Stephanie Okereke Linus discusses the joy of Motherhood and her soon to be released Autobiography book.

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The declining job market during the economic downturn and the rising cost of college education have led many to question the value of a liberal arts education. This week, Gov. Paul LePage at the first gubernatorial debate, saying of the Maine Community College System, We need the trades. They re focused a little too much on the liberal arts.

The debate, however, supposes an either-or scenario that just doesn t exist, and ignores the long-term value of a well-rounded education. Instead, the state should focus on getting more of its high school graduates to college, and making sure those who start college are able to obtain a degree.

LOW-COST EDUCATION

Trade occupations such as plumbing and electrical repair have a lot to offer Maine students. There is a plenty of demand for workers with those skills, and the entry-level wages are typically higher than those for positions filled by liberal arts graduates.

For those reasons, Maine needs programs in electromechanical technology and refrigeration and heating, as well as building construction, automotive technology, medical coding, computer technology and many more of the fields of vocational study that lead students from graduation straight into a particular career.

Community colleges, where students can take courses close to home and at a reasonable cost, are the perfect homes for the programs, and in Maine, they ve done well in responding to the needs of the workforce, as the needs of employers shift.

But that s no reason to ignore the liberal arts. many employers value the judgment and capacity for continued learning and critical thinking imparted by an education in the humanities and social sciences, and wage studies find that the earnings of liberal arts graduates over the course of a career exceed earnings for trade graduates.

Just like trade courses, community college programs in liberal arts are a good fit, too, for Maine students who cannot afford the university system, or are unsure of their career path and want to meet their entry-level requirements without taking on too much debt.

MORE DIPLOMAS

So the true value of the community college system is not only what programs are offered, but who they are available to. Educational attainment is, unfortunately, largely a function of socioeconomic status. Affordable programs offered near a student s home can help change that by allowing poorer Maine residents obtain a college education.

In Maine and throughout the country, that s an area that needs improvement. In 2013, , 62 percent of Maine high school graduates went on to college. For graduates at or below the poverty level, that number dropped to 48 percent.

Neither is good enough, though those low numbers still put Maine above the national average. However, the state falls to the national average when it comes to college completion, meaning it is losing many of those students somewhere in their undergraduate years.

At a time when higher education of some kind is necessary for success, that s a problem, and that s where the state s focus should be.Related Articles:Celine Bags Outlet StoreCeline UK OnlineCeline Online Outlet