Pedagogy

The discussion question links the two variables, college degree and ease of employment. These will be used as keywords in searching for sources. Discussion evidence covering these variables will be obtained through the search for journals, magazine and newspaper articles. The evidence supporting the position on this argument will be presented in the essay using a point-by-point system. The essay will be organised into three sections, the introduction, discussion, and conclusion. The introduction introduces the problem of employment for college graduates given the economic recession as context. The assumption that a college degree promises jobs to graduates will be discussed together with possible differences in the expectations on employment of students graduating with degrees and their actual experiences in obtaining employment will also be mentioned. The introduction will also present the thesis for the discussion, which is the position disagreeing with the argument that a college degree makes employment easier. The discussion will present evidence using two arguments. The first argument will compare the ease of employment of those with and without college degrees. This argument will consider if there is any difference in the ease of looking for jobs for people with and without college degrees. A conclusion will be made on the evidence presented. The second argument will consider the ease of employment for those with college degrees. This argument will determine the ease of finding jobs for different individuals with college degrees. A conclusion will also be made based on evidence. The essay will conclude with a summary of the thesis and the arguments presented together with implications of the discussion on the role of college degree in seeking employment after graduation, the emerging issues relating to factors such as degree choices and employment policies, and even some possible solutions. 
Introduction
    Employment is a challenge to college graduates, especially given the global economic crisis affecting all economic sectors. Labour statistics indicate an increase in the unemployment rate of individuals between the ages of 20 and 24, which in the United States increased from 9.4 percent in 2008 to 15.3 percent in 2009 (Johnson, 2009). Graduates in 2008 and 2009 comprise a significant percentage of individuals in this age group who are without jobs. The real world situation differs from the assumption that obtaining a degree eases employment (Brooks and Everett, 2009). Over the past decades, more people have obtained college degrees as a stepping stone towards their long-term career. Employment readiness is better achieved in the process of obtaining a college degree as shown by a 2006 survey of employers in the business sector indicating their perception of the greater employment readiness of those with a college degree in terms of critical thinking skills and professionalism (Olson, 2007). However, this only informs about the edge of individuals with a college degree over high school graduates but not on the ease of employment. Even if having a college degree provides an edge over those without a college diploma, this does not necessarily mean an easier experience in getting jobs because of competition and other factors determining employability.
Discussion
    Getting a degree does not necessarily make it easier to find a job. Comparing the rate of employment of individuals with and without a college diploma as well as job opportunities open to degree and non-degree holders supports this argument. The rate of employment determines how well individuals are absorbed into the pool of employed individuals and the extent of job opportunities determines the likelihood of finding jobs. The comparison would determine if a college degree makes a difference on these aspects.
    A report from Sapphire, an employment firm for IT companies, showed that 66 percent of vacancies are jobs requiring college degrees while the remaining 34 percent did not require college diploma (Tuggle, 2008). However, the firms focus on IT-related employment to explain the requirement of a college degree. Most IT jobs are highly technical and require specialised skills that are expected from college graduates. Similar sectors are also likely to indicate greater employment opportunities for college graduates. A report by Express Employment Professionals, an employment firm processing employment for a wider range of sectors indicated that 12 percent of jobs processed required college degrees, 42 percent required high school diploma, and 13 percent needed associate degrees or some college attendance (Tuggle, 2008). In looking at the broader picture, the jobs existing now and emerging in the next decade are expected to concentrate on 28 occupations, with 5 occupations requiring college degrees and 23 not requiring a college diploma (Tuggle, 2008). This means that even if the rate of employment is higher for individuals with a college degree in more technical fields, the overall employment rate of individuals without college degrees based on current and projected work demand is higher. With rate of employment as a determinant of ease of employment, this means that having a college degree does not necessarily ensure ease in finding a job. 
    Employment projections for 2004 until 2014 indicate that employment opportunities for those with college degrees will be around 14 million while those without a college degree will reach around 42 million (Crosby and Moncarz, 2006). Given a 1 to 2 or less ratio of individuals with a college degree to those without a college diploma in many industrialised OECD countries (McIntosh, 2008), the employment opportunities for individuals without a college degree is greater by more than twice the employment opportunity for those with a college diploma. As a determinant of ease of employment, the lesser job opportunities for those with a college degree, even in considering the number of those with and without a college diploma, means greater competition for those with college degrees. This translates into difficulty in finding jobs.
    There is variance in the ease of getting a job for individuals with a college degree. Earning a college degree does not automatically translate into having a job after graduation. A number of factors that affect competition in different sectors determine employability or the ease in obtaining jobs.
    The course taken in college determines the ease of finding a job. A survey of 9,000 graduates in 2003 showed that the rate of integration of those with career-oriented degrees is higher by 3 percent than those with academic degrees (Zaragoza, 2009). The difference is not very significant. A study of the experiences of British Columbia graduates in the liberal arts and applied education courses five years after graduation showed that those with applied education degrees were more easily integrated into the labour market when compared to graduates of non-applied education courses (Adamuti-Trache et al., 2006). In looking at employment opportunities in the context of the global recession, these mostly relate to career-oriented and applied courses (Tuggle, 2008). Many employers also look for experience in hiring (Tuggle, 2008 Brooks and Everett, 2009) and a previous on-the-job (OJT) training with a company increases the chances of being absorbed into the company (Hilpern, 2008). This heightens competition with experienced individuals and with curriculums covering OJT components.
    Disability affects the ease of finding a job even with a college degree. The ease of employment of college graduates with disability is strongly linked to the effectiveness of existing employment services that facilitate the negotiation with employers (Brooke et al., 2009). These services match job skills with employment options. However, the evaluation of employment services shows a limited number of these support services as well as many inefficiencies (Brooke et al., 2009). Even if armed with a college degree, finding jobs is challenging for individuals with disability even through employment services and even more difficult if locating jobs on their own.
     Race is a significant determinant of the ease in finding a job even for college graduates. Racial inequity in employment is evidenced by the 8.4 percent unemployment rate of 25 and older black male degree holders as compared to the 4.4 percent for while males with college diplomas (Luo, 2009). This indicates the greater difficulty experienced by black males in finding jobs even with a college degree.
    Gender determines the ease of employment in gender-segmented jobs depending on the course. Jobs in the education, health and social service sectors offer greater employment opportunities for female college graduates when compare to male-dominated fields. There is the tendency for females to be overrepresented in female-dominated fields, which translate into greater competition and more difficulty in landing a job. The competition in male-dominated fields rests on the perception and preferences of employers, which affects the ease in being hired for positions especially by female college graduates.