When most young people’s formal education ended at high school graduation, a bachelor’s degree in any subject meant a well-paying job. But today, the degree is so commonplace that apprenticeships make far more sense for most (“Careers without College,” The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, Feb. 28).
Not only do apprenticeships mean no college debt, but they also provide instant opportunities for networking. Austria, Germany and Switzerland have used apprenticeships for four centuries, with impressive results. They have low youth unemployment and crime, a high standard of living and a worldwide reputation for quality goods and services. Obviously, they must be doing something right.
Unfortunately, we persist in the fiction that college is for everyone and that without a bachelor’s degree a bleak future awaits them.
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