Tech Directions - February 2008 - (Page 6)

social context also because “the high school level vocational alternatives are widely regarded as second best by the general public, if not by elites,” Carnevale said. Public opinion on college for all versus vocational training (he did not use the term CTE) is confusing, he admits, because polls show that the public does not believe everyone needs to go to college. They want that option for their own children, however. Support for alternatives to college does not go over with the public, politicians and policy makers have learned. Carnevale blames the fuzzy picture of education’s relationship to the economy on bad data, particularly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which carries over to the states because they use the same model. BLS first projects industry growth, then projects the staffing patterns needed. Education levels, however, are held constant, so that whatever the economy looks like 10 years from now, the education needs do not change in its projections. Looking back, Carnevale said this process has resulted in an error of 30 percent in terms of the demand for postsecondary education and training. Another distortion of the data about jobs requiring postsecondary education/ training is that all jobs are treated the same, “but they aren’t.” Some jobs are a way to getting a better job, some jobs are taken while in school, and a lot of the low-wage, low-skill jobs are those “where people are just passing through.” A substantial share of them are “steppingstones” to better jobs and learning. One might meet brain surgeons that used to be dishwashers, but not meet many dishwashers who used to be brain surgeons. “Education as the default solution on economic and social questions has reigned supreme ever since Clinton’s second term,” Carnevale said, but he predicts that could change. Currently, it is “front-loaded” and basically over by the early 20s, but the trade debate could result in substantial increases to adult education and training, largely through community colleges. Moreover, the current emphasis on test scores and grades “is a dodge” that “rewards Education has not kept up with the complexity, diversity, and changes in the economy occurring in this country. people who had the good fortune to be born with the right complexion and with the right bank account.” Another point Carnevale made is that education has not kept up with the complexity, diversity, and changes in the economy occurring in this country. In general, more education matters in the labor market, but even more important to earnings than years of education are “where you go, what you take, and 6 techdirections ◆ FEBRUARY 2008 http://www.bsu.edu/technology http://www.bsu.edu/technology

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Tech Directions - February 2008 Technically Speaking Contents Direct from Washington The News Report Technology’s Past Technology Today Mastering Computers How Engineers Engineer—Lessons from My First Big Engineering Project Tips on Creating Complex Geometry Using Solid Modeling Software Press to Test—Shop-Built BJT Checker Is Easy Cable Television Technician International Technology Education Association Conference—Teaching TIDE with Pride Professional Development Opportunities Product Central Free for the Asking More than Fun

Tech Directions - February 2008

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