Manipulating the cost of college is not the answer to post-graduate unemployment.
It’s no secret that college is expensive no matter what type of financial background you come from, and it’s easy to think lowering the cost of attendance will prevent joblessness. But encouraging students who have passion and visions for themselves to take a bargain deal is not the ideal solution.
In recent years, Florida’s Republican lawmakers have turned much of their attention to the education department, and have discussed plans to create a “$10,000 Bachelor’s Degree.” That’s $10,000 for an entire college or university degree. This opportunity, however, would be available only through certain programs that are the typical foundation for in-demand jobs.
STEM fields refer to the studies of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and are the focus this evolving idea because they are considered to be more valuable in terms of careers.
Understandably, lawmakers are trying to emphasize the importance of securing a job before graduation. Being mindful of the current and future job market is unquestionably essential for life after graduation, but nudging students in the direction of STEM degrees is most likely not going to significantly increase employment.
Now that’s not to belittle or make light of STEM fields, because let’s face it: What these people do with their knowledge is incredible. We have scientists developing treatments and cures for diseases, mathematicians making the world a bit easier to understand through formulas and theories.
The problem is, you can’t rate the importance of an individual’s interests and aspirations.
We need more business majors, for instance, who may someday start their own foundation or invest in others peoples’ inventions. We need more writers and designers to inspire and motivate people.
Social workers are compassionate and resilient people, working in a field that deals with heavy subjects like child welfare, mental health and substance abuse patients. We need social work majors who may one day manage a non-profit organization. The social work field is expected to grow at a rate of 12 percent through the year 2018.
“The ‘$10,000 Bachelor’s Degree’ is not a serious policy. It will be perceived as a gimmick pretending to be a policy used as a sound bite,” Roberto Martinez, the vice chairman of the Florida State Board of Education, told The New York Times. He called it a “very bad idea.” Martinez supervises state colleges.
Offering deals like the “$10,000 Bachelor’s Degree” sends the wrong message out to prospective students. College is intended to be an experience of studying what you feel passionate about. It is not a corporation. Of course, being aware of what careers are and aren’t in demand is important in landing a job, but we should not discourage our Humanities and English majors from perusing what they enjoy and assume that they will be jobless. Spirit and commitment makes a person valuable.
