Over the weekend, one of the most read articles in the New York Times was about proposals to create more alternatives to college. Proponents say that college is not needed for many jobs.

Among those calling for such alternatives are the economists Richard K.
Vedder of Ohio University and Robert I. Lerman of American University,
the political scientist Charles Murray, and James E. Rosenbaum, an
education professor at Northwestern. They would steer some students
toward intensive, short-term vocational and career training, through
expanded high school programs and corporate apprenticeships.

“It is true that we need more nanosurgeons than we did 10 to 15 years ago,” said Professor Vedder, founder of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity,
a research nonprofit in Washington. “But the numbers are still
relatively small compared to the numbers of nurses’ aides we’re going
to need. We will need hundreds of thousands of them over the next
decade.”

Instead of a B.A., students could be getting Associate degrees in community colleges and vocational schools. 

I am a huge fan of community colleges. One of my old high school classmates is making more as EKG technician with her AA from Bergen Community College than most of my friends with PhDs in philosophy. Students know this, and are signing up for community colleges in record numbers. Our local community college is splitting at the seams. This is the one area of higher education that has seen growth in recent years.

The one downside of pushing people out of four-year colleges is that they quickly hit career roadblocks without a BA in hand. Another friend is fabulous at her retail store. She's clearly management material, but without a BA, her corporate office won't consider for those higher level jobs.