College Isn’t The Best Path For The Most People | Jason Altmire #481 | The Way I Heard It
- Andy McIlvain
- 28 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Video from Mike Row
College Isn’t The Best Path For The Most People | Jason Altmire #481 | The Way I Heard It
"85% of jobs are about to change, whether you’re ready or not. The question is, are you any good at the part AI can’t do?
In this episode, I chat with Jason Altmire—a three-term Congressman from Pennsylvania turned workforce advocate—who’s spent the last several years staring straight at a problem most of us would rather ignore. And trust me, it’s a big one. We’re talking about a country with millions of unfilled jobs, trillions of dollars in infrastructure on deck, and not nearly enough skilled people to do the work.
Meanwhile, we’ve got record numbers of college grads, many of whom can’t find jobs in their field, are buried in debt, or both. If that sounds like a paradox, it is. And Jason has the receipts.
We dig into the stigma that’s haunted the skilled trades for decades, the political and cultural forces that pushed “college for all” into overdrive, and the uncomfortable truth that we may have overcorrected ourselves into a corner. But this isn’t just doom and gloom. There are reasons for optimism because this is a problem we can fix.
From companies building their own trade schools to young people (and not-so-young people) reinventing themselves mid-career, there’s a quiet shift happening in this country. A shift toward what Jason calls “opportunity pluralism”—the idea that success doesn’t come from one path but many.
We also get into some tricky territory—unions, politics, education policy, and why common-sense solutions aren’t always so common. But through it all, one thing becomes clear: This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a practical one. If your lights go out, your toilets back up, or your air conditioning doesn’t work in the summer heat, you get bipartisan real fast.
If you’ve been told college is the best path for the most people, you might want to think again. Because the race is already on. And whether you like it or not, you’re running.
Check out Jason's book, Trade Up: Why the Future Belongs to Skilled Trades and How Career Education is Transforming the Workforce:
https://tradeupbook.com " from the video introduction
Counterpoint
As we recognize that many people do not need to go to college, we also recognize that some will need to pursue a college education to perfect their God-given talents and skills.
This video from New Saint Andrews College expresses that opinion.
Christian Kid…Skip College? Watch This First.
Video from New Saint Andrews College
"Christian kid...what’s the plan?
Skip college and chase Silicon Valley billions? Or roll the dice at a university where truth is optional and ambition goes to die?
Sure, standing out is easy in an age of intellectual decline. But don’t confuse that with excellence.
At New Saint Andrews College, we don’t cater to the algorithm—we confront it.
We form students who can think, argue, speak, and lead with clarity and conviction.
No bloated lecture halls. No ideological compromise. No hiding behind ChatGPT.
Just rigorous training in theology, rhetoric, philosophy, science, and the great books that have shaped civilization.
Because the world doesn’t need more noise. It needs leaders.
So the question remains: are you ready to become one?
Never settle for stupid. Aim for Christian excellence.
For more information on New Saint Andrews College, visit https://nsa.edu?utm_source=YouTube&ut..."
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