Stay in School: The Numbers Don't Lie
It's that time of year again. Diplomas are being handed out, caps are being tossed in the air, and for many young people in Rideau-Rockcliffe, a dangerous thought is creeping in: I'm done. I've finished school. For some, that feeling of relief is well-earned and the next chapter of learning is already planned. But for others, June marks the moment they quietly decide to stop — and that decision can follow them for the rest of their lives.
The career you will work in probably does not currently exist!
Some may falsely believe they can use bad habits and unexamined thinking to get to some place better than where they are now.
They won't.
Wishful thinking is not a strategy — but education is!
The data makes this undeniably clear. Your wellness, your healthiness, is directly linked to your disposable income. Higher-income Canadians are 29 percentage points more likely to describe their health as excellent or very good compared to lower-income Canadians — and that gap is growing. In Canada, individuals in lower-income brackets have significantly shorter life expectancies compared to those in higher-income brackets. It's not just physical health either. Research demonstrates that Canadians living in the lowest income group were three to four times more likely than those in the highest income group to report their mental health as fair to poor.
The more money you have, the healthier you will be. That's not an opinion — it's a documented reality in this country.
And the statistics are just as clear on what drives income: education.
University graduates aged 25 to 34 in Canada earned an average of $18,868 more per year than similarly aged high school graduates — and that gap only grows with time, reaching $52,782 more per year for those aged 55 to 64. Over a working life, the median cumulative earnings difference over a 15-year period was $568,748 higher for male bachelor's degree holders than for high school graduates, and $472,270 higher for women. That's not a small edge — that's the difference between financial security and financial stress.
If you are a young member of Rideau-Rockcliffe, you need to understand this: staying in school and getting as much training and certification as you can is not optional — it is the single most proven investment you can make in yourself. Spending time in school rather than in the labour market, and acquiring debt to do so, is an investment that appears to pay off for most graduates, with cumulative earnings far greater than the cost of that education.
So before you let this June be the last one you spend as a student, think carefully. Education is your ticket to employment, to a career, and ultimately to good health. The numbers prove it.
Now it's up to you to act on them.
peterkarwacki.overbrook@gmail.com
For years I was a volunteer with the education network teaching a program called " The Economics of Success" to grade eight students.
ReplyDeleteIt was a real eye opener for so many young students.
If you have a class you think could benefit from this advice I would be happy to visit and discuss these ideas with them.