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Issues such as the one faced by Marinette Marine have been widespread throughout the country, with shipyards turning to creative solutions such as offering training academies or partnering with technical colleges to get more workers the skills they need to build the Navy’s high-tech vessels.
I agree with this part so much. Instead of free college, we need free trade and technical schools. Good paying jobs, typically union with pensions and we have a huge shortage.
To reach across the divide for a handshake:
This is something Biden and many progressives have been pushing for,
Free community college/trade schools: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/21/readout-of-white-house-meeting-on-expanding-access-to-free-community-college/
Advanced manufacturing training and jobs in the US: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/01/23/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-highlights-new-commitments-toward-equitable-workforce-development-in-advanced-manufacturing/
And even pushing paid apprenticeships: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/06/fact-sheet-president-biden-signs-executive-order-scaling-and-expanding-the-use-of-registered-apprenticeships-in-industries-and-the-federal-government-and-promoting-labor-management-forums/
And specifically in shipbuilding and getting the workforce where it needs, both in private ships and the military, the admin is moving in the right direction, opening new shipbuilding yards, getting people to train up, and putting in ship orders https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/07/29/fact-sheet-white-house-announces-new-private-sector-investments-in-american-maritime-industries-due-to-biden-harris-administration-efforts/
Getting more manufacturing back in the US, becoming more self sufficient, and having dignified employment are all my goals as a progressive too, and I'm really happy there's movement from the current administration in their areas (despite complaints in other areas)
(I used all Whitehouse links as a from-the-horses mouth source, but there are plenty of articles about each)
Why shouldn’t we have both?
If we made college free, we would restrict college to only the best and brightest. That is how the rest of the world does it.
I prefer our current system where it is available to anyone.
Personally I'd prefer if we didn't have to hyperfocus on one specific skill, where demand could suddenly dry up at any moment for any number of reasons, to have to support ourselves.
A huge factor in our stagnation is that we promise people stability if they do this one thing... then we have to cater to that one thing for the next fifty years because they now have no other way to support themselves. So we keep pandering to coal miners and corn growers and whatever else.
Education should not be tied this closely with economy. It should be about growing and expanding our horizons, our ability to better understand the world around us and the people around us. Not about how best to be stuck in the same career for the next 50+ years.
While I am not a conservative, I may agree with you strongly on education. College degrees are massively overinflated in value and propped up by government-backed student debt. We need to get away from this idea that everyone needs to go to college to secure their best life because we critically need these trade skills in the economy, in conjunction with policies that support these workers with fair compensation for their high technical skill.
This system we have today cannot possibly be sustainable.
I know people with master's degrees who work in construction. They could have saved a lot of time and money by entering construction from the start.
There is nothing wrong with a trade. Most of my family works in a trade.
I think the problem is people have focused on college degrees as being magical, and people rush to get them without thinking how they will benefit them or make them employable.
Plumbers, electricians, and carpenters all make good money.
If we every want to grow out middle class, that is how we do it.
Union jobs are typically not good paying. They pay better than entry level fast food for sure. They on paper seem to pay than non-union jobs in the same industry, but that is often an illusion - often there is weird fine print and so your yearly take home pay is about the same either way. However the elephant in the room is there are many many jobs in Engineering, medicine and the like pay much better.