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It’s been an odd week back at home as I battled the travel-induced plague I brought back with me. I swear, next time I step on a plane I’ll be wearing a hazmat suit and 17 N95 masks. But what kept me occupied between bouts of feverish coughing? Let me share.
Terrible education headline of the week
I usually enjoy Iris Palmer’s writing and find her both smart and thoughtful, but this piece misses the mark—not only with a poor headline but also with weak analysis. The article in question is titled "Are Microcredentials a Path to Good Jobs? Sometimes."
In urging caution against overstating the potential of microcredentials as pathways to well-paying jobs, Palmer uses data from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce to illustrate how earnings for jobs that don’t require a degree can vary widely. As she puts it:
Of 255 occupations with an above-average concentration of young workers in this educational category, only 57 met the threshold of $44,500 annually, which was considered a good job. Patterns emerged when researchers grouped these occupations into broader categories: [snip]
High-paying jobs like air traffic controllers ($55,995) and train engineers ($67,530) contrast sharply with poorly paid roles like taxi drivers ($16,883) and bus drivers ($30,913) [snip]
None of the personal care roles, such as hair stylists ($24,648) or estheticians ($24,761), met the earnings threshold. Healthcare support roles, including licensed practical nurses ($38,267) and surgical technicians ($41,296), also fell short, highlighting low wages despite requiring specialized training.
Palmer’s analysis has several significant issues, but I’ll focus on just one.
