Assistant Professor Walt Ecton speaks with the Michigan Daily about the current public perception of higher education
Ecton argues that college remains a “very strong investment.”
Between the cost of tuition and the challenging job market for entry-level workers, Siena Beres questions the value of a higher education degree—and the future of higher education itself—in a “Statement” piece for the Michigan Daily.
Marsal School Assistant Professor Walt Ecton tells the Daily, “Higher education has always viewed itself as much more than just workforce preparation. But higher education is also a marketplace. It’s required to respond to the demands of consumers who are potential students and their families.”
Ecton, who researches the intersections between high school, higher education, and the workforce, and the pathways students take as they navigate those sectors, recently published a paper in Innovative Higher Education titled “Young Adults’ Public and Private Support for Higher Education in America,” in which he discusses current consumer demands for higher education.
“In times of technological change,” he tells the Daily, “we often see more rapid changes in the needs of different jobs, which oftentimes means the need for reskilling or retraining.” This may lead to more demand for masters degrees or more career and technical training.
In either case, Ecton says, “Education is how we transform society. … College is still a very strong investment. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
