College is Not Enough
Career and Technical Education_______________________________________________________College Is Not EnoughOn November 16, 2005, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published an article entitled “Going to College is Not Enough.” Highlighted was the fact that only 54% of students entering four-year colleges in 1997 had a degree six years later.Two major points of emphasis were: 1. That while many people are accepted into college, not all graduate. 2. That after borrowing for college but failing to graduate, many students may be worse off than if they had not attended college. These statistics are comparable to the overall graduation rates for Virginia’s public colleges. Check out the graduation rates for a sampling of Virginia state-supported colleges:
How can Career and Technical Education courses help out? 1. They provide training that offers backup opportunities in case college plans are derailed or delayed. While careers in technology, construction or healthcare may not be a student’s first choice of employment, they are services needed in the economy and provide steady income until he can land his dream job. 2. They provide temporary income if a student has to work to supplement his tuition bills. 3. They provide real-world experience for many of the academic courses related to student’s college and career choices. 4. They offer dual-enrollment college credit that can save $1,000’s off of college tuition. Check your student’s home school course offerings and those of the Chesterfield Technical Center to see if there are any course selections that relate to your student’s career interests and provides a source of temporary income and dual enrollment credit. > back to info for parents |
