Approximately 700 young people graduated from local high schools over the weekend. Many will go on to college.

Unlike a generation of two ago, however, even a college diploma, let alone a high school diploma, in no way guarantees success.

Hope and optimism for the future abounded from speakers at the weekend ceremonies and while we hope they are correct, things are looking bleaker all the time for new people entering the workforce.

While the economy continues to create jobs, they are, for the most part, low-paying service jobs. Thanks to out-sourcing which came into vogue after the passage of NAFTA, more and more of what we traditionally called &uot;good jobs&uot; are being shipped overseas. And it’s not just manufacturing jobs. Companies are even moving technical and research and development jobs offshore – mostly to India and China, who have young people who are as smart as ours and willing to work for less.

Many economists fear American industry is becoming little more than brands with sales forces.

That doesn’t bode well for our young people. But to have any hope at all of landing a decent job, they will need to continue their education.

Those who are not planning on attending college need to reconsider. Even if they can’t afford a university education, there are still resources available locally to move them ahead.

Community and technical colleges like Paul D. Camp Community College provide excellent opportunities in the kinds of fields where job openings traditionally occur. We hope our graduates will take the step and enroll, because it could be a decision that has life long implications and will keep them from bumping into the glass ceiling.