Recent college grads still looking for full-time employment—or faced with the prospect of moving back home to live with mom and dad—are probably cursing their English and philosophy degrees. But while they’re sending out resumes and getting rejected, in May there were 2.6 million unfilled jobs. The problem is that many of those positions are in science and tech—fields that most grads simply aren’t prepared to enter. Now officials in the United Kingdom are proposing an interesting solution to the mismatch between majors and job prospects. They plan to require colleges to collect data about the employment and salary prospects of each degree. That way, majors with a poor employment track record will be “named and shamed” and the degrees with the worst records several years in a row would eventually be axed.

Sure, there are sites, like PayScale, that have data on how much grads make based on what they studied, but how many 18-year-old freshman are actually going to look that up on their own? So imagine that when a freshman goes in for a mandatory first meeting with an adviser to talk about her proposed course of study, she gets transparent information on the long-term job prospects and average salary for graduates, by major, from that specific college. It’s not very useful to talk about the employment prospects of philosophy majors nationally because, let’s face it, if you go to Harvard you can study a philosophy and still have a shot at a high-paying job with a management consulting firm, but if you go to a small satellite campus of a state school that’s probably not the case.

It wouldn’t be so difficult for colleges to poll students right before commencement to see how many have full-time employment and what their starting salary is going to be. That way, students will know if most grads can only score a part-time gig bagging groceries or if they’re actually making a wage that enables them to get out on their own and pay back their student loans. Schools could poll grads again six months after graduation, and again a year after graduation in order to give incoming freshman a better picture of their job and salary prospects.

Of course, the controversial part of this idea will come when it’s time to decide which majors need to be ended. Can you imagine the fight if, for example, the data revealed that grads from a school’s ethnic studies programs had fewer job prospects and campus officials tried to close it? Some colleges are already quietly phasing out programs that aren’t in demand—and those tend to be majors that just aren’t practical in the job market. The number of European language majors offered has been declining steeply since the 1970s.

To be clear, students shouldn’t choose a major solely based on how much they might earn after graduation. Everyone would just sign up to be a petroleum engineer. Our society is certainly better off having ethnic studies and philosophy majors in the mix. But with hefty college price tags—a trend which shows no sign of slowing—and thousands of dollars of student debt becoming the norm, students need to know what they’re getting into financially before they commit to a course of study.

So what do you think?  Should students be left to their own devices when choosing a major?  Or, is it up to those employed by the college to make sure that the student is guided into a field of study that has solid job prospects?  We want to know.  Share your thoughts here.

This article was written by GOOD Education. GOOD is the integrated media platform for people who want to live well and do good. We are a company and community for the people, businesses, and NGOs moving the world forward. GOOD’s mission is to provide content, experiences, and utilities to serve this community.

GOOD currently produces a website, videos, live events, and a print magazine. Launched in September 2006, the company has garnered praise for its unique editorial perspective and fresh visual aesthetic and is quickly positioning itself as a significant new voice in our culture.

Good morning campers!  So here’s a funny story.  “Big Brother” Bank of America recently tried to foreclose on a house that was paid off!  Yeah, that’s pretty bad.   But here’s where the story goes from bad to just plain sad.  Bank of America never even had a mortgage on the property.

So let’s take a break real quick to talk about how a mortgage goes into foreclosure.  I mean, that’s one of the biggest reasons why we’re in this financial “crisis” anyway, right?  Here’s how it works: when you buy a house, you don’t own the house (unless you pay for it in cash, moneybags!).  As we all know, the bank or credit union that you receive your “home loan” from owns the house and has legal rights to your property.  Now, you have what is called equitable rights to your house as long as you pay your monthly payment.  When you “default,” or stop paying your monthly payment, your bank or credit union has the right to file for those equitable rights as well.  This is when foreclosure takes place and you are out on the street.

Now back to our regularly scheduled news.

Florida natives Warren and Maureen Nyerges paid in cash for their homes (hello real moneybags) and never owed Bank of America a dime.  However, in true B of A form, somehow Bank of America found a way to foreclose on the home.  When the Nyerges tried to clear up the misunderstanding, “big bank” wouldn’t return their calls and letters.  So, the Nyerges took matters into their own hands.  They had their lawyer to “foreclose” on a Bank of America branch.  Yes friends, that means they had legal orders to seize computers, furniture, and the real estate itself.  After being locked out of his branch for over an hour, the bank manager issued a check to the Nyerges and Bank of America issued a lackluster apology for their gross oversight.

So check this out.  First we paid with coins, then paper, then plastic… now smartphones?

Pretty soon you’ll be able to pay with your phone.  Remember that Speedpass key-fob that your parents gave you for filling up your car at Exxon?  Well this works the same way, only a lot more better (yes, I said more better).  As if swiping your credit or debit card weren’t easy enough, Google has made life even easier for us lazy Americans.  If the stars align, Google will be providing smartphone users with an app that will allow you to ‘tap’ your phone at checkout in place of swiping your plastics.

Their concept is to be able to eliminate the leather-bound traditional back pocket companion with their digital solution, allowing users to store all of their plastic cards in the app, along with identification, insurance, and possibly even keys!  The idea is a noble one, and could be the next step in changing how we view currency as a society.  The major obstacle is retailers.  Most aren’t ‘buying it’ yet (pun intended) and since the technology relies heavily on a receiver to work properly, the verdict is still out on how mainstream this will become.

As for Jackson, there are about 10 fuel stations and stores that offer the service currently, and nationwide there are about 1 out of every 100 retailers offering the service.  Another major roadblock right now is compatible devices.  Unless you own a Google Nexus S 4G from Sprint, you’re out of luck.  However, you can sign up for notification on when your smartphone is ready to work with the service by clicking here.

Move Your Money Project

I’m excited.  Let me tell you why: now 1 out of every 10 Americans is moving their money to a credit union.  As students, I want you to understand just how important this is to your future success as leaders of our local and national economy. 

Isn’t that crazy?!?! In a few short years, you’re going to be running this country!  Get psyched about that!!!

Does it make you mad to think about someone taking your money, fixing a problem you didn’t create, and then giving themselves a bonus after the fact?  That’s what Wall Street did just 2 short years ago.  They took your money, my money, and everyone else’s and they “bailed” themselves out.  So who held their ground?  Local credit unions and community banks?  Yes.

That’s why people like your parents, grandparents, and their friends are moving their money out of the big corporate mega-banks and moving their money into local credit unions that will care for their funds.

So the question is, which consumer will you be?  One that is conscious of the contribution that your financial institution makes to society, or one that banks with a corporate giant?  Click the link above to gain insights about what “moving your money” means, then check out Leaders Credit Union and join the Independent Nation! 

Got an opinion, leave your comments below!