More Public Service for College Grads

The Boston Globe published a piece this weekend covering the spike in the number of college graduates going on to start their careers in public service.

Instead of going straight into a 100-hour-a-week job at an investment bank, they are pursuing less lucrative but potentially more satisfying opportunities in public service, enrolling in record numbers in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and Teach for America. Other students seeking refuge from the recession are flocking to graduate schools, increasing competition for admission.

At elite universities such as Harvard, where about half the graduating class would enter finance and consulting in years past, many students say they feel liberated to consider alternative career paths, crediting not only the tanking economy but also President Obama's call for public service.

What's very alarming is the severe decrease of available jobs to college graduates upon leaving undergraduate institutions. Graduates in Spring '09 will see 21.6% fewer available jobs than the Spring '08 class.

As we see the economy struggle to move forward and the importance of active citizenship increases in society, it's fairly easy to see how Millennials might live out their potential as the next great civic generation.