The following appeared as part of an article in the education section of a Waymarsh city newspaper:
“Throughout the last two decades, those who earned graduate degrees found it very difficult to get jobs teaching their academic specialties at the college level. Those with graduate degrees from Waymarsh University had an especially hard time finding such jobs. But better times are coming in the next decade for all academic job seekers, including those from Waymarsh. Demographic trends indicate that an increasing number of people will be reaching college age over the next 10 years; consequently, we can expect that the job market will improve dramatically for people seeking college-level teaching positions in their fields.”
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
While the optimist in me believes that this assertion is correct, the realist in me does not. After all, it makes more sense to look at what is happening in the real world versus what may happen in the future
The actual numbers of college graduates seeking teaching positions seem to support the belief that the job market for college graduates as teachers is improving. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs requiring college degrees is expected to increase by 4% between 2016 and 2026, compared to a predicted increase of 6% for all occupations. However, this increase is less than the 8% growth rate that jobs in general are expected to experience during that time frame. Considering that the total number of people graduating with college degrees has been increasing steadily over the last two decades, this lackluster job growth for college graduates as teachers is curious. If employers are having a hard time finding qualified teachers, why are college-educated individuals still having trouble finding jobs? In my opinion, the answer to this question lies in the nature of college itself
College education has traditionally been viewed as a way of preparing students for employment in a career, rather than as an opportunity for independent self-exploration. This mindset is evidenced by the fact that most students continue to receive financial aid up until their final year in college. They often need the support to complete their education because most jobs do not readily become available after graduation. Given this heavy focus on finding a job after graduation, most graduates are groomed to fit into a specific job or career path. Because of this, many graduates have little in the way of marketable skills that they can use when searching for work, and must instead rely on their college degrees to qualify for positions. This emphasis on getting students to a position after graduation rather than on helping them learn the skills necessary to find work after graduation might explain why the job market for college graduates as teachers is in such a flux, as graduates approach graduation from college
The idea that college graduates are having trouble finding teaching jobs is also questionable because the majority of college graduates are not actually seeking a teaching position. Over 57% of college graduates in the United States are working in fields other than teaching, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means that the vast majority of college graduates are looking for jobs outside of education. Students who do seek teaching positions must have the educational qualifications needed to teach, which, in most cases, necessitates an advanced degree. This increase in the demand for college degrees in the field of teaching, therefore, is not due to an increase in the number of college graduates entering the teaching profession. Rather, it is due to the increase in the number of college graduates entering the educational field
If the job market is going to improve for graduates with master’s degrees, then the jobs themselves must be made more attractive, which will require changes in the way colleges are run and in the employment process. One of the major issues with graduate school is that it is an extremely expensive endeavor. The cost of an undergraduate education at a public college in the U
S. averages $27,000 per year, while the cost of a graduate degree averages $60,000 per year. While this might not seem like much at first, the compounding effect of these costs results in tens of thousands of dollars in debt that graduates must carry with them for years after graduation. This debt can prevent recent graduates from taking on jobs as soon as they finish their degree programs, which delays their ability to enter the workforce and results in even higher student loan debt. Another issue is that most graduate schools, including Waymarsh University, focus their programs on preparing students for jobs in specific fields. This means that many graduates are unable to find a job in their field of study. This might help explain why graduates with master’s degrees are having a hard time finding jobs
If the job market for college graduates as teachers is going to improve, then graduates must focus less on finding jobs during the post-graduation period and more on learning how to find work after graduation. Colleges and universities must change the way they approach their programs. They should tailor their programs to the career and life goals of their students, rather than teaching students how to fit into specific jobs. Also, the employment process must be overhauled so that graduates are able to enter the job market as soon as they finish their degrees.