do so. There is something to be said for passion and experience, and the self-discipline it takes someone who cannot AFFORD a formal education to take it upon themselves to educate themselves, research and or practice tireless hours, gain experience on their own WITHOUT the benefit of being "paid" for it. There is also something to be said about an exemplary work-ethic of those who NEED a job to survive and take care of their family--they don't take any opportunity for granted, as maybe some Harvard graduate whose education was paid for my their parents..??? Do we, in the wise words of Martin Luther King Jr., judge someone unfairly because of outward appearance (or in any discriminatory way), really while avoiding the content of one's character.
Food for thought. I am thinking it is time that someone started a coalition for "employment of the innately talented"...yeah...maybe it is time for something like this...I'm am SO sick of the corporate powers-that-be setting the bar for survival only high enough for them to achieve. We all should have the same rights, the same chance to prove ourselves, and the same opportunity to DO SO.
So for today, good day...and I will be working on this, because it is something I am passionate about and believe in.
I would welcome any comments
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