People with college degrees are taking jobs normally filled by high school graduates because education required to do the job is increasing, college professors say.
On the other hand, college-educated people are taking these jobs because they have student loans to pay and can't afford to wait for a better position, an employment agency manager says.
CareerBuilder.com conducted a survey on the importance of a college degree that revealed 32 percent of hiring managers and human resource professionals said they are hiring more employees with college degrees for positions that were historically held by high school graduates.
A college degree is becoming more of a necessity to get any job, said Anthony Liuzzo, Ph.D., professor of business and economics at Wilkes University.
"College is considered a minimum," Dr. Liuzzo said. "You absolutely need a college degree to compete at this increased level. A college degree gives you a leg up on other applicants. For forward-thinking people, it increases their career possibilities. They can become certified in an area they are interested in. An MBA is not yet essential, but it is becoming very desirable. In five to 10 years, I feel it will become essential."
But Dr. Liuzzo also believes it's a temporary phenomenon with the economy, which is improving.
"People with a college degree are having trouble finding a job," he said. "The reverse side of the coin is that people with a college degree have the best chance for a career."
Dr. Liuzzo said a bachelor's degree in business administration is a good start, and an MBA is a good credential.
"In a business degree, you learn a little about health care, politics, nonprofits and sports," said the chairman of the Wilkes MBA program. "You also get some speaking and writing skills, and finance, and economics. An MBA is a career degree"
Erin O'Donnell, branch manager for the Hazleton Manpower employment service office, thinks there are many different factors why college-educated labor is seeking or accepting lower-level positions that don't require a degree.
"Things have changed in today's economy," Ms. O'Donnell said. "More and more people are going to a college or university for some form of higher education because they have come to the understanding that it's needed in today's society to set them apart from their competition entering the workforce. Having a college degree is now no more significant than a high school diploma. Degrees have replaced diplomas and masters or doctorates have replaced bachelor's degrees."
On the other hand, a lot of college graduates have student loans to repay and need a job right away.
"The average college student enters the workforce with an enormous amount of debt and the jobs that match their education just aren't available to them," Ms. O'Donnell said. "People find themselves in a place where they need to have an income to live day to day, they also have to find the means to pay off their loans and they have to take whatever job is available in order to do so."
Their geographic location has something to do with it, she said. If the area they choose to live in does not provide the caliber of position the graduate is seeking, they have to take a lesser job.
Ms. O'Donnell talked to a woman willing to trade a call center job for a warehouse job.
"I asked her why she would want to leave call center which pays more than a warehouse position," she said. "She told me it was because there is no room for growth or advancement where she is currently employed. She is actually pretty smart. If someone finds a position that requires no skills in a reputable company then what they decide to do once they get there is up to is completely up the them. Most companies today believe in promoting from within, and it's not uncommon to see someone in a high level management role that originally started from the very bottom."
Robert Williams, director of the Center for Economic and Entrepreneurship Education at Misericordia University, said it's supply and demand.
"It is a buyers market," Mr. Williams said. "If I can purchase a needed commodity for a good price, that is great, even better, if I can purchase a needed commodity with a needed skill set included. A college degree gives businesses the biggest bang for the buck as far as employability is concerned. A student with a college degree is assumed to have the intangible skills a high school graduate would not be able to provide to the company."
He agrees the education benchmark has been raised.
"The college diploma is the new high school diploma," he said. "In the past, a business would provide a new employee with a function and training. For example, if your job was to type letters, they would find out how fast you could type and if your skill fell into acceptable parameters, they hired you. Today's businesses need trouble shooters who combine marketing, management and logistical solution to a position. which in years past was reserved for managers. In today's business, even the secretary manages her domain."
Contact the writer: jdino@standardspeaker.com