trying to grok

Bingo. Job skills, and the market for job skills. Wal-mart does well for their people. The ones who are capable of moving upward do. Those that aren't? They are the ones that you see behind the check out counter.

Tibby,

I wouldn't write off "the ones that you see behind the check out counter" as being incapable of moving upward. Some are just starting out, and perhaps others don't want to move upward.

Platt wrote,

This is why teenagers fresh out of high school often go to vocational training institutes to become auto mechanics or electricians.

Not often enough. The everyone-must-go-to-college mentality must end. Now. Even a university degree doesn't necessarily teach marketable skills. And as the supply of degrees goes up, their value goes down.

You're welcome!

If everyone who thinks every child should go to college knew how many of the first years (I do mean years) in college are spent on remedial courses they would be appalled. Technical schools should just be a part of the high school program. Dumbing down didn't just start this century, we have teachers who were not taught, we are compounding the problem in so many ways. Don't get me started!

Here's an example of the mentality I was referring to:

We believe that all students should graduate from high school prepared to succeed in college, career, and life.

- Bill and Melinda Gates (emphasis mine)

Yes, prepared ... to take lots of remedial courses (as Ruth H pointed out) and be in lots of debt ... all for a sacred scrap of paper. Hooray!

In today's self-esteem society, some college graduates think they deserve 'better' than Wal-Mart. Maybe they don't even deserve to work at Wal-Mart.

Sorry, the quote should be attributed to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In the years I taught, I met plenty of kids who had no business being in college. They did not know what they wanted or, worse, many knew what they wanted & could have easily started doing it without sitting in school for four years & putting themselves in debt.

There are many who have the desire, but not the ability to succeed in college. Others have all the ability in the world, but like the fire to challenge themselves. I don't worry so much about the first group b/c desire is a wonderful motivator. The second group? They are the ones, I assume, who would like for the taxpayers to care from them from cradle to grave.

I, obviously, meant to type 'lack the fire' rather than like. Sheesh.

I'm glad David Foster's comment is on the front page where it belongs instead of down here somewhere.

I know people sometimes have to get degrees to be promoted. On the one hand, such people may have the skill and motivation to complete a degree late in life. On the other hand, that degree is expensive and may not contribute much to their new position.

The education cartel exercises such a dominant influence on our society that it is hard to see how we can ever force it to relax its grip.

I agree. Although I'd like to agree with Ron Merrill -

The decline of the university is not an obstacle, but an opportunity. It ought to encourage us to develop alternative means of education ...

- employers probably want to play it safe with established brand names and may not acknowledge such "alternative" credentials.

I realize I'm a little late to this party, but...

I lived in NW AR for 8.5 years. For those of you not aware, this is where Wal-Mart got its start, and is where the home office is still located. My best friend's husband, a fairly smart, but not book-learned, man, started out as a store associate in one of the local retail stores. He eventually got a job in the home office, working in the department that does store layouts. He's never gone to college, but, to a certain extent, at least, Wal-Mart doesn't care, if you can do the job and prove yourself to be a dependable employee. There are things I don't like about Wal-Mart (I've been told the corporate/management culture has changed drastically since Sam died, and that he wouldn't be happy...), but someone without the means to go to college can still work their way up the ladder there.

That's a great story, Miss Ladybug. Thanks for sharing. The party never ends in the gulch!

It's sad when a company loses its founder's vision.

Are there companies that flounder at the start, but acquire a real vision (not just hype) under new management who maximize initially neglected potential? Surely they exist, though I can't think of any examples offhand.