Strong evidence exists that Gen Z considers obtaining a college education as a pricey but near-pointless thing to pursue.
The left-wing website Business Insider explained recently that 4 million fewer people enrolled in college in 2022 than in 2012.
One factor: the average tuition at a public college roughly doubled over that time while salaries of college graduates have remained static, including a third of graduates who make less money than those with just a high school diploma.
Turns out that Gen Zers who do go to college want one thing: a job. Which explains, Business Insider noted, why majors such as computer science, engineering, business, and health science are booming with enrollees.
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This week, the state of Oklahoma allowed one college to offer students the opportunity to learn a useful skill that will make them employable in one of the nation’s hottest and recession-proof industries.
And liberals were not happy.
As reported on Thursday by The Oklahoman, the Republican-led legislature, with support from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, injected $10 million into Murray State College to develop a four-year bachelor’s degree in gunsmithing.
The degree is the first of its kind in the country. Proponents of the plan believe the idea “could turn Oklahoma into a hub for gun businesses and manufacturing,” the newspaper reported.
Murray State President Tim Faltyn told the paper Oklahoma could become a “powerhouse” for gunmakers, which includes many of the bigger players that seek to sever the tethers of their historical roots in eastern states that are increasingly hostile to guns.
For instance, Remington is relocating its headquarters from New York to Georgia, while Smith & Wesson is shifting its headquarters from Massachusetts to Tennessee.
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GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt said on X (formerly Twitter), “We’re a 2A [Second Amendment] state through and through. Love hearing this news out of Murray State College.”
The college has offered such a two-year program since 1979, The Oklahoman noted. But the professor overseeing it said the industry is demanding newcomers with digital skills, such as 3-D printing and laser welding.
“Gunsmithing is a very old profession, but we’re seeing a major shift toward embracing modern technology,” said Chad Mercer, chairman of Murray State’s gunsmithing program. “The industry’s been begging for students to come out of here with some higher, more technical knowledge.”
Others, however, were not excited that Oklahoma policy-makers were opening this door for the industry.
State Rep. John Waldron, a Tulsa Democrat, called the new degree program a “boondoggle.”
“We have a desperate need when it comes to higher education for nurses and teachers,” he told The Oklahoman. “So, why did we spend $10 million on a building with … tools? It seems like a misplaced priority.”
One commenter on X said in reply to Stitt’s post: “Great. More guns to kill more children. And proud of it. You’re disgusting.”
Another said, “Talk about useless degrees.”
Still another added, “Now how about doubling that pledge to hospitals for treatment of gunshot wounds?”
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