Judging from President Barack Obama’s address to Congress on Tuesday, he has not forgotten his base ‘-‘- America’s youth. In his speech, he singled out education, one of the most important issues to young people, as one of the ‘three areas that are absolutely critical to our economic future.”
Obama’s proposal to make education affordable to all those who wish to attend college but lack the financial means is commendable. Everybody wins if the government helps those who commit to serving their country pay for college. Communities will be improved as a result of the influx of young volunteers. This is what patriotism is all about: giving back to the country, and in return, that country shows its appreciation by offering you an education.
The speech consisted mostly of vague statements with inspirational overtones, but one remark stood out in particular. As a way of dealing with this economic crisis, Obama called on Americans to ‘commit at least one year or more to higher education or career training.’ This proposal looks good on paper: why wouldn’t one want everyone in this country to be more skilled in their education or vocation? Unfortunately, this lofty goal is not a cure-all for America’s economic woes.
The truth is that college is not for everyone.’ Neither is vocational training. If everyone in America were to suddenly have some sort of degree, where would they all go to work?’ Someone has to do take the jobs that don’t require any kind of education or career training; our economy depends on it.
It is not as if a degree guarantees a job in today’s economy anyhow. The job prospects of a college graduate or degree holder are significantly better than those without any higher education, but the jobless rate for a ‘young bachelor’s degree or better’ will increase to 4.1 percent in 2009, up from 3.4 percent in 2008, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Making college more affordable by providing incentives for volunteerism is a giant step in the right direction by the Obama administration. However, this should not lead to the conclusion that this country’s economic problems will be solved if every citizen takes advantage of Obama’s proposal.
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