A New, New Deal
Adam Krause
Contributing columnist
In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt outlined his plan for the New Deal, which, if you paid attention in history class, was a major government-sponsored program to help bring America out of the Great Depression. Certainly in 2004, we are not experiencing an economic crisis as bleak as in 1929 when the market crashed, but our country is undeniably facing over 2 million unemployed workers. While a government-sponsored program like the New Deal may be a bit much for our current economic woes, we should not be too quick to disregard the ideals encompassed within Roosevelt’s reform plans.
While many of our students are not knowledgeable about the job market, our colleges are pumping out tens of thousands of eager, young, and hopeful job hunters. Many of these folks may be very qualified for employment in the fields that they majored in, but unfortunately the job market isn’t looking as good as it has in past years. Not only that, but many students are pursuing degrees in fields which are either not in great need of any more workers, or are completely oversupplied.
One of the major failures that led to the Great Depression was due to supply and demand. In the job market, there is a certain supply of workers, and there is a certain demand for those workers. Most of us thought that we fixed these errors as the Great Depression waned and World War II brought about a surge in the economy.
Strangely enough, the three most popular majors for post-secondary students from 2000-2001 as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics ". . .were conferred in the fields of business (266,000), social sciences (128,000), and education (106,000).(http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=37)." Not surprising, when most students you talk to say they don’t know what they’re majoring in, or they say business.
The essential problem with this trend towards education and business related fields is that according to a chart of the fastest-growing jobs in America, barely any of them include business or education-related jobs(http://www.acinet.org/acinet/oview1.asp? soccode=&stfips=&from=National&Level=BAplus&x=31&y=4). On the flipside, one shouldn’t lose all hope; there are still many openings for these jobs, but as more and more business-related students graduate each year, this number of openings may decline.
Many occupations such as accountants/auditors, financial managers, chief executives are still some of the largest openings, but unfortunately a great deal of these positions prior experience in the field. Chances are they want a great deal more experience than what can be found in textbooks and lecture halls.
Roosevelt pointed out in a speech from 1932, that ". . .there are at least seven thousand qualified teachers who are . . .unable to earn a livelihood in their chosen profession just because nobody had the wit or the forethought to tell them in their younger days that the profession of teaching was gravely oversupplied."
Now, that exact situation may not apply to America in 2004, but indeed, a similar situation exists in many fields of work. Roosevelt’s point still rings true, though, when we find many students pursuing degree programs that may give them little or no chance at securing a job in their chosen major. And while I advocate personal responsibility, I also advocate responsible management of education and the job market by those who are in control. Students should be kindly steered away from degrees that will give them little hope for finding the job they want.
Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of the citizen to demand and research proper information and guidance on the job market; it is the responsibility of the education system and the government to make that information easily accessible.
One should not be alarmed if they cannot find a job immediately after graduation. In our changing job market, those who are able to adapt and understand a broad base of basic concepts may be the ones with the advantage. The people who over-specialize and spend years focusing on one little niche may find it increasingly harder to find job openings in their fields. To be stubborn and have a narrow focus is to ensure failure.
Just like in the wild, only the strongest and most adaptable will survive. Don’t let yourself be one of the endangered species in the job market.