Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about the disparity in college enrollment between women and men and the value of the trades. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact.
ABD: A statistic I saw recently was startling – the ratio of women to men in college is around 60-40. What is happening to the young men?
Rick: That’s true in business schools as well and it’s been going that way for a while. It flies in the face of tradition. I’m hoping it’s good news, that more guys have found jobs in the trades. We need people in the trades.
I think the talent of women is better recognized. Women leaders are much more accepted. There are industries with good ol’ boy networks but that’s been going away for decades.
ABD: Is the disparity between female and male students because there has been more emphasis placed on opportunities for women?
Rick: We have a women’s leadership program that is underwritten by ADP. ADP’s workforce has a high percentage of women, especially in management. We’ve found the program to be immensely successful for women to be business leaders. I’d have a much harder time selling a men’s leadership program than a women’s program, but we may have to go there.
One of the things we have to watch out for when we’re trying to help someone because of gender or race is that we don’t ignore others. It’s important to recognize the strong talent base of women in the workforce and encourage that, but not to the exclusion of men. The key is equal opportunity for all.
ABD: You mentioned perhaps, that young men are going into the trades, like plumbing, welding, construction, etc. Do you think that’s a good alternative to college?
Rick: It’s appropriate for the appropriate people. I’ve found that a lot of people in higher education poo-poo the trades, but I’m not one of them. A lot of those things have been devalued by society, but that’s wrong.
Men are a little more disposed to the trades and they’re things where more physical capabilities are necessary. It doesn’t mean they’re not smart – I want a really smart auto mechanic or plumber. Nothing beats a great electrician or a great plumber. Those are hard skills to come by.
People have broadly put those statistics out there that if you get a college degree over your lifetime your earnings will be so much greater. But if your interest and talent are not there, is that the way to go and build up all that debt? College for college’s sake is not the best idea.
ABD: Does some of that start in the younger teen years?
Rick: I think in Georgia, schools, in general, have done a pretty good job to provide some of those career pathways, to expose them to different opportunities. It’s certainly a step in the right direction.
ABD: It sounds as if the gender disparity in college may not be a concern if young men are entering the labor market.
Rick: Right now, everyone is facing worker shortages. The solution is to leverage the skill sets of various groups. We need to embrace the differences and leverage people’s strengths. There are lots of roads to success – some run through college and some don’t.
But it could also be that there aren’t fewer men in college than before, but a higher total of people. It may be less about fewer men and more about more women.
