> is that something a university should strive to be?
Universities taking public money (including students government grants/loans) should strive to make society better. Part of that is getting kids into good jobs that society needs done.
There are a few "retired" people taking classes that they are paying for on their own just for fun. If those people think they are getting value despite taking subjects society doesn't value I'm fine with that. The majority of students though are young people that society is trying to invest in to make a better future, and so the more universities prepare those kids to make a better future the better.
People making roads and building powerplants also take government money. Do you expect them to prepare people for software dev jobs too?
Just because companies decided to start requiring degrees because they're too stuff to pay their own staff, IMO they shouldn't get to divert universities from their original mission, which is education and research. Afterall, those are also important to society, and if they don't do it, who will?
Universities taking public money (including students government grants/loans) should strive to make society better. Part of that is getting kids into good jobs that society needs done.
There are a few "retired" people taking classes that they are paying for on their own just for fun. If those people think they are getting value despite taking subjects society doesn't value I'm fine with that. The majority of students though are young people that society is trying to invest in to make a better future, and so the more universities prepare those kids to make a better future the better.