Comments on: STEM Careers - The New York Times misses the point - yet again…

By: Cletis

Cletis — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:14:01 +0000

Ruthmarie, I will re-print this. You address this issue better than anyone ut here and it is so vitally important that as many people as possible should consider your words.

By: Ruthmarie

Ruthmarie — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:25:56 +0000

But the other issue here is that WE DON’T NEED THAT MANY SCIENTISTS. Our educational system is a wrecking ball at the lower level, but we are still the envy of the world at the upper levels. We need a population that is literate in science and a small group of AMERICANS that are capable of R&D. Because of COURSE its HARD! Only about 5-10% of those with an initial interest can deal with that type of work. You can be smart enough and fascinated by science but DOING science requires infinite patience and diligence. I was good, but I was not Noble Prize material. I liked it but didn’t love it enough to deal with the poverty. What I do resent is the notion that we need tons of imported scientists. We don’t. The core population you need is here, is ready, is qualified. You could have had me and people like me - but most of us bailed because it was a race to the bottom.

By: Ruthmarie

Ruthmarie — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:18:27 +0000

Hi Motivated - It is NOT limited to people with “limited skills” or a limited education. You could actually make an ironic argument that the education itself creates or exacerbates the employment issues. If you are educated in an area that has what I call HARD skills, an inherent problem exists if your “hard skills” are no longer needed. The years, time and money that that education scarfed up were years in which you were not earning good money - or in my case ANY money save a $23k stipend in NYC. After years of grinding poverty the payoff is a secure job with a decent salary and BENEFITS including retirement. IF that stuff isn’t there, someone who invested in a long education like a doctorate will find themselves middle aged and in deep doo doo. Not the greatest way to treat the best and the brightest. At least the person who took the lower skilled job has 15 years of work under their belts. They didn’t forgo that paycheck for the education for all those years. These people are middle aged, hard-working and have NOTHING - literally NOTHING socked away.

By: Motivatedinohio

Motivatedinohio — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:23:33 +0000

Again, you made a wonderful point. This is why people are in the streets, they have done the work, and can’t get any rewards for their labor.