Hensley, Johanna: Paglia

I’m gettin’ old; I’ll retire soon, and there’s nobody to take my place.”

~Bill Purifoy, local carpenter

In the bleak days of recession, unemployment, and uncertainty, the newest generation of young adults, fearful for their financial futures, turn to a college education to secure  success in an insecure, unsuccessful era. A college degree is generally believed to be a sure-fire way to land a good job, the ticket to success, and, according to an emphatic Harold Fincher, the “best investment you’ll ever make, guaranteed!” And certainly, it can be. A college degree holder earns (on average) exponentially more money than a high school grad. It’s no wonder that young Americans are flocking to universities; the incentive of a successful future, pre-cooked meals, and no curfews are plenty to convince the average, rambunctious teenager; the more prideful ones are hooked by the prestige of producing their very own degree; the academically motivated are in it for the sheer “joy of learning;” some are there because of parents, some for sports, and some simply because everyone else is, very few go with a specific goal in mind and a plan for following their passion. The rest of them are left with few choices.  In fact, these few  are often ridiculed for not going to college. They’re seen as lazy, stupid, insignificant, unmotivated; the failures. And they are, aren’t they? Some, perhaps. But with universities churning out large clusters of enthusiastic graduates every few months, society is left with one major problem: where are all the skilled laborers? Where are the carpenters, the mechanics, the machinists, the painters, electricians, and millwrights? When children are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” none reply, “A plumber.”  There is a certain shame in repairing toilets; even six-year olds know that. But the average plumber in Arkansas makes around $54,000 per year! That’s more than most registered nurses, teachers, and accountants, all of whom hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Jim Sexton, a conventional machinist at Cooper Tire and Rubber Co., says, “Sure, there are plenty of machinists, but they’re the kind that push buttons in a computer and watch the machine punch out a mold. I’m the last one who can do it by hand; I fix the machines when they break.” That’s the difference between labor and skilled labor. Certainly, technology is convenient, cheaper, and easier; it’s a definite advantage in the workplace. But it is not to be relied upon. For his knowledge and sheer rarity, Jim is paid almost twice the salary of the computer-punching guys. “This isn’t for idiots,” he says, “it takes intelligence and effort, just the same as college. But you’re not in debt once you learn it.”

Perhaps college isn’t all it’s made out to be. Of course, if one has the financial means, the drive, and a specific passion, it certainly can be the “best investment you’ll ever make, guaranteed!” But for the children who aren’t interested in school, the ones who are skilled with their hands, the ones who cannot pay their way through four money-sucking years and have no real motivation to try, for these, maybe college isn’t the ticket to success. Those who are destined to be plumbers, electricians and machinists shouldn’t be ridiculed and slandered, they should be praised for their bravery to go against the grain, to choose what others haven’t considered. They should be proud to be part of the remnants of the dwindling skilled labor workforce.