Seven million jobs remain unfilled in the United States because employers can't find Americans with the skills to do them. At the same time, almost 6 million Americans remain out of work, despite record-low unemployment. In his soon-to-be published book The Once and Future Worker, Manhattan Institute senior fellow Oren Cass points out that the bulk of educational spending at the K-12 level is based on the premise that all children can and should attend college. Yet, despite a massive investment in higher education and financial aid, fewer than half of young adults attain a four-year degree. It has never been the case that most teenagers aspire to go to a four-year college. Some children have no chance of succeeding at that level because the public education system has poorly prepared them. Others may not want to attend college because good job opportunities exist that don't require four-year degrees.
Our national obsession with college obscures the economic demand for non-college skilled or trained labor. For example, commercial underwater welders can earn high salaries, as can crane operators in certain metropolitan areas. Plumbers, electricians, and carpenters can make much more than the typical liberal arts graduate.
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