COLLEGE OR NO COLLEGE ...THAT IS THE QUESTION?

WHEN IT COMES RIGHT DOWN TO IT - EVERY PROGRAM has their own little twist that uniquely defines how the program is going to support the student experience. I'll be honest ....these last couple of months have caused question of where the future of education is going. The agenda being pushed by some doesn't always appear as though the primary focus is on education and student opportunity. Some nonsense about how College is too expense and not necessary? WHY would we want to push this narrative and cause a cycle of individuals returning to college once they realize that they do not have the credentials to continue their economic growth? Nonetheless, at Cosumnes River College, the Construction Management Program has continued to serve the student and the foundational skills needed to become a resilient, well rounded, growth focused individual ready for the Construction Industry Workforce.

College is too expense? As I understand it, in California, the first two years are free. This doesn't come without strings - a defined "Guided Pathway" must be identified. This is fine for those who have grown up knowing what they want to do however, with the destruction of the Vocational Career Education in High Schools, our students no longer have the opportunity to try a number of different skills/disciplines to identify their natural (inherent) strengths and passions. That is why college is so expensive! UNDERSTANDING THAT I AM SPEAKING IN GENERAL TERMS AND THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO EVERYONE - Students are being given free choice to take classes that interest them but are being given no guidance as to how that class may OR MAY NOT fit into a career path...OR...they are forced to choose a specific path and then halfway through, realize it is not their cup of tea. We are asking students to pay for classes that they may or may not end up using for their intended certification/degree because they are still in discovery. Furthermore, these students have two major hits against them - #1. They do not have an urgency to get a certification/degree/career because they are comfortable where they are. #2. They have not lived the harder life of their parents - earning the hard knocks of life that have created a maturity gap in today's youth. Then there is a new type of learning that puts all of this at risk. The invent of SELF-LEARNING has students thinking that they can pick and choose the topics they wish to learn about in order to "save money" and only focus on the things they enjoy learning about. Listen, I didn't like cleaning my room but I learned that by doing so quickly, efficiently and strategically, managing my time and in an organized way - I would be able to spend more time riding my horses. We don't always understand WHAT we will learn from an experience but if we go through life thinking everything is earned easily, then we may grow up a little entitled or .... a YouTube know it all. This makes for an employee that is not easily trainable and not inspired by learning.

College is necessary? THIS IS AN INEQUIVOCABILE YES!!! Before you start screaming at me about how the 3% of high school graduates are not "built" for college, know that I WAS ONE OF THE 3%! As a College Professor, I'm probably suppose to promote the completion of a certificate/degree, as a matter of fact - that is how the success of my program is "graded" in the Community College System - they are called COMPLETERS ...... When I say college is necessary, I am saying it because today's youth IS NOT READY for the Construction Industry Workforce. (I am not saying everyone has to leave with a degree - although, if you put the time in, why not leave with the extra credential). What College does offer is a timeframe for maturity during parent separation, where a child learns how to live on their own, work, manage time & money, while continuing to exercise their brain in a structured learning environment. College offers a, typically safe social environment, development of important support systems, future contacts, relationships, often a life partner. This is also a time when students can ENJOY learning about themselves - hobbies, likes/dislikes, inherent skills, building a LOVE for LEARNING that opens their receptiveness, to not only making it easier to learn and absorb information, but to appreciate the need for constant and continued learning in life.

The question most asked by my students ....Do I really need college? Well, again, the answer is AN INEQUIVOCABILE YES, until Employers change the way that they seek verification and qualification of credentials. It works like this ..... a young man/woman graduates from high school and gets a job as a carpenter - as a young apprentice, he/she learns from the weathered hands of a senior journeyman, until he/she becomes a well respected Superintendent making about $90k annually. After about 15 years under his/her belt, he/she decides to interview for a Project Management Position. Sitting next to him/her is a College Graduate still wet behind the ears but fluent in computer and all the latest software. Little to no practical hands on experience, the college grad has been an intern every summer for the past two years and has some terminology and practical construction operation comprehension. Most graduates are going to be expecting a starting salary around $65k - $85k (Unless they are from Chico State wherein something in the air screams $95k starting - lol). In a lot of cases similar to this scenario, the Superintendent will get sent back to the field, lacking the credentials of a degree, the comprehension of current softwares, the perceived inability to track, document, write dailies, meeting minutes, & correspondence. A company can hire the graduate - at a cheaper rate, train the student & their potential mistakes on the dime of a prospective Owner, and that student has the office skillsets that can be supported by the observation of field work for the next 15 years. Much harder to learn how to generate & run a P6 Program then to observe field work and learn the highlights of construction. The other obvious ELEPHANT in the room is the clear fact that most of today's graduates are not interested in the ladder growth of hierarchy. Therefore, we have MANY MORE PEOPLE wanting to be BOSS than worker bee. In my opinion, this is why EMPLOYERS need to change the way they look at credentials. Developing internal programs that promote within by building experience, character, integrity and pride in one's work, will be a growing trend in the future. One I hope to be a part of and one that I hope companies will see being nurtured at Cosumnes River College. Our Construction Management Program focuses on transferable skills sets that prepare our students for a variety of different entry levels into the Construction Industry Workforce and our program would not be what it is without the support of so many great Construction Industry Partners! SO WHEN YOU ASK THE QUESTION - COLLEGE or NO COLLEGE .....I say - COSUMNES RIVER COLLEGE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM!!!!