Being Educated is not the Only Education

We are born, learn to drive, graduate high school, go to college, get married, have kids, then we die.  Yes I know that this not the way it always goes, but it is a very common sequence in the minds of many.  When many folks think education they think diplomas and degrees, graduate high school then go to college.  The fact is even in the profession of education, we push being career ready of, "can't get that good job without a solid college education".  Lost in all this is some students just were not built for college.  Just like some folks are built for sports, arts and music, or traditional education in general.  The fact is we in education I believe have gotten away from encouraging talent and skill development, for trying to put all in college.  Remember graduate high school go to college, American Dream.  Well what about the kids dream of being a diesel mechanic, or owning his own contracting business, or under water welding.  Why in American education does we push higher level learning , but don't support career ready technical programs like we should.  This country was built by carpenters, welders, masons, ship builders, pipe fitters, plumbers, and farmers.  I know that there technical colleges, but a lot of times students don't know of these because it is not the colleges that education looks at as "real college education".  Seems to me career tech education has become the red headed step child, instead of the back bone of this nation that it once was.  I agree technology has required less of some aspects and drives this nation today, but Mike Roe reported to the Senate Committee of Commerce, Science and Transportation that there are over 450,000 openings in jobs of trades, skills, transportation, and utilities.  And that 1/3 of all skilled laborers are over 55 and they are retiring fast with no one to replace them.  Soon skill jobs will pay top dollar because there will be only a few that can do them.  Then we will be paying out the wazoo to someone way more "under educated" than we are.  Ironic don't you think   So lets support all education.  Encourage all students to fulfill their talents. * I have enclosed the URL for the entire Mike Roe testimony:

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/dirtyjobs/mike-rowe-senate-testimony-03.htm

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