Step 1,  Raise kids to believe that everyone gets a trophy for showing up.

Step 2. Introduce lots of job killing regulations and laws and keep raising minimum wage to eliminate entry level opportunity.

Step 3. Blame evil capitalists for being too greedy.

Step 4. More involvement from government.

Good article.

My primary business niche is generally 18 - 55 and is mostly on the younger side of this range. I am dependent on an automated online digital platform to interact. These younger folks tend to live a whole distinct online life. Technology makes it much easier nowadays for small business start ups than it was 40 years ago when I was in my 20s. This gives much better opportunity for people who start out with nothing or negative equity. Today’s youth have it easier in some ways but much tougher in others.

The older crowd with money has never really been a focus for me. They don’t have the same digital presence. I never assimilated into this group and rarely value the same things enough to compete the same way for them. Some of those with more toys did things I would never do to acquire those excesses. I should probably rethink my relationship with this kind of power someday.

Nowadays the younger go-getters are often saddled with a staggering educational debt. Most of us agree a good education opens the door to a better financial future. I would be supportive of helping more Americans get a better post secondary education. I’ll probably barf if someone here calls me a Marxist for this.

I’m currently working with an Ivy League land grant college and a local ”school without walls” high school.  Stimulating our youngsters intellect more vigorously is a way to make this country better in my mind. Absolutely. 

The educational debt burden is a foot on the neck of a large group of the 20-35 generation.

College is not ONLY about getting oneself employed.  But to the extent that individuals are looking to make themselves employable, the relative cost of college to earning power derived has gotten way out of wack.  I used to assume that rising college costs were the result of higher and higher professor pay.  But I read where 80-90% of the rise is due to layers and layers of university administrative costs.

If everyone gets a degree in dentistry, they don't all get jobs as a dentist.  (we don't need that many dentists)  Also true for other pursuits like computer programmers.  If the entire generation of 20-35 year olds got computer degrees they wouldn't all get programming jobs (even though obviously that is a field with much opportunity).

Call me a globalist if you like, but I think a computer programmer from India trying to put food on his family's table is as entitled to the work (assuming he/she is the best qualified person for the job at the best price) as an American young adult.  Countries have borders, and they should.  Corporations have no borders, nor should they.

I offer no solutions to the younger generation.  They have more competition to deal with than did the baby boomers before them.

I think the best qualified person with the best price/cost will end up doing the job,  not matter how you want to slice it.  And sometimes that person may live overseas.

College costs have gotten completely out of whack,  but that's what happens when you dump lots of money into a system.  They find a away to absorb it.  Student loans, grants, etc, etc...  Education has not improved,  but support staff has grown dramatically.

I think many students that go to college or university have no real goal in mind other than some kind of vague, white collar job. What have they learned that is useful in the work place???

[ I find your use of the term college and university confusing] but any how???

No matter: I ask myself, how many are just taking up space with no real goal in mind other than they want some kind of white collar job. I knew what I wanted in school but schooling was not the ticket to farming with no financial backing, so I went to agriculture school and got a job in agriculture. The next best thing I could do, and I knew I had to have some kind of education, back ground, previous work experience, to apply for a job.

Where are the plumber/electrician/ home appliance/brick layer/ repair apprenticeship programs Every house needs a repair person. Just a suggestion but we can't all be lawyers.

My grandson isn't the sharpest tack in the class room. In fact we worried about his ability in school.

 But: he got his licience to drive a heavy truck on the highway as soon as he was old enough. Cost was approx. 6,000.00 which his parents paid for. He was known to be able to operate heavy equipment

He worked during the summer months and at the start of his final two yr college program he bought a 50,000.00 dollar P/U truck. His dad wasn't very happy about spending the money but I argued he earned the money, he can spend it. If he finds out he should have saved some, then that is a cheap early life lesson, before he buys a house, way to expensive for his ability to pay and keep repaired, goes on expensive vacations etc.

When in high school he once took a cooking class. The other option was a shop class. He already knew all there was to know about what the shop program offered but zip about cooking

My grandson wants to learn what will be useful to him in later yrs and he is also willing to work 16 hr days, 6 days a week. He is also willing to get his hands really dirty. Younger people should have a specific goal and then find out if you can compete in that field, what the opportunities may be etc.

My grandson has virtually no competition for the type of work he is willing to do, as he is willing to work part time and then go home if there is no work. He gets paid a very good wage when working but also has skills. and now employers ask him if he would be willing to work for them.

He is currently 19 yrs old and just about done with schooling. Maybe he had opportunities some others did not, but I bet he would have found something to make money. Except for the 6000.00 fee to get his "A" truck licience he has paid his own way, other than still living at home for free, and two yrs of school tuition

I see it in my own extended family. Some are go getters with a clear goal, some expect the doors to open because they have this piece of paper and others are willing to coast. All have post secondary school [4 yrs or more]and my one grand son who bought the 50,000.00 P/U] [out of three total] is the only one with just a two yr college degree once he graduates. And they all have made different levels of earnings with the same back ground to be educated. Some have PH'D's and can't find the front door to the bldg..