Then why even bother going to a university? Seems like community college would be a much better use of your money to accomplish that

Right, and without it the only thing you're qualified to do is work shit blue collar jobs and live out of your car. That is, if you were lucky enough to buy one before they became unaffordable.

Working in the AEC firm, I can absolutely confirm that engineering degrees teach you almost nothing you'll do on the job. The disconnect between college and work in engineering not only exists, but is far, far larger than anyone may think.

Eh. There's more to it than like you need a degree to become a doctor, lawyer, psychologist etc. It's just that you need to have a well layer out plan and a good understanding of what your strengths and weakness are. Unfortunately, in the US there's a massive emphasis on getting into college right after high school where people barely know what they want nor have any real world experience. In Ireland there's a scheme there's a thing called a mature student where its basically encouraging people 23 or older to go into college. Like courses will have spots reserved for them and the like.

It's showing that you can complete a multi-staged project that required years of effort and investment without any immediate return on investment.

Even if you don't learn anything in college, the sheer process of going through the motions and getting the degree demonstrates skills that are useful in an employee.

To be fair I feel like college is way less about teaching you anything specific and way more about teaching you critical thinking and abstract conceptualization.

That's because conservatives want to replace universities with vocational schools. Nothing wrong with those schools, but its just another face of their culture war politics making their way to everyday discussions.

How many employers even check to see if you went to college unless you got a higher level degree? Maybe a few will ask for transcripts, but it's rare.

Me: "I'm the best neurosurgeon in the entire southern hemisphere"

Interviewer: "Wow! You're hired! Welcome aboard. Can you start tomorrow?"

The next day: "Haha bonesaw goes brrrrrrr"

Time to do a 3rd prestige reset.

BTW forget all that stuff in college while you are at it.

I am living testament to this.. i have blagged my way into several jobs (had some knowledge but not the qualifications required) and have done pretty well for myself learning as I go. I always say "Just treat me as if i know nothing, I won't be offended, i want to learn the way you do things here" and employers/managers seem to love that..

However i must stress the fundamental knowledge was essential. along with an interest and desire to learn.

Agree entirely.

I am in my 40s, have two bachelor's degrees, got my second SPECIFICALLY in my field, have changed job directions half a dozen times within my field (because money talks), and have used nothing from college that I couldn't get in a month long certification program.

I've gotten way more out of getting the respected industry specific certs than I did in more than half a decade of school.

I've gotten a thousand times more skills from learning on the job from colleagues and working managers than college and certifications together.

bring back apprenticeships

We need someone with a millennium of experience with a framework that just came out a month ago.

Basically ageism in the workforce.

Great explanation! I always knew this but never had the chance to mold the thoughts into one clear explanation which you just did.

If being saddled with debt AND a shitty low paying job is your condition of winning, then yeah