Getting skills that won’t pay the bills

Higher education: Youth for the job market or the job market for youth? A common complaint amongst our youth is the lack of jobs available in their chosen fields of expertise. But are students or educational establishments really responding to demand, or are we opting for career paths based on traditional perceptions of success, status and prosperity? Theory: Knowledge for knowledge’s sake vs. knowledge for gaining skills The 18th and 19th centuries in both France and Germany witnessed the most significant changes in the university system. In France, the Napoleonic university model overthrew universal knowledge and the independence of college education, and bestowed upon colleges the task of preparing students with skills necessary for the development of the new nation. In contrast, the German Humboldtian model (founded by Wilhelm von Humboldt) distinguished philosophy (which included science and humanities) and encouraged general knowledge and the freedom of choosing topics of interest.