I love Bill Bonner's writing. It set me on a course of learning with fewer preconceived ideas. (I'm human, I still have some.) I do have one minor complaint. I wish Bill would quit conflating credentials with education. "Well credentialed elite" I could swallow; I have real problems with "well educated."
I am shocked to look back at my life and see 9 years of college and university "education." The credentials simply allowed me to break through the "glass ceiling" into thinking and executive jobs. I was no better than before, and with really no more useful knowledge. Just credentials.
But I wish I'd pushed through to my first degree sooner than I did.
The best thing I learned was that colleges and universities LOVE people who challenge and pay for their courses without actually taking the courses. Same financial cost, but way less time wasted. And one after another, they asked for my high school diploma and then let me register and pay without one.
I've been telling 13 year olds about this for 30 years.
Wisdom started to leave academia in the 1950's. Today a student goes in knowing one thing for certain (their gender), and comes out gender fluid. Sadly most trade school hires come from college associated institutions. All manner of hires believe their degree equals some superior knowledge our 40 years old company is lacking.
The conversation with a new hire on the first day: STF up, watch and listen, maybe you'll last the week. You see these graduates have been sold a bill of goods, they've been told experience, a work ethic, and disciplined behavior is old school. Their superior training in tech has replaced these past requirements.
I direct these new hires to the crawl space under the kitchens of many old row homes in Philly. With their dirt floors, tight spaces, and spiders and note one day I'm going to ask you to crawl in there. If you refuse I will have to and you'll be worthless to our company.
If they jump to it, we'll keep them on and pay their entire school tuition when they sign an employment contract. I've never had a new hire who did not later claim their college was a total waste of money. Especially when we hire young people who simply hunt us down and beg for a job with no experience or trade school. These hires if they work out are sent to trade school on our dime. The trade schools they attend are held by equipment manufacturers.
I love Bill Bonner's writing. It set me on a course of learning with fewer preconceived ideas. (I'm human, I still have some.) I do have one minor complaint. I wish Bill would quit conflating credentials with education. "Well credentialed elite" I could swallow; I have real problems with "well educated."
I am shocked to look back at my life and see 9 years of college and university "education." The credentials simply allowed me to break through the "glass ceiling" into thinking and executive jobs. I was no better than before, and with really no more useful knowledge. Just credentials.
But I wish I'd pushed through to my first degree sooner than I did.
The best thing I learned was that colleges and universities LOVE people who challenge and pay for their courses without actually taking the courses. Same financial cost, but way less time wasted. And one after another, they asked for my high school diploma and then let me register and pay without one.
I've been telling 13 year olds about this for 30 years.
Wisdom started to leave academia in the 1950's. Today a student goes in knowing one thing for certain (their gender), and comes out gender fluid. Sadly most trade school hires come from college associated institutions. All manner of hires believe their degree equals some superior knowledge our 40 years old company is lacking.
The conversation with a new hire on the first day: STF up, watch and listen, maybe you'll last the week. You see these graduates have been sold a bill of goods, they've been told experience, a work ethic, and disciplined behavior is old school. Their superior training in tech has replaced these past requirements.
I direct these new hires to the crawl space under the kitchens of many old row homes in Philly. With their dirt floors, tight spaces, and spiders and note one day I'm going to ask you to crawl in there. If you refuse I will have to and you'll be worthless to our company.
If they jump to it, we'll keep them on and pay their entire school tuition when they sign an employment contract. I've never had a new hire who did not later claim their college was a total waste of money. Especially when we hire young people who simply hunt us down and beg for a job with no experience or trade school. These hires if they work out are sent to trade school on our dime. The trade schools they attend are held by equipment manufacturers.