Many employers are feeling the effects of Biden’s economic policies as they struggle to access the skilled workforce needed. More and more, job creators are removing degree requirements and shifting to skills-based hiring to broaden the talent pipeline and fill in-demand, good-paying careers. Yet society has perpetuated the idea that baccalaureate degrees are the only pathway to the middle class and a good-paying job.
In Case YouMissed It, Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) penned an op-ed for National Review to dispel the college degree-for-all myth and highlight the importance of celebrating competencies, regardless of how or where they are obtained.
Forover a decade, American society believed that a college degree was the guaranteed ticket to success and upward mobility. Through the 2010s, the college degree-for-all mentality evolved from a mantra repeated in Democratic circles to the national attitude of our nation’s parents and K–12 students.
College degree-for-all is a myth, and a harmful one at that.
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A staggering statistic reveals that nearly two-thirds of Americans age 25 and older do not possess a bachelor’s degree. That list includes Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, and the late Steve Jobs. Yet, we have perpetuated a narrative that under values skills-based programs and elevates baccalaureate-degree programs.
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America has responded to that criticism, and the old consensus is breaking across the nation. Job creators are shifting their hiring practices toward skills-based qualifications, recognizing that a broader talent pipeline is essential for filling in-demand, well-paying careers.
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College degree-for-all flips the “good” of education on its head. When we insist that every American go to college, the promise becomes a box to check, not a formative experience for citizens of a republic. When college itself becomes the barometer for success — not actual success — the inherent value of postsecondary education is lost in an over-credentialization craze, and the college mission is subverted.
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As Americans realize there is no one way to earn an education, we begin to see college not as an end, but as a means to a higher end. This is a key part in revitalizing American education.
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College is failing to meet the demands of the modern workforce more each day. Over 10 million jobs remain unfilled in the United States. Advancements in technology, industries, and the global market are having profound impacts on our economy, and these impacts require a flexible workforce able to reskill and upskill for in-demand jobs.
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Employers must play a more substantial role in collaborating with postsecondary-education institutions to design programs that align with industry needs. This partnership will ensure that students graduate with the skills necessary to thrive in the workforce and meet the demands of the evolving job market.
