College degree shouldn't be prerequisite for respect

We spent some time working with a client who was in the field of career education. Some call it vocational education or a trade school. This particular school offered degree training in everything from HVAC, welding, and electrical, to cosmetology, professional cooking, and court reporting. During our ongoing research about these fields, one unfortunate trait seemed to run constant throughout - graduates of these programs, and thus the people who work in these fields, have the stigma of being social abnormalities because they didn't graduate from a traditional four-year institution with a bachelors degree.

Plumbers, electricians, and court reporters, among others, don't get the same level of respect as a 23-year-old kid that just graduated with a degree in business. Somehow in our society, a bachelors degree has become equated with success. And yet, only 25% of the adult population in the United States has a bachelors degree. Many of those graduates aren't even working in their field of study.

In other societies, people in all professions are treated with respect. Goat herders are given the same respect as accountants or consultants because the society recognizes every job has an importance in their life. Without electricians, we'd be in the dark. When your AC goes out in the middle of the summer, you don't need someone with a bachelors degree. You need someone who is skilled in their craft. I would like to see our society give a little more respect to the jobs and professions that while not as socially glamorous as some, still are critical to our way of life.