Getting a job

I grew up in Cambridge, Mass. There were two public high schools, Cambridge High and Latin and Rindge Technical. Latin was for those who intended to go to college, Rindge for those who didn't. Many of my friends went to Rindge and 62 years later there was not much difference in their work life from that of Latin graduates. Some of each group did well, others did okay. 

When I was in business, I paid little attention as to whether an applicant had gone to college. I wanted to hire good programmers and my experience told me that a college education was not necessary for that.

In college I felt that about half of the students should not have been admitted as they were really not college material as I understood the term.

You can imagine how pleased I was to read of Randolph Technical High School in Philadelphia. It is one of the city’s Career and Technical Education High Schools, where all students participate in vocational programs. The students take regular classes such as math and English, but they also choose a speciality where they can earn college credit or a professional certification in areas such as dentistry, carpentry, automotive repair, vending, or health care.

When they graduate, the kids can go on to college (usually a community college) or get a well-paying job. Interestingly, these kids are more likely to graduate from high school than the typical Philadelphia student.