Students » Carol J. Carter

Young College Grads Create Opportunity in a Challenging Economy

In past cycles of the U.S. economy, a college degree — or even a high school diploma — could be enough for a job seeker to land a well-paying position that afforded them staples of an American lifestyle, such as home and car ownership, leaving home as a teen or young adult, and starting a family. In the new economy, with high unemployment rates for teens and adults,Â neither a college degree or high school diploma comes with a job guarantee, and many young adults are reacting by living with their parents longer, delaying marriage and child birth and indefinitely postponing large purchases. ¹
Read the rest of this entry »

Share this Article with Your Friends:

Where Are We in American Education Right Now? A Look at Patterns the Last Three Decades

Thirty years ago this summer, I was finishing my first unpaid internship in Washington, D.C with Common Cause, a lobbying Â group run at the time by Archibald Cox, John Gardner of Stanford, and, at times, Ralph Nader. The next year, the report,Â A NATION AT RISK¹, was issued as I began my internship in New York City at the Academy for Educational Development. During both summers, I waited on tables at night to be able to work for no pay at my valuable internships. This report was commissioned by the then President Ronald Reagan. I distinctly remember one of the most defining lines of that document: Â The educational foundations of our society areÂ presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as aÂ Nation and a people.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share this Article with Your Friends:

Marching into a Recession: Class of 2012 Follows Generations Before

Recessions,Â ebb and flow. Between 1948 and 2011, there have been 10 recessions, according theÂ National Bureau of Economic Research¹.Â That means there are many people in the U.S. who have been in all 10 recessionsÂ and made theirÂ Â way out. The BLS describes a recession as: “A general slowdown in economic activity, a downturn in the business cycle, a reduction in the amount of goods and services produced and sold.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this Article with Your Friends:

Responsibility of College Payoff: Colleges and Students

We are entering the months of graduation, inspiring speeches and anxious and excited graduates. With college debt exceeding a trillion dollars last month, the cost of college outpacing credit card debt, and the unemployment rate among graduates at a sixty year high, many Americans are asking what this means in the short run and the long run for these students and for our economy.Â What we should also be asking is: Â a) what responsibility do colleges have in doing a better job of delivering graduates who are both knowledgeable and capable in the professional world; and, b) what responsibility do those graduates have to get a clue before they start college about what the real world expects and demands of graduates?Â Letâ€™s look at both of these areas.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share this Article with Your Friends:

The New Grad’s Economy: Preparing for Economic Challenges Ahead

Graduates in 2012 will be entering an economy with more debt and less job opportunities than they would have 20 or even 10 years ago.Â The last recession of this proportion was actually in 1984, the year I graduated from college.

But the surprise isn’t only on the new graduates. Employers are gaining new hires who have spent some of their most formidable years in a bad economy and who have responded with either apathy or a zeal to overcome obstacles in the professional world. For both kinds of young adults, and those in between, they will be up against some challenges that, although sometimes grim, are the reality of our current economy. Instead of Â being the apathetic new hire or job seeker, I encourage you to take on the following challenges with the mindset that you will keep moving forward until you can overcome.

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this Article with Your Friends:

New Grads and Hires: Stay the Course, Slow Your Pace, Focus on Long Term Contributions

The next wave of college graduates will be stepping into the world of work over the coming weeks. Some already have jobs, some are job hunting, and some have pushed aside the thought of a career until after finals week. No matter where you stand on the job front, you can all benefit by updating your vocabulary with a few words that can help you push through difficult times on the job hunt, on the job, or in all aspects of life. These wordsÂ to live byÂ are:

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this Article with Your Friends:

Opportunities for Low-Income Students: Summer Learning and Work Which Turns to Gold

For low-income kids, the oncoming summer vacation can bring forth different feelings than it does for privileged students. Due to a lack of accessibility, availability, and financial resources, low-income students often don’t have equal summer learning opportunities as privileged students, which contributes to increased summer learning losses and puts them at a disadvantage at the start of each new school year. Some of these students care for younger siblings all summer. Others play the role of parent to parents who may struggle with addiction or other issues. Others are in foster families or are raised by a grandparent because their parents are in prison or not fit to raise them.

This year, teen unemployment rates are soaring between 23.2 – 23.8 percentÂ ¹, which may prove to be even more problematic for low-income teens looking to work more hours to contribute to the family, make money for the upcoming school year, or to simply keep busy and off the street.

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this Article with Your Friends:

Riding the Waves of High Teen Unemployment: Turning the Tide in Turbulent Waters

Teens enjoy using their summer months to unwind from the long academic year, but many also expect to spend summer working a summer job, or increasing the hours at their part-time job, to save money, get experience, and have something structured to do. And these are the lucky students who have the luxury of being able to get a “legitimate” job. Â Many disadvantaged students living in the housing projects or at poverty level will be struggling to avoid street temptations and other fast ways to earn money. This year almost one out of four American teens ages 16 to 19 were unemployed in February. On average, over the last 20 years, teens have held a steady unemployment rate of between 14 and 18 percent. The teen unemployment rate in 2012 has reached 23.2 to 23.8 percent.¹

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this Article with Your Friends:

Defining Unique Skills Powers Economic Success for Grads

In a competitive global market theÂ soon-to-be college graduate andÂ new professional needs to know their unique talents and abilities in order to stand out from the crowd. Our economy is recoveringÂ slowly; a shift inÂ our schoolsÂ Â and colleges can set newÂ expectations toÂ better prepareÂ graduates forÂ workforceÂ realities. Many K-12 schools, whether out of choice or necessity, still teach to standardized tests and curriculums. However, the new professional is anything but standardized. The new professionalÂ is self-aware,Â stands outÂ because of their ability to develop unique strengths, can connect their education to their career, is fully integrated into traditional and digital communication, and understandsÂ how to use personal discipline for professional advantage. If there isnâ€™t enough time to emphasize this model in class, teachers can emphasize the importance of this exposureÂ outÂ of class.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share this Article with Your Friends:

Skills to Succeed in the New Economy

Over the last few years, Americans have become more familiar with change. Our president’s campaign was based on change; our economy took a change for the worst and is making small steps to recovery; many members of our friends and families changed or lost careers; technology continues to change how we communicate, learn, listen to music, fight disease, etc. All of these factors have created a new economy that will only continue to get further away from what we know today (65 percentÂ of kids in grade school are predicted to have jobs that don’t exist yet.¹)

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this Article with Your Friends: