To College or Not To College?(Winter/Spring 2006)
By Karen Litzinger, MA, LPC

Most studies concur that further education on average increases earnings and decreases unemployment.
For national statistics on this, go to www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2004/fall/oochart.htm
But one needs to look deeper to see if college is really the panacea that society christens it to be. Some interesting data is a November "Jobs of the Futur" report of the Pennsylvania Economy League of Southwestern Pennsylvania:

• More than 80% of job openings through 2010 will require only a high school diploma or two year degree.
• Half of the vacancies that pay over $26,170 require two years or less of post-secondary training.
• Data shows that over half of the students entering a 2 or 4 year college will not graduate from college.
• A projected 23.8% of the upcoming labor supply will have a 4 year degree and SWPA demand will be 15%.
• A projected 7.6% of the upcoming labor supply will have a 2 year degree and SWPA demand will be 20%.

For the complete report, go to www.alleghenyconference.org. To explore training and retraining options that match with your skills, interests, values and personality, consider making a career counseling appointment.

©2006, Litzinger Career Consulting. Permission granted to reprint this article so long as the text and by-line are not changed and reprinted intact with all links made live.
Karen Litzinger, MA, LPC, owner of Litzinger Career Consulting, provides career counseling, job search advising, outplacement consulting, and business etiquette training. More information is available at www.KarensCareerCoaching.com