Senator: Trade jobs better for inner-city kids than college

[LisaM]

6. But it shouldn't have to do with the inner cities versus anywhere else.

We spend time in the San Juan Islands (in Washington state) and every year they publish an edition of all the high school seniors from the various islands and what they plan to do. Many do go on to college, but I always take note that on one of the islands, there's a fair number who say they are going to electricians (maybe they have an apprenticeship program or somewhere to get a 2-year associate's degree, not sure). I always figure those are the ones that are going to actually end up doing what they say they want to do with their lives. A lot of the others are "start my own company and retire young", "have a job where I'm happy", "change global warming"......nothing wrong with any of it per se; less grounded in reality than a skilled vocation. I think it's the inference that all inner city kids are the same that's the problem.