TO BE OR NOT TO BE: technical education Have you ever heard the expression, "A chicken in every pot, and a car in every garage?" It originated during the economic upheaval of the Thirties, and epitomized the "good life." Thirty-five years later, the chicken in every pot is taken for granted by a large segment of the population and the car in every garage has become two in many cases. For the typical middle-class American family of today, the ultimate goal has become a college education for every child. This seems a reasonable enough expectation, on the surface. Statistics are constantly being quoted, making comparisons between college and high school graduates. Figures released by the Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1965, would seem to be reason enough to complete high school, at least, and should serve as quite an incentive for education on the college level. A college education can cost $5,000 to $6,000 a year, or can be obtained for as little as two or three hundred dollars. Frequently the cost isn't too much of a consideration, and where it is, the investment is quite small in view of the ultimate goal. About 6.5 million of all the 26,000,000 young people who will make up the new workers entering the labor force during the decade of the 1960's will be college graduates, or will have had some college education. Of the noncollege bound youngsters who entered the labor force between the years 1963-65, 3.5 million were high school graduates and approximately two million were young men and women school dropouts. Liberal Arts not for all For those who have the ability, the motivation, and the desire for a liberal arts education, college is "the only way to travel," to quote Mr. Magoo. For those who want degrees in a specialized field, the schools are there. One of the real problem areas seems to be those who want neither liberal arts or specialization, but are pressured into college by society in general and parents and families in particular. Parents, college educated themsleves, seem to assume their children will go to college it's just the way things are. Others, not college educated themselves but convinced of the desirability of the education, push their children into school so they can do better than the parents have been able to do. These feelings are certainly understandable, and frequently justifiable, but in many cases they are not. For many students college will be a "piece of cake," with the book-learning coming easily. For others, it will be an unmitigated hell, gotten through painfully if at all, and an experience they should never have been subjected to. There are about 21,000 suicides in the United States each year, an alarming proportion of them college students, who chose this way out rather than face society with the admission that they just couldn't make the grade. Of entering freshmen classes, 49.9% do not finish the four year program. Alternatives Available There are at least two alternatives, besides becoming one of the untrained, unskilled, unemployables. The most desirable choice depends on the individual making the decision, his interests, abilities, and ambition. One choice is the Institute of Technology, leading to a certificate of completion or a baccalaureate degree, and the other is the area of Trade Technical Education, usually a one to two year program which puts emphasis on skills which will enable those who complete the training to be employed in many fields. The Trade-Technical program at Weber State College, is typical of many trade schools nationwide, and offers from one to two years of instruction in Auto Body, Automotive, Cosmetology, 26 Diesel, Electronics, Machine Tool and Welding. "Actual and simulated work experiences are obtained through the completion of exercises, projects, and jobs carefully selected," according to the 1967-68 catalog from Weber. There are two types of trade preparatory programs, one in which 50% of the school time is given to practical work on a useful or productive basis, 25% is devoted to related subjects, and the remaining time is given to general subjects. A total of thirty hours of instruction per week must be carried. In the other trade program, the related instruction is given by the shop teacher, incidental to the shop instructions, with no separation of the total time into definite periods for teaching the related subjects. Fifty percent of the time is given to the combination of shop and technical instruction, with the balance of the school day devoted to general and related subjects. Thirty hours must be carried in this program, also. Although the ACT examination is recommended, it is not a prerequisite for entering the trade programs, making it possible for many who would be ineligible for a regular college program to receive further training. WSC, a Pioneer The Institute of Technology is organized to give instruction in the following four major fields, Engineering Technology, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Arts, and Skilled Craftsman. Engineering Technology is a baccalaureate program with a concentration in one of four major areas; Automotive Engineering Technology, and Industrial Engineering Technology. The Industrial Technical Program provides two or three years of special training in Automotive, Data Processing, Diesel, Drafting, Electronics, Machine Tool, and Welding. The student is qualified as a beginning technician on completion of the program. Weber, a pioneer in the technology field, went to local industries to find out what was needed. The curriculum was designed to meet specific needs, perfected to present the program which would best meet those needs. As graduates go into industry and feed back is received at Weber, from industry and the now working graduates, the program is reinforced in what is good and redesigned and refined to keep pace with needed changes. Opportunities Unlimited As an example, an aircraft instrument technician receives 1500 hours of instruction, an eight hour a day training program, for about ten months. This is comparable to a two year technical program. A student with a certificate of completion can go to work at Hill Air Force Base immediately for $2.76 an hour, with regular salary increases and civil service benefits. Private industry offers a comparable salary for production line work of the same skills, with opportunities to work up. Most local call for this skill is at HAFB. Much of the industry in this area is defense oriented; some other areas are more diversified. The Electronics Engineering Technology graduate can go into the Army as a Second Lieutenant, and into the Navy as a Lieutenant, jg. Civilian's saleries begin at about $3,000 to $4,000 and many be as high as $5,000 to $6,000. (continued) 27