Undereducated or Underserved?

The Society of Human Resources Management released their newest organization magazine this past week. They placed the period on the edition with a story du jour, college education. Why do we continue emphasis on college and both stress and misguidance to potential employees?

The story essentially questions employer resolve for an educated workforce through assistance with tuition and other benefits. At first reading, I barely noticed the issue and the article tone. After reading over the piece the second time, it hit me that the article ignored the majority of our population. The 75% of Americans not needing, desiring, or aimed at college we miss by advertising college only.

Since 1940, our citizens with college degrees hovered around 25%. The most I recall reading was 30%. Given that we take the higher number, that still ignores 70% of our citizens.

The government taunts employers to send employees to college. Why? Could it be that the majority of our lawmakers and SHRM personnel are college educated and not experienced in trades, vocations, or the school of hard knocks? Could it be to advocate more like-minded people, those in management? Oh, that is right. They are management.

America struggles yearly with finding the right mix to educate our citizens. We know our education issues and before starting to point fingers and debates the difficulties of right or wrong, let us focus on today.

Recent changes in education policies now tag GED students with costs for classes and tests. While not expensive, someone struggling with transportation and other costs can ill-afford the costs. We should require employees to attain their needed education, or at least entice them with employment conditions.

Our return on investment therefore should focus on building the education of our workforce to standards that meet adult learners, not necessarily college. Some say those two levels equal, but that is another debate. Three things employers can do for our citizens and workforce to raise the bar:
• pay for testing
• pay for needed classes
• reward employees for completing those requirements.

Something we need to think about for the majority of our workers.