Higher Education

Abstract

The world is ever changing and is in need of educated individuals to help lead it through some tough times ahead. Economies all over the world are struggling right now and we are looking for the people with the right tools and ideas to lead us back into a better time. In this paper we will look at why education is being considered very important among world leaders and business people and at what the benefits of having a higher education has on the person and on the families.

Throughout the world the value of an education is increasing. The job market has become so competitive that people who do not have a higher education are being left behind. It used to be that a person could get by with a high school diploma and could do very well for themselves; however, this is not the case anymore. Employers are looking for the brightest of the bright to lead their companies to the next level and if one is expected to gain the attention of these employers, chances are that they will have to have a Bachelors degree or higher. Colleges and universities are continually making it easier for working people to gain the degree that they seek by offering night and weekend classes, but they have now stepped up to the next level by allowing people to attend classes online and study from abroad. This has opened the door to people who would have not had the opportunity to obtain this goal in the past. In this paper we will discuss the need for higher education and the demand the world economy and society has placed on education. We will dive into the competing world market and see where other nations stand on education and where the U.S. stacks up compared to the leading nations.

President Harry Truman appointed the Presidents Commission on Higher Education at the end of World War II in 1946. This was the first commission of its kind (Hutcheson, 2011). The Commission was designed to increase access to federal scholarships and to create institutions (Hutcheson, 2011). It was thought that by increasing the avenues by which Americans citizens could be educated that the defense of democracy would increase due to the fact that these people would "make wise decisions for America" (Hutcheson, 2011). For many years after the Commission released its first report government officials looked to the report as a guideline of sorts to develop federal policies. The 50's and 60's saw many changes in the world and they seemed to cement the fact that education was going to be crucial in the development of America as a world player in the global economy and future. The launch of Sputnik by the former Soviet Union sparked a panicked race by the government to educate people in science and technology. It was the government's stance that we should not let race, creed, or sex stand in the way of education especially after the events that unfolded in the 60's. Education played a gigantic role in the events that took place in the 50's, 60's, and 70's; so much so that it changed the face of America.

America has, for a long time, had many things to offer its people than other countries; freedom, good jobs, democracy, and education. An education in America has been viewed in the past as "top of the line". How does the same experience stand up today to other countries? As far as participation rates go, for students with ages between 18 and 24, America is 34 percent, in Europe this number is 50 percent (Douglass, 2006). The governments of the countries from the European Union have made a push to increase the participation rates in their respective countries to the point that it meets or exceeds that of the United States (Douglass, 2006). The push for a higher education is seen by these countries as critical for the future of their economic well being. Many of these nations follow an American standard that was set back in the late 40's and early 50's. The question that remains is why does it seem that America is slipping compared to the competition when the competition is seemingly mirroring what the US has created? I do not have an answer for this and it is not the goal for this document to answer these questions, however, the goal of this article is to prove a point and that is a higher education is important and by looking at what the governments of other countries are doing to further educate their citizens we can see that higher education holds an importance that is global.

Many businesses are broadening their customer base by locating businesses in other countries. To understand what it will take for their business to prosper in another country it takes many years of research and many people that are highly skilled in areas of culture, finance, and business. These companies begin their search by recruiting colleges and universities for the best and brightest students that will lead them in to the land of profits and shareholder wealth. A need has been realized and these companies are looking for someone to meet this need. These companies are looking for young people who have excelled at their studies and who have invested the time and money in their futures so that they may become successful. The companies know that by finding these people that the companies will position themselves at the top, at least they hope. For this they are willing to pay very well, depending on the situation. This is not saying that all graduating seniors should expect a large return on their investment immediately. Hell, some may never see the ROI, but others will, much more than those who chose not to seek a higher education. The knowledge that these students gain while in college coupled with real world experience will eventually pay off, two fold, for the student and for the company that the student has chosen to work for.

A Bachelors degree has been viewed as an entry level degree for management and higher positions. Through the course of study that a common bachelors program demands, the student should have the tools that would allow them to be successful in the position, in theory. Business schools are good about teaching their students what happens in perfect situations; the problem is that in the real world these perfect situations rarely ever present themselves. When the student is thrown into a situation that was not described to them in school they rarely know how to approach the resolution. This is where it is helpful for the student to have some real world experience in their pocket as a supplement to the education that they have earned.

As important as education is to the careers and futures of graduating seniors one thing that maybe more important is experience. Many employers tend to lean toward experience as the single most reason to hire someone. Why is this? The reason is that many graduates