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Editorial: Students, give yourself best chance for success
Welcome back, students.
And congratulations on the progress many of you are making academically. Results released last week by the state show Washington students made across-the-board improvements in reading, math, writing and science. But significant numbers still fall short. There is no excuse for complacency – and the school districts offer none – with so many in danger of graduating without the best preparation possible for what lies ahead.
The lucky ones among you were employed this summer. You learned the workaday skills like showing up on time, following directions, and dealing with distracted or downright crabby customers courteously.
Actor/director Woody Allen famously said 80 percent of success is showing up. Employers expect 100 percent.
Look at the dismal employment numbers released Friday, and you do not need to be a genius like Allen to figure the odds against future success for those who do not show up for class in body and mind.
Unemployment among those who do not have a high school diploma was 14.3 percent in August. For graduates, the rate fell to 9.6 percent; for those with associate degrees or some college, 8.2 percent; and for college graduates 4.3 percent.
The correlation is obvious: Stay in school for as long as possible, and make the best of the education opportunities available, like advanced placement courses. They translate not only into more knowledge, but future savings on tuition as well, which will help minimize loans that can be a burden for years after graduation.
New University of Washington President Michael Young says the state’s public universities are the most efficient in the United States graduating students, and among the lowest in cost per student. But he is puzzled by the fact Washington is also in the bottom third for in-state kids getting college degrees.
As a result, Young notes, Washington imports a huge percentage of its workforce. He did not say it, but that is especially true of the high-tech jobs that offer the best pay and professional fulfillment.
If school seems challenging – and it should be – envision the 40 years after high school graduation as a row of unemployment lines. Do you want to be stacked in one with adults who did not finish high school, with the poorest prospects of getting a job, one with the lowest pay? Or one one-third as long, with a fatter paycheck potentially waiting?
Not all jobs require advanced degrees. But in manufacturing, for example, employers still need workers with math skills, and the ability to understand complex instructions.
The job news, by the way, is not all bad. The latest WorkSource quarterly report showed there were more openings posted for Washington workers – 60,000 – than at any time in the last three years.
So, students, good luck. Make as much of what schools have to offer, scholastically and in extra-curricular activities, as you possibly can. Your teachers, your schools and your communities want you to succeed.
A-plus-men.