Career Ready vs. College Ready: How Continued Education is Changing

Years ago, many people thought that you had to go to college in order to be successful. 

 

This message was reiterated everywhere, pressuring students to prepare their educational resumes early for admission to competitive universities. This pressure, for some, was doubled, as aggressive parents pushed their children to be “college-ready.”

 

But as we’ve seen in the past decade, this has had many negative consequences. Admissions scandals, rising education costs, and a saturated undergraduate degree pool have been the result of this misguided belief.

 

Times are changing. But first, let’s look at how the college-ready trend started, and how students are shifting to become career-ready instead.

 

History

 

Almost a century ago, college was a thing of the elite due to its cost. In 1940, only 3.8% of all women and 5.5% of all men in the US completed four years of college or more, according to data from Statista. However, this number grew post-World War II as many veterans took advantage of the G.I. Bill of Rights to cover the cost of college. Increases in family size and household income after the war paved the way for more people to go to college throughout the rest of the 20th century - although it’s worth noting that a significant gender gap existed in graduation rates until the 1990s, and racial inequality gaps continue to this day.

 

By this time, for many middle to upper-middle class families, college was the norm - something you “had to have” to be successful. Cue the college readiness craze.

 

The College-Readiness Problem

 

Although U.S. median incomes increased throughout this period, so did tuition rates. In fact, tuition costs at most U.S. universities have doubled, if not tripled, just in the last 30 years, according to data reported by CNBC. Tuition for a private school in 1987 averaged $15,160; today that number averages $34,740. For public schools, the 1987 average was $3,190. Now it’s $9,970 (keep in mind this doesn’t include living costs!). This rise in cost has forced many students to take out loans, racking up thousands in debt before they’re even able to legally buy a drink.

 

But then something happened. Many Millennials found themselves in a tough spot after graduation. Those who graduated amidst the Great Recession of the late 2000s found less job openings. But there was also more competition; the college-readiness pressure pushed so many students to get undergraduate degrees that in many fields, there was an oversaturation of college grads without jobs to fill them. As Forbes writes, this caused some to take jobs they were overqualified for - leading to a large underemployment phenomenon that still exists today - or return to postgraduate degree programs in order to stay competitive and prolong the job search (but collect more debt).

 

These high stakes have caused some parents to stop at nothing to ensure their acceptance into competitive four-year universities. This has led to high-profile scandals, the most recent of which involved the rich and famous paying thousands, and in some cases millions, to bribe their child’s way into college acceptance. This might be the most famous scandal, but it’s not the first; clout-based admissions scandals have been uncovered at many U.S. universities and postgraduate schools.

 

The Career-Readiness Solution

 

College isn’t just “not for everyone”; it’s no longer the viable solution for almost everyone. The cost and time required for people to further their education at the collegiate level is limiting. Luckily, solutions such as coding bootcamps, certificate programs, and other training programs offer a solution.

 

Coding bootcamps such as Nucamp use project-based learning to help students learn the skills they need to hit the ground running in a coding job after bootcamp. Perfect for first-time students or people mid-career change, these programs offer a skills-based approach at a fraction of the time and cost of a four-year degree. Rather than focusing on credentials needed to be accepted into these programs, the focus is shifted to making sure you’re ready for a full career instead.

 

Many bootcamps and certifications are remote, enabling students to complete their coursework without an expensive move or commute. Some even enable students to continue working while they’re in school so that they can support themselves and/or a family.

 

By lowering the traditional barriers put up by four-year colleges, these programs make continuing education more accessible than ever before. The career-ready trend is growing, and it’s predicted to continue in the decades to come. 

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