Did you ever hear a young child say he wants to be a fireman when he grows up? Why a fireman? Frankly, I do not know, but take a look at what the Baltimore City Fire Department just announced: The Baltimore Sun, in a front page story in the December 3, 2012 issue, reported that the Baltimore City Fire Department will begin requiring a formal college level education in order to be a fireman and/or to be promoted within the Fire Department. Amazing! You will now have to go to college to get a job in a typical blue collar occupation like firefighter! Fire Chief James S. Clack stated, “It’s not your father’s fire department anymore. In order to prepare the next generation of leaders, they have to pursue or obtain a formal education in addition to their experience in the field.”
So what does this have to do with our community? We all understand that being a Baltimore City firefighter is not a shomer Shabbos-friendly occupation. In addition, we all acknowledge the importance and value to our society that firemen and fire safety play. What we are seeing, rather, is the trend of requiring more formal academic education and credentials, even in formerly blue collar fields like firefighter, law enforcement, and the building trades.
The Current Job Market
If you ask a professional recruiter or hiring manager how the current job market is, as compared to a few years ago, you will probably receive the answer, “It all depends!” There are jobs in the new high-technology economy that go unfilled, yet there are fewer jobs available in the old economy.
Our community is in need of high-technology, experienced applicants in order to compete for the openings in the new economy. Are we ready to compete? I am not sure we are! The shortcut mentality still holds sway in many of our circles. It appears, today, that many of our young people avoid acquiring the high-technology skills needed for the new economy. Too many of our young men and ladies are advised to pursue programs that do not result in real credentials from real schools in actual marketable fields. The field of study needs to be one in which there are projected to be adequate future job openings in the new job economy. The school needs to be widely recognized as a reputable school of higher learning that awards real credits for a real education, rather than one that has a reputation for being a credit processor whose transcripts are of questionable value. Hiring managers, human resources professionals, and public and private sector headhunters know the difference.
In addition, these credit processing programs offer very limited exposure to the new economy high technology jobs in the functional areas of software development, network and data management, statistics and mathematics, finance, information technology cybersecurity, and health therapy internships. These programs also offer limited group project experiences that are a training tool for the modern work place. The ability to work on a common objective with a group of diverse individuals with differing skill sets, personalities, and priorities is often lacking with these programs. Some who have natural abilities will succeed and go further into graduate programs, but many will not.
For example, I am aware of the growing frustration among our young people when they try to compete for federal positions and only then find out that their inadequate education, lack of relevant job skills, and lack of job specific experience places them in a lower grouping of applicants. We are becoming a low-technology community in a high-technology economy.
Yes, I have heard the argument that “not everyone is academically suited.” True, but couldn’t we plan and implement a “do it slower” approach that all or most can succeed at?
Yes, I have heard the argument that says that such and such a person “has a good business head and will succeed without any credentials or formal education.” The reality shows that some will succeed and others will not. Absent a family-owned business or large infusions of family funds, obtaining the needed capital to engage in a business venture can be a challenge in today’s banking environment.
We must understand that even in the business world, we need some general understanding of accounting, economics, marketing, human psychology, communications, and information technology. To think that one can jump into the business world without any job skills is naïve and a formula for failure. Even a “family business” requires some level of job skills to allow the new family member a chance at a “level playing field” with others who are already in the business.
The projected result of being unprepared for the high- technology economy is underemployment and the associated lower wages, increase in family financial stress, poor self-image and confidence, and potential shalom bayis issues. In addition, the inability to support the family’s obligations for yeshiva tuitions, shul membership, and related high costs of the frum lifestyle are affected. Just ask the volunteers who work with our families in the Mesilla project about our community’s primary financial challenge. It is underemployed households resulting from the lack of formal credentials and education. It is that simple!
How Do We Turn This Around?
First, we need to stop living in the past and realize that what worked for your father’s time will no longer work today. Just as Fire Chief Clack said, “It’s not your father’s fire department.” It is not your father’s job market either.
Second, we need to devote our energies toward obtaining real credentials from real universities and colleges that will lead to a marketable degree. We need to stop the nonsense of thinking that an online degree from some unknown “college” in another state will suffice. It may be “accredited,” but can you compete in today’s job market with that degree? Probably not!
We need to take an honest look at the yeshiva/seminary/credit processing degrees. Will these degrees enable one to compete for entrance into real graduate programs from real universities? Even if they can, will these students be prepared and able to perform the required graduate level projects, papers, and research requirements? Some may be able to perform them, while others may not.
Third, we need to try to obtain some internships or summer work experiences, even if there is no salary attached to them. It is estimated that 40 to 50 percent of all new hires are a direct result of an internship or similar work experience. In 2011, about 42 percent of new hires came through internship programs, according to a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. We are missing out on these opportunities.
Fourth, we need to find credible and accurate career advisors who are knowledgeable about our community and the overall job market. We need to stop following the “herd mentality” of doing whatever others are doing. We need to really do our homework regarding some of these new “fields” like graphic design, life coaching, general studies, etc.
Are these really viable fields with abundant job openings? Or are they the result of a for-profit operation seeking to cash in on our own lack of understanding of the job market? Do your “due diligence”! Check these socalled career options out carefully before investing your time and money.
Fifth, it is never too late to start. We need to begin by doing an honest selfassessment of where we are today, develop a plan of where we want to be in three to five years, and act upon that plan.
Finally, let’s all pray for siyata dishmaya that our efforts will produce hightechnology job-ready applicants, so that we can all strengthen our communities and our families.â—†
