Labor Day and the American Dream

[question everything]

SEPTEMBER 1, 2009

Labor Day and the American Dream

By WILLIAM MCGURN
WSJ

(snip)

As the Labor Department's Web site notes, the original intent for the holiday was a parade that would illustrate "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations." Over the years, however, Labor Day has morphed into little more than a three-day weekend signaling the end of summer. It gets worse. Over the past few decades, union manufacturing jobs that were once the big ticket to the middle class have been disappearing. The reason, economists tell us, are productivity improvements that in a competitive global economy depend more on brains than brawn. One result is the large (and widening) gap in lifetime earnings that has opened up between Americans who have a college degree and those who don't.

It's true that, on average, a college grad will make much more money and have significantly greater job security than his high school counterpart. For most Americans, it's also true that the likeliest path to upward mobility runs through the college quad. Averages, however, never tell the whole story. In a paper called "America's Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs," two economists — America
University's Robert Lerman and Georgetown's Harry Holzer — say that there are still plenty of jobs that don't require college but pay above the national average. The catch is that for high school graduates to get these jobs, they need to upgrade their skills through apprenticeships, community college, on-the-job training, certification programs, etc.

Mr. Lerman points out that physical therapists earn about $74,000 a year, while power plant operators average $58,000. Both jobs can be done by high school graduates who have had extra training, and both pay above the American mean earnings of $42,000 a year. And American employers continue to complain about a shortage of workers with the kinds of skills these jobs demand.

The point is that while college is a good way to gain human capital, it's not the only way. Other skills matter, too: from the ability to communicate and work in groups to old-fashioned virtues such as punctuality and reliability. Further education matters too, though what constitutes education is far more varied than a college sheepskin. Even — perhaps especially — for those in the trades, community college and certification programs are important, and generally lead to higher earnings. Apprentice programs, some of which Mr. Rowe highlights, can also be valuable. Alas, our public education system remains mostly oriented to one-size-fits-all: college.

(snip)

None of this diminishes the value of education. But this Labor Day, it bears remembering that arguably the most valuable skill in today's economy is the ability to learn new skills — whether that means working for an advanced degree, completing the requirements for a technical certification, or simply having enough smarts to let an accomplished mentor teach you the tricks of the trade. Of course, working in the trades or starting up a small business is not for everyone. Then again, neither is college.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970204731804574384974132413190.html

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page A15

[HillbillyBob]

1. Yea learn a new set of skills every few years to stay employeed

then you lose your seniority, forget health insurance, or vacations or or or.
I know I spent my working life learning a new set of skills every time I got outsourced, downsized, laid off, company closed, company sold to another company who fired everyone.
Forget stability, for get fair treatment be ready to go without a job or income every few years for a couple of years while you learn a new skill set.

[question everything]

3. And this happens regardless of education

As a matter of fact, I think that if you are, say, a welder, you will have easier time finding a new job than, say, a lab researcher.

[vinylsolution]

2. Celebrate labor this weekend....

.... celebrate the people who built America, and protect what's left of blue-collar America. :fistbump:

And don't forget to throw another blue dog on the barbecue this weekend.