Now more than ever, CTAE is imperative.

Just this morning on the drive in to work I heard a statistic that confirmed the ever-growing need for CTAE. The statistic was that 50% of today's employees are over-qualified for the job that they currently hold. In the 1970's only 1% of cab drivers held a bachelor's degree, and now it is has risen to 50%. I was raised by parents who worked very hard but did not graduate from college. My parent's generation thought that a college education was the must have for future success, and therefore my generation was pressured somewhat into pursuing a college education whether it was a good fit or not.  Obviously, a college education does not mean that you have the skills needed or the opportunity available to work in the field that you have studied for and potentially gone into debt receiving. The thought of pushing my students into a college education and then having them graduate with no job prospects would be disheartening to say the least. I am so glad that I can teach my students skills that they can use presently, in jobs that are available, with a salary that pays well in today's economic unrest.  While many of my students will go on to further their education in order to fulfill their career dreams, it feels good knowing that they can work their way through school with skills I helped to teach them.