[AT] Agricultural Equipment Diagnostic Technicians

Sat Aug 31 21:16:34 PDT 2019

Al,

I don’t think it was the intent to show disdain for a 4 year degree. I think the intent was to discuss how some 4 year degrees may not be as valuable to employers as  a 2 year trade school degree. Unfortunately, there are way too many 4 year graduates who have spent 4 years focusing on “underwater basket weaving”  thinking that all that is important is a degree… any degree. The real world punishes those types of graduates. But I even have more disdain for parents who allow their children to waste a real opportunity and probably are then burdened with a huge student loan debt to pay off without the earning power to do so.   Did parents decide they don’t have any more responsibility for their children when they attend college? Many of the teachers and professors are the worst kind of people to pass their responsibility to.  It is a real mess. I can verify that I have seen this mess all too closely and it is sickening. Three of my 4 children all graduated from the University of WA, 2 with technical degrees and one with Teaching credential. The 4th Graduated from Western WA University with a Physics degree and moved on to do his work on a Masters and Doctorate in Optical Physics. Of the 4 he was the most highly educated but had the most difficulty finding the right kind of job. A very specialized field requiring relocation to area’s he could not live in due to health reasons.  He was focused on the learning not the light at the end of the tunnel. We accept some of that responsibility. He ended up in the Computer field. Turns out he was very good at that contributing early in the development of Cloud Computing for Microsoft.  The skills he developed in college crossed over to other disciplines.  “Underwater Basket Weaving” skills are not very transferable. 

Dean VP

Snohomish, WA 98290

From: AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> On Behalf Of Al Jones
Sent: Sunday, August 25, 2019 10:44 AM
To: Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Subject: Re: [AT] Agricultural Equipment Diagnostic Technicians

Starting my 23rd year in education.  It seems that a lot of people have a real disdain for four year degrees, a lot of that seems to be political but I won't go down that road.  While I think this is wrong, the mindset is slowly, very slowly shifting away from the notion that a four year degree is a requirement to be successful, which I think is good. The most important thing a person preparing for life after high school needs to consider is what their goals and interests are and go from there.  With the costs of four year schools now, you have to have a plan and it has to be realistic, and it has to have several back-ups if Plan A, B, or C doesn't work out.  A psychology or similar degree just doesn't pencil out for most people.

All the statistics I have seen in forever point to increased demands for skilled tradespeople. There are and will be some real opportunities for young people if that is their interest. 

I was fortunate in that I knew what I wanted to do.  If it was 1992 again, and if I didn't know what I wanted to do, I'd go into the military and let the government pay for my education once I had a plan together.  

Al

On Sun, Aug 25, 2019 at 7:16 AM Jim Becker <mr.jebecker at gmail.com <mailto:mr.jebecker at gmail.com> > wrote:

I have a BA in Mathematics and I did OK.  At least half the things I worked 
with didn't exist when I was in school.  A good 4 year degree helps you be 
flexible and be prepared for a lifetime of learning.

The half life of a troubleshooting procedure is maybe 5 years.  If you don't 
start using tech school training almost immediately, you'll find the only 
part still applicable is lefty loosey, righty tighty.

Jim Becker

-----Original Message----- 
From: James Peck
Sent: Saturday, August 24, 2019 10:14 PM
To: Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group
Subject: Re: [AT] Agricultural Equipment Diagnostic Technicians

I have an in-law that spent 6 years in the Navy and got sent to an A level 
school and trained as an Electronic Technician. After he got out of the Navy 
he got a BS degree in Mathematics using the Gi bill. After graduating from 
the Math program he was dissatisfied with the jobs being or not being 
offered to him and returned to study Electrical Engineering. Probably he 
could have used his Electronic Technician training to get a related job and 
then use his Math degree to get into an engineering level job at that same 
employer.

People choose academic programs with no idea that they will like the career 
or be good at it. Even worse, they choose programs for which there is NO 
career or is overfilled.

[John Hall] Interesting comments on trades vs 4 year schools. My son just 
began college, Math major. He has book sense way more than most--gifted in 
brains and the desire to learn on a higher level. On the other hand, he 
can't change the oil in his truck without my assistance. I tried very hard 
to teach him the basics of farming and mechanic work, but thats just not how 
his mind works. For folks like that, 4 year degrees are where its at. 
Myself, I didn't have the brains or the desire to go to 4 years of school, 
so I went to community college and have spent the last 30 years in a machine 
shop.

Schooling should match the student, that is my families take on the 
situation.

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