Educational inflation information

Educational inflation is the increasing educational requirements for occupations that do not require them. Credential inflation is the increasing overqualification for occupations demanded by employers.^[1]^[2]

A good example of credential inflation is the decline in the value of the US high school diploma since the beginning of the 20th century, when it was held by less than 10 percent of the population. At the time, high school diplomas attested to middle-class respectability and for many years even provided access to managerial level jobs. In the 21st century, however, a high school diploma often barely qualifies the graduate for menial service work.^[3]

There are some occupations that used to require a primary school diploma, such as construction worker, shoemaker, and cleaner, now require a high school diploma. Some that required a high school diploma, such as construction supervisors, loans officers, insurance clerks, and executive assistants,^[4] are increasingly requiring a bachelor's degree. Some jobs that formerly required candidates to have a bachelor's degree, such as becoming a director in the federal government,^[5] tutoring students, or being a history tour guide in a historic site,^[6] now require a master's degree. Some jobs that used to require a master's degree, such as junior scientific researcher positions and sessional lecturer jobs, now require a PhD. Also, some jobs that formerly required only a PhD, such as university professor positions, are increasingly requiring one or more postdoctoral fellowship appointments. Often increased requirements are simply a way to reduce the number of applicants to a position. The increasingly global nature of competitions for high-level positions may also be another cause of credential creep.^[7]

^ "The Curse of Credentialism". The NYU Dispatch. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2019. Credentialism, or degree inflation, as it is sometimes referred to, has been a growing problem globally for the better part of the last decade.
^ Zuo, Mandy (16 July 2021). "China's universities produce millions of graduates each year, but many can't get a decent job and end up unemployed or in factories". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
^ Randall Collins, "Credential Inflation and the Future of Universities," Chapter One of The Future of the City of Intellect: The Changing American University, edited by Steven Brint (Stanford University Press, 2002), pages 23-46.
^ "The college degree has become the new high school degree". The Washington Post.
^ Some positions of Director in the Canadian federal government, an entry-level Executive position, which formerly required a bachelor's degree began requiring a master's degree as the minimum credential in the 2000s
^ Pappano, Laura (22 July 2011). "The Master's as the New Bachelor's". The New York Times.
^ Somasundaram, Narayanan (2017). "The Job Creation Report" (PDF). Business Insider Australia: 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2019.

[1] "The Curse of Credentialism". The NYU Dispatch. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2019. Credentialism, or degree inflation, as it is sometimes referred to, has been a growing problem globally for the better part of the last decade.

[2] Zuo, Mandy (16 July 2021). "China's universities produce millions of graduates each year, but many can't get a decent job and end up unemployed or in factories". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 23 September 2021.

[Randall_Collins_2002_pages_23-46-3] Randall Collins, "Credential Inflation and the Future of Universities," Chapter One of The Future of the City of Intellect: The Changing American University, edited by Steven Brint (Stanford University Press, 2002), pages 23-46.

[washingtonpost.com-4] "The college degree has become the new high school degree". The Washington Post.

[5] Some positions of Director in the Canadian federal government, an entry-level Executive position, which formerly required a bachelor's degree began requiring a master's degree as the minimum credential in the 2000s

[6] Pappano, Laura (22 July 2011). "The Master's as the New Bachelor's". The New York Times.

[7] Somasundaram, Narayanan (2017). "The Job Creation Report" (PDF). Business Insider Australia: 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2019.

Educational inflation information

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