7 th annual academic advising conference
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7 th Annual Academic Advising Conference. Other Ways to Win: Is Baccalaureate Education Right for Every Teen? Ken Gray Professor Emeritus, Penn State [email protected]. Presentation Objectives. Increase effectiveness of academic advising via. Challenging the “One Way to Win” mantra - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Other Ways to Win: Is Baccalaureate Education Right for Every Teen?
Ken Gray
Professor Emeritus, Penn State
Presentation Objectives
• Increase effectiveness of academic advising via. – Challenging the “One Way to Win” mantra– Demonstrating “Other Ways to Wins”:– Stressing the importance of career maturity
and tentative career planning. – Providing a six step framework for
career/academic advising.
Today’s Freshman
66% Say that the chief benefit from college is increased earnings.
64% Have “some” or “major” concerns about the cost of college.
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/norms06.php
24 Ninth Graders7 drop out (29%)5 graduate & go to work (21%)
12 Enroll in college (50%, not 70%) 4 Drop out freshman year7 Graduate in five years
3 Take “gray collar” jobs, nationally 4 Win the one way to win game
The fact is that large numbers of college graduates leave school as
unsure of what they will do “when they grow up” (except perhaps
continue to go to school) as they were when they started.
How CA Postsecondary Education Systems Address Workforce Development (2007).
CA Postsecondary Education commission
Uncertain Times
• Inflation adjusted earnings for 4-year college graduates are less today than in 1972.
• The average student loan debt is 20K• Growth of “Gray Collar” workers• Top 1% pay 40% of income taxes in U.S.
30% of highest income earners do not have a degree
• One third of young adults lack health insurance. Almost half of temporary workers are age 18-34.
Uncertainty in the Information Age
General Labor market implications.
Few new occupations.
Electronic/IT work is the easiest to off-shore
Volunteerism
Certifications more important than degrees
Less than fulltime employment
Telecommunting
Problem # 1The One Way to Win Paradigm
1. Get a four year college degree98% agree, 72% plan on grad school
2. In order to insure economic successThree of top 4 reasons for going to college
3. In the professional ranksProfessional/managerial 65% Technical 6%
University Graduates Employment 2000-2012
Supply Demand Employed
University Grads 1,439,264 670,000 47%
Only 13% of all jobs will require just a BA degree (Dept of labor projections to 2016).
The “Other Way to Win” Message
1. The “one way to win” philosophy is nonsense. It insures the majority of teens will fail.
2. There are Other Ways to Win. Technical education is a better way for many from the academic middle.
3. All students should go on to postsecondary education when and if they can benefit from the experience.
4. Career maturity is as important today as academic maturity.
The Other Way to Win
• Technician and Middle Skill Employment.
The High Skills/High Wage Workplace
30%
Ratio 1-3-2-4
What Types of Employees are Expected to Be in Short Supply Over the Next Years?
Source: “2005 Skills Gap Report: A Survey of the American Manufacturing Workforce” by National Association of Manufacturing
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
None
Others
Customer Service
Management & Administration
Sales & Marketing
Unskilled Production
Scientists % Engineers
Skilled production (Technicians)
Aerospace Career Technical Positions (partial)• Inspector• Technician, Electronic Research & Calibration • Technician, Industrial Electronic Systems • Technician, Instrumentation Controls • Fabricator, Plastic, Senior • Electrician, Maintenance Industrial • Laboratory Assistant • Mechanic, Heavy Duty Truck • Mechanic, Solid Propellant Development• Operator, Solid Rocket Motor• Tool, Jig and Fixture Builder • Technician, Vacuum Braze Furnace • Technician, Test and Assembly • Technician, Rocket Test "A" • Operator, Solid Rocket Motor "A"”• Operator, Solid Rocket Motor “B• Technician, Primary Standards - Mechanical • Technician, Inertial and Telemetry Systems • Sheet Metal, Journeyman
• Process Camera Technician• Photographer, Technical • Photographer, Still • Photographic Laboratory Processor • Photo Etch Processor • Metalsmith • Metalsmith, Experimental • Mechanic, Plastics • Mechanic, Maintenance • Mechanic, Crane • Mechanic, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration • Machinist, Journeyman • Machine Operator • Machine Tool Repairer & Rebuilder • Inspector, Tooling • Inspector, Radiographic/NDT • Grinder, Tool and Cutter • Firefighter• Fire Service Technician • Electro-Mechanical Bench Fabricator • Chemical Waste Technician
Occupational Skill not Degrees Provide Labor Market Advantage
High Skill/ High Wage
Low Skill/Low Wage
Other Ways to Win
Work Ethic & Work Ethics
Academic Skills
Occupational Skills
Problem #2
Widespread Career Immaturity
The Need to Help Teens
“Get Real”
All my life I’ve always wanted
to be somebody, but I see now
I should have been more specific.
Wagner, 1986
Other Ways to Win
Women and Career Choice
Men and Career Choice
Old Advice that is Now Bad Advice
• Postpone career choices as long as possible - You don’t want to close any doors.
• Do not worry about career/college major indecision - you will decide that in college.
Student Outcomes Goals of Career Development Programs
Help teens make the best career decision they can based on what they know “now” about themselves and the world of work.
If this is a good decision, the next decision will be even better.
Six Steps to Postsecondary Success
Step One
What is your goal
Why are you here
Graduation or graduation and a job?
Six Steps to PostsecondarySuccess
Step Two
Have a Back-up Plan
Plan A & Plan B
Six Steps to PostsecondarySuccess
Step Three
Reach a Shared Decision
Six Steps to PostsecondarySuccess
Step Four
Develop at least atentative
career plan
Six Steps to PostsecondarySuccess
Step Five• Be willing to consider all
the options!• Prep year
• One Year Technical Certificate• Two Year Technology Degree
• Four Year College• Military, Apprenticeship, Employment
Six Steps to PostsecondarySuccess
Step SixBe Realistic
Revisit Plan A & B
Wake Up Calls. How to know when plan B should be plan A.
The Obvious Wake-Up CallsHigh School Grades & AttendanceCollege Admission Test ScoresLack of any Career Direction (“I don’t
know what I want to do.”)School has always been a source of
conflict (“I hate school.”)
The Not So Obvious Wake-Up Calls
Generally evasive about after high schoolAvoids taking the college entrance test (SAT,
ACT)Never gets around to filling out College
applications. Applies to colleges based on the difficulty of
the application, where friends are going, nice climate, good skiing, etc.., etc.., etc..
The Ethical Dilemma
• Institutional goals versus what is good for the client.
• Nutritional lies or reality check.
References
• Allen, D. (2008). Career Maturity and College Persistence. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Penn State University.
• Gray K. & Herr, E. (2006) Other Ways to Win. 3ed. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, CA.
• Gray, K. (2008) Getting Real: Helping Teens Find Their Future. 2nd. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks CA
• Visher, M., Bhandari, R., & Medrich, M., (2004, October). High school career exploration programs: Do they work? Phi Delta Kappan , 86(2), 135-138.