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by Eileen Wedegartner, JFYNet Learning Specialist Is college still necessary? The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many people to decide to take a year off from higher education. The ballooning price of college tuition combined with the uncertain job outlook for recent college graduates make this decision understandable. But a longer
Old Year, New Year, New Decade. Same Story. by Gary Kaplan For readers of education and workforce journalism, the turn of the decade was neatly bracketed by two articles that summed up the year’s main themes: low student performance and labor shortage. First was a New York Times piece on
Dear Friend of JFYNetWorks, You may remember a young man named Joey whom we have featured before. Joey was a pleasant, affable high school student with a winning smile and a low opinion of himself. “I want to go to college,” he said, “but I’m not sure I can do
Labor Shortage Continues 99% of Jobs Go to College Graduates by Gary Kaplan, JFYNetWorks Executive Director “There are no jobs for high school diplomas.” The May jobs report reiterates a theme we have been hearing with increasing urgency: the shortage of skilled labor. The current 4.3% unemployment rate is a
The need for a higher-skilled workforce is real. by Gary Kaplan, JFYNetWorks Executive Director The March state employment report (released in late April) focuses on two concerns: weak job growth and a shortage of skilled workers. Job growth waxes and wanes from month to month, but the skilled worker shortage
Workplace Skills Then and Now: The Lesson of Inland Steel by Gary Kaplan “Sorry, son, we can’t hire you. You’re overqualified.” Thus ended my career as a steelworker. The place was Inland Steel in East Chicago, Indiana. The time was the 1970s. I was looking for an interim job while
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