Nanny, Meet Cathy

New York Mayor Michael “Nanny” Bloomberg in his Friday (5/17) radio show told listeners that less-than-stellar high school students should consider plumbing as a profession rather than waste their time or money on a college degree.  Plumbing, he noted, is a well-paying profession, cannot be outsourced and is always in demand.

Mayor, meet “Cathy”, a check-out clerk at our local grocery store.  My wife calls her “Chatty Cathy”, because, like the toy doll, if you “push her buttons” in conversation, she will talk at length about almost anything.  Anyway, she once informed us that she planned to be a nurse (a marketable profession) but had recently changed her career goal to early childhood teacher.  “Why?” I asked.  “Because I’m not good at math – you need that for nursing – and I really like kids.”

I am not one to agree much with Bloomberg, but I think he is on to something that “Cathy” has not considered: the job market.  I cannot fathom how an early childhood education major can expect to get a job in this recession, especially with low achievement in math.  (Don’t they still teach some of that in early childhood?)  Liking children is nice, but our education system needs competent educators for its primary role of teaching.  Besides, there appears to be a ton of early childhood/elementary education majors on the market these days, and they are chasing very few job openings.  Nonetheless, “Cathy” still seems intent on going to college for early childhood education, incurring student debt along the way and pushing her skills in an already saturated job market.

We need people like Bloomberg to convince our federal government and the nation’s parents that college is not for every child.  Until our guidance counselors and higher education system quit pushing a college education as the only way to a successful career, this country will continue to pour out graduates whose level of competence in an economic downturn is hamburger flipping.  And our nation’s personal debt will continue to skyrocket.

I think Cathy needs to talk to a Nanny.  Or maybe a plumber.