A Bright Future for Well-Educated College Grads

While the liberal arts prepare people to survive even in the worst of times, demographic and economic trends for the coming decades promise ample opportunities for well-educated grads, ensuring an excellent return on the college investment.

In 1946, a young GI returning home from the European front could reasonably expect to get a good job with a large company and, 40 years later, retire with a healthy pension. In the mid ‘80s, the idea of lifetime employment began to crumble, as one corporation after another swallowed smaller competitors and spat out unprofitable divisions - and workers. Now, the collapse of the roaring ‘90s serves to reinforce a trend that’s been gaining ground for some time: widespread corporate restructuring and job instability leading many to consider multiple careers, each requiring a liberal arts foundation.

While no one anticipates a return to the job-for-life security of the 40s, 50s and 60s, demographers presage expanding opportunities for those who enter the job market as the baby boom generation retires. Labor market statistics indicate that professional and managerial occupations -- which require the most education -- are expected to grow the fastest, according to Minnesota’s Department of Economic Security.

Given rapid change, technological advancement and increased globalization, the critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills you’ll acquire through a Lutheran college’s liberal arts education may well be the most important items on your resume.