Earlier this year, the American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt released a book that examines why young people in the United States are anxious. Haidt focuses on technology and social media. In a new op-ed at RealClearEducation, Charles Koch Foundation Executive Director Ryan Stowers offers another contributing factor: the pressure to not only go to college, but to an expensive, elite one.
â[A]nxiety is in order when the adults in the room expect every child to wrestle themselves into a single mold,â Stowers writes.
The argument that everyone must go to college ignores the contributions of the millions of Americans who never went to college or who left before they finished. Indeed, there are a host of ways young people can acquire the skills that will help them earn a job in the industry where they want to work. College is one, but there also are trade schools, apprenticeships, upskilling programs, certifications, and more.
âIt’s time to rethink how we message opportunity to young people,â Stowers argues. âPurpose and passion do not always come right away in a job, but they are elements we should teach our children to strive toward regardless of what learning and career paths they choose.â
What is the Charles Koch Foundation doing to ensure more young and adult learners have the opportunity to find a career they love and have plenty of avenues to build the skills for that work? Read Stowers’ op-ed.