Higher Education and the Workforce the Concept

Higher Education and the Workforce The concept of college as a means to a higher paying job is not new to most Americans. However, the need mid-career for more education or even for a college degree is becoming more and more common for members of the workforce. Certainly there is a percentage of the employees who already hold a four-year degree and there is a percentage of employers who are willing to pay the way for these employees to gain a master's degree in their given field.

Indeed, an excellent example of this can be found among educators. Most states require teachers to continue with their education while they are in the midst of teaching school. The vast majority of those who teach will eventually gain a master's degree of some sort in order to continually move up the pay scale.

But what about those who come into the workforce without a degree from an institution of higher education? What about those who go from high school into the workforce? As of 1994, high school graduates have more choices. The School to Work Opportunities Act signed by former President Bill Clinton in 1994, provides the opportunity for young people to integrate academic and occupational curriculum with both school and work-based learning. The School to Work concept is an integral part of both secondary and post secondary education.

The idea being that students receive the skills required for them to do well in their chosen career with or without a college degree. The question arises as to whether or not these students will eventually need to get a degree to move forward. And the unfortunate answer is that it is not yet known. The School to Work concept has only been in play for a few years.

A direct correlation can be found between the productivity of a given business and the representative level of education of the employees of said business. Those businesses that have a more educated staff, tend to have higher productivity and ultimately a higher profit margin. Certainly managers see this and thus are looking for those who might be able to continue the elevation of their profit margin.

The result is that outside the School to Work program there is still a large percentage of the workforce that has been stifled by their lack of education. People who have been working for fifteen to twenty years often do not have the resources to take four years out of their job to attend a standard University. The world of education has responded to this need. The University of Phoenix is the first for profit educational institution that has oriented their entire program toward the working professional.

They offer both masters and undergraduate degrees in fields that are most commonly sought after by those who are already employed in their given career. The classes tend to be in the evenings and on the weekends so that professionals don't have to take time off. In many ways it is unfortunate that career minded individuals who have been loyal to a given.