May 26, 2011
Let’s take a quick multiple-choice quiz. If you’re critical of college (and the institutionalized American education system in general), you might say it …
a) acts as a cocoon;
b) is a lumbering, antiquated machine;
c) doesn’t prepare you for anything except more college;
d) is a business that makes a lot of money off its clients.
May 11, 2011
There’s been a lot of talk over the last year or so—some of it right here on this blog—that what’s happening in the for-profit education sector (and traditional higher education) is analogous to the sub-prime mortgage scandal.
Today, Slate’s Annie Lowrey provided a defense to the popular charges leveled by hedge fund managers Steve Eisman and Peter Thiel that the education industry is heading for a subprime-like crash. A few of her reasons why it isn’t:
I find the 2nd point to be quite compelling because if you have the right diploma, you’re going to be in a group of people who don’t see unemployment rates higher than 5%, even if the rate is at historically high levels today. No house you ever buy could ensure your chances of having an income stream that well.
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Photo courtesy of Justin D. Miller via Flickr.
Category: For-Profit Colleges, Higher Education
March 9, 2011
Since last summer’s Senate HELP Committee hearings, the for-profit college sector has mostly taken a beating. With this in mind, new statistics from the Imagine America Foundation‘s annual Fact Book are refreshing, although I’d issue a caveat that the publication is financed by career colleges, textbook publishers, and other industry advertisers under the umbrella of the 21st Century Workforce Fund.
While it has been known that career colleges benefit a diverse and traditionally under-served student population, supportive data are often in short supply. According to Career College Central, which unearthed the new Fact Book data in a press release, certain groups stand out for career-college achievement.
Category: For-Profit Colleges, Higher Education
February 11, 2011
Never heard of a pain funnel? Neither had I, until today. Essentially, it’s what certain marketers (in this case, for-profit college recruiters) use to identify people’s pain or problems in order to entice them to consume their products, which represent the solution.
While it’s marketing 101 to appeal to emotions like fear—often closely related to pain—some of the recruiting document language for several for-profit colleges that was revealed Monday in a Senate floor speech by Sen. Tom Harkin is disturbing:
My biggest issue is the predation, i.e., targeting individuals who may not be sufficiently educated or otherwise ready to make a rational decision and coercing them to enroll regardless of what is really best for them. It’s one thing to soothe people’s pain; it’s another to take advantage of it. View the individual documents above (via The Huffington Post) and judge for yourself. (Tip: Get a full-screen view by clicking the button to the left of “Download” at the top.)
January 21, 2011
If you’re out of work or working in an industry that is threatened by foreign trade, then the Obama administration and the federal government have just the thing for you: the TAA program (or … deep breath … the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grants Program).
The YSGTS blog has written about this before, but it’s worth noting again because now that 2011 has arrived, 2-year colleges are getting ready for the first round of the TAA program’s grants (worth about $500 million this year). Via The Chronicle, community colleges received notice yesterday about this program’s application guidelines.
In the big push to create more job-training programs and, in the words of U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, get “the country back on its feet,” the grant program conveys a spirit of social improvement. As U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis put it, everyone “deserves access to the level of education necessary to obtain employment that can support a family.” She said the program offers workers a chance to acquire skills and credentials needed to compete in a global economy.
So, start looking now for community colleges and some 2-yr. for-profit colleges to create programs that cater to this belated gift from the 2009 Recovery Act. And get yourself the skills and credentials you need to compete today.
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Related reading: To read more about skills needed to compete in a global economy, check out some of our previous posts on the subject here, here and here.
Category: Career, For-Profit Colleges, Higher Education, Job Skills
December 28, 2010
A new education-themed Bloggingheads.tv video dialog arrived last Wednesday, bringing some fresh insights into the for-profit-college debate. This particular dialog features Katherine Mangu-Ward, senior editor at Reason and David Halperin, director of Campus Progress. Yes, they cite recent work by Ohio University economics professor Richard Vedder, who is also the director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, one of my favorite places to turn to for quality research and commentary about the declining value of traditional bachelor’s degrees and the things for-profit education does right.
For those who want audio-only through iTunes, click here.
Other highlights of the 51-minute discussion include: (more…)
Category: Financial Aid, For-Profit Colleges, Higher Education
December 8, 2010
I usually don’t use this space for log-rolling, but YouShouldGoToSchool.com has a new 2-minute video that is worth viewing for any prospective students of for-profit schools or other career-centered educational institutions.
I’ve written about this subject before (see here and here), but if you’ve ever wondered why you or somebody you know might want to consider a non-traditional education, we’ve wrapped it up with a ribbon right here:
Keep your eyes on this blog for regular reminders of the growing importance of and the latest trends in career education.
October 27, 2010
Are you stuck in a midlife rut? You’re probably not alone, especially if your uncertainty or anxiety is career-related.
As the U.S. Department of Labor tells us, today’s young adult worker should expect to have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38. So, don’t feel bad if you’re confused: you’re expected today to not only have had multiple jobs by the time you’re 40, but multiple careers.
Whether you are forced out by relocation or downsizing, or you are actively seeking new challenges or better compensation, do not despair.
Category: Career, Career Change, For-Profit Colleges, Higher Education, Job Skills, Online Education
October 13, 2010
Those of you who want to know how colleges can cater to the working professional and how technology can be your friend should listen to Matthew Schnittman, the CEO of TopSchool, Inc. He talks to Kevin Kuzma, editor of Career College Central (a useful, student-centered site in its own right) about his school’s “student lifecycle management system” and trends in the career-college market, including:
The conversation makes you think about the increasing role that technology is playing in higher education, and how it may bring output benefits (in terms of post-graduation job placement) in addition to the academic benefits we already know about. The audio podcast can be streamed in full here.
October 12, 2010
We recently received some feedback on an older blog post titled Millionaire’s Generosity Too Good to Be True? | Steve Eisman. The commenter brought up some valid points which I’d like to post here, along with my response.
Feel free to leave your own comments here or in the original post.
Category: For-Profit Colleges
