A reader (thanks!) sent me this article from MSNBC showing that training programs can lead to more pay, especially for men:
A small amount of education can go a long way toward improving your earnings potential, especially if you’re a man, according to a new study.
The study from Georgetown University found that certificates in fields like computer and information services, transportation and business can boost earnings by 20 percent, on average, over people who just have high school diplomas.
That’s not the result researchers were expecting when they started delving into the little-researched world of certificates, which are generally offered by for-profit institutions and community colleges in specific fields and trades.
“We were surprised,” said lead author Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
Maybe this is where the men are going rather than college.
Problem is, training programs are much less likely to lead to upgraded employment for women or for older workers.
I was in IT for over 30 years and regularly went for training to update my skills – even after the market collapsed in 2008. No luck finding any employment in my field. That’s why I’m in retail now. I hope eventually to get into retail management, but that won’t happen until and unless the economy picks up again.
I usually like your posts, and I have visited your site before, but this, to me, is crazy.
30 years in IT, with skills maintained? Your own blog? And you are working in retail? What?
You either progress up the corporate ladder, or you top out at some point. When you do, your income also tops out. No matter how many certificates you pile up, the position is only worth so much, and can thus be done by someone who cannot demand as much money. You become over-qualified. They cannot pay you what you are worth, and you are a threat to take your boss’ position.
So, you go work in another field, because you cannot find work in your own, or you start your own business. You chose the former, and now your future depends on someone else’s decision… and you are probably still over-qualified and a threat to your boss’ position.
Buddy, it is time to cut the apron strings and go work for yourself. Quit waiting for someone else to give you your big break, because that chance has already passed you by, permanently. You are not an up-and-comer. You’re has-been or never-was. It is time to make your own breaks.
After the election in 5 months, when Obama gets tossed like a chamber pot, the economy is going to just take off. Make your preparations now. Be ready to ride that wave.
It is time to leave the nest. Quit working for someone else, especially if they are not as good as you. Do not work for your inferiors… or just accept that you are inferior. Which is it going to be?