Education and the Recession
Rudy Karsan -
Current Events
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 7:56:03 AM
The unemployment rate continues to climb. Now approaching 10% in the US, it is also increasing across Asia-Pacific and Europe. Numerous training programs have been set up in the US to help job-seeking people re-equip themselves for a new line of work after being laid off. Based on what I’ve seen and read (here’s a link to an article in the NY Times), these programs are not very helpful unless you already have a strong foundation in education. So, one of the lessons I’m hoping the recession is teaching us is that those of us in a position to acquire more education should definitely take advantage of it, especially those who have recently embarked on their careers, where the half-life of the education can prove to be a lot more fruitful. While the article I quoted does not give much hope for people in the later stages who have spent two decades or more in a particular vertical or industry, it does show that there are significant benefits to acquiring education at a younger age. Having personally witnessed these benefits, I would strongly recommend that individuals who have the opportunity should educate themselves to the greatest extent money can buy or that they can afford.