By suzanne downing 
The House Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing Wednesdy on expanding educational opportunities beyond the traditional four-year college track.
Chairman Eric Burlison of Missouri delivered opening remarks at the session, titled “Opening Doors to Opportunity: The Promise of Expanded School Choice and Alternatives to Four-Year College Degrees.” He focused on the long-standing challenges in the US education system, particularly stagnant reading and math proficiency rates, and the limited outcomes many students face after graduating college.
Burlison argued that while higher education has historically been considered the surest path to success, the economic landscape has shifted. He cited statistics showing that half of the undergraduate class of 2023 is now employed in jobs that do not require a degree, even as student debt continues to rise. Meanwhile, employers struggle to fill positions in the trades, manufacturing, and technical fields.
“America needs more post-secondary educational alternatives to prepare young people for these rewarding careers — alternatives that offer clear-cut and viable opportunities compared to underperforming 4-year college programs,” Burlison said.
The subcommittee also highlighted the benefits of school choice programs. Burlison pointed to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law earlier this year, which expands access to scholarships and allows parents more flexibility in selecting schools for their children. He said these reforms promote freedom, accountability, and competition in education while saving taxpayers money.
The hearing also emphasized workforce training and apprenticeships as critical to meeting labor market needs. According to the Department of Labor, graduates of trade apprenticeships now earn, on average, $11,000 more annually than recent college graduates.
Members of the subcommittee noted that preparing students for high-demand careers in fields such as construction, engineering, and technical services is essential for strengthening both local economies and national competitiveness.
The hearing featured testimony from witnesses representing education reform groups, workforce development programs, and industry leaders who discussed how alternative pathways can expand opportunity for students while addressing pressing economic needs.
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Suzanne Downing
This country needs to return back to the time college degrees were not required like did you know Nursing was not a college degree? Clinics and hospitals trained applicants to become nurses. The problem today is Boomers, GenX, Millennials are short tempered and lack patience and a lack a work ethic to put the efforts into training employees from scratch.
We got the people to fill positions; they just not trained yet.
First, they must overturn Griggs v Duke Power
If I could do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I would NEVER have pursued a university degree.
It has been clear to me for many years now that the giant push to force almost everyone into university educations was not only about burying them in debt slavery, but indoctrinating them into the radical leftist and globalist agendas.