Proud seniors will be walking up to get their diplomas and head off into the “real world.”
Only in the last few years of this recession-rocked economy the “real world” for many has meant going back home, living with family and trying to find a job that isn’t there.
That seems to be changing.
According to a report issued by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers expect to hire over 10 percent more college graduates than last year. According to a NACE spokesman, “Basically (this trend) is following the overall economy — things are improving and businesses are hiring.”
This is very good news — good for the graduates, good for the families who are ready for their offspring to be out on their own (though not too far out) and good for the general confidence in an economic recovery that has been slow in coming.
However, like so many reports of this nature, there is a cautionary side to consider. While college graduates (along with graduates from technical schools) are finding it easier to get employment, the prospects for high school graduates with no additional training remain discouraging. As for high school dropouts, their chances of landing a good job and setting out on a career are worse than ever — and they were pretty bad even before the recession.
Nevertheless, there is a bright side here and we should focus on it.
For college graduates things are looking better, which means the economy is getting better, which means that things are looking better for the rest of us.
