HSC RESULTS !

This week thousands of Aussie kids learned how they fared when the results of their Higher School Certificate examinations appeared on computer screens and were published in the newspapers.  This will be a time of either anguish or ecstacy for many.

In todays world, that HSC ranking either opens the door to university entry or closes off a lot of professions of which the HSC is the starting point.  Unfortunately, many people will make unwise decisions and find themselves enrolled in an expensive university course for which they have little talent, drop out along the way and end up with a massive debt in their name - and no job !

The pundits have been relentless in painting a gloomy picture of the future for those who fail to gain " qualifications " in one form or another, and many parents see this as making a university course essential. That is fine if the young person has the right aptitude for such study and the course chosen has a clear career potential, but such decisions are fraught with danger.

We live in a world of ever changing technology.  The average person may need to change career direction and learn new skills many times in their working lifetime.  The one thing that has never changed over the centuries is the fact that humans evolved into two separate mind sets - those that earn their living with their hands - and those with the skills in their heads.

In the past, one set of skills directed people to the " professions " and the other to the " Trades " ! There was a degree of snob appeal.   It was assumed that the professions paid a higher reward than the trades and had a higher social standing.  In the days when going to university meant up front money it was the sons and daughters of the wealthy who exercised this option.  Today, a university option simply means a debt to be repaid when earnings reach a certain level and we are experiencing a shortage of people entering the trades.

In the past, the trades usually involved an apprenticeship.  Trainees worked for several years for a skilled boss who taught them their profession and eventually they gravitated to running their own business.   Today, such qualified tradespeople often are higher earners than those competing in the professions.  Their scarcity has pushed the fees they charge for their services to extraordinary levels.

The pundits are right when they preach that " qualifications " are a necessity in the coming world, but " qualifications " come in many shapes and forms.  Many with inclinations that favour working with their hands rather than with their heads would be wise to consider a trade career.  It is all a matter of aptitude and a skilled career adviser can help with those decisions.

One of the dangers kids face now that their HSC results are published is pressure to choose a university career by parents who have good intentions but fail to see their unsuitability for that option. Family members who have no experience of higher learning are unaware of the pressures involved.

HSC results face the student at an important cross roads.  The right decision can deliver a rewarding career.   The wrong decision can bring debt and disaster  !