Postsecondary education is vital in securing good jobs and careers in the 21st century. Many economists now project that in order to maintain a middle-class lifestyle, an individual will require knowledge and skills available only through some sort of postsecondary education after high school. Although many entry-level jobs once required only job experience, employers in most professions now prefer completion of a program at a postsecondary institution.

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, an individual with a bachelor’s degree will earn about $1 million more in median lifetime earnings than high school graduates. Statistics also show that individuals who complete a certificate or associate degree will earn considerably more than the average high school graduate.

Data also suggest that individuals with postsecondary credentials are less likely to be unemployed; have greater job security; more likely to have health benefits; more likely to own a home; live healthier lifestyles, and claim a higher quality of life.

Easier access to financial aid, open admission, online education programs and employer-assisted postsecondary options and low in-state tuition rates make pursuing an education after high school easier than ever.

State programs should be enacted to offer initiatives to motivate students to enroll in postsecondary education: e.g., cancellation or reduction of college loans for Maine residents who remain in the state for employment; incentives to pursue community service professions, and tax benefits for students entering professions very much in demand.

We must work harder to get the word out on the benefits of acquiring a postsecondary education.

Steve Turgeon
retired school administrator and school counselor
Sanford