The GED - Out with the Old, In with the New
Written by Trevor Eaton, Posted on , in Section Teens & Tweens
During times of a recession obtaining a good paying job can be difficult. The number of jobs compared to the number of people applying for those jobs heavily favors the employer. They have the ability to choose who they want, who they feel would be the best candidate. Unfortunately for those that have dropped out of high school, people who have a diploma, GED, or degree are often the ones that are sought after. That leaves mostly low paying jobs that make it nearly impossible to live on. What is a person to do?
Is a GED Worth Pursuing
Although some people mock those that earn their GED, calling it a “Good Enough Degree,” the actual name is General Education Development, it does show a level of commitment. By going through the classes to prepare for the test it shows that you are trying to improve your situation in life. The GED was designed to help those returning from World War II to show that they had the skills necessary to be in the workforce. Many soldiers at the time had dropped out of school to join the military and had missed out on their formal education. By taking the GED they could show that they understood how to read, write, and do basic math.
Where to Go After a GED
The biggest challenge that some face is where to to after earning their GED. Many believe that you can’t go to college unless you have earned your diploma, but it isn’t true. Unfortunately, research shows that only 1 in 10 GED recipients earns a college degree. 70 years ago a GED might have been enough to get a good job to support a family, but that just isn’t the case anymore. It needs to be used as a stepping stone, a way to get you on the right path to a better life.
The next step for the GED
Those that are critical of the GED would like to get rid of it altogether, they feel that it no longer means what it once did and that it has become too easy to obtain. Beginning in 2014, the GED will morph into two tiered scored test — one that's aligned with more rigorous high school standards, the other more attuned to career and college readiness. The reason behind this is that there are two types of people that choose to get the GED, those that need it for employment, and those that want to pursue higher education. The ones that need it for employment might not need to show the same level of competency as say those trying to get into college. The question remains to be seen though will employers now base their hiring on the new scoring system and give those with the higher score preferential treatment?
