Smarts...Everyone Has Some

  Almost every single government job here in Ottawa, in a supervisory position, requires a university degree. Now your degree doesn't necessarily have to be in that particular field but you must have one. Basket weaving will do for some of them. But you must have a piece of paper that shows you went to an institution of higher learning. 

  These degree prerequisites are in every branch of the government. Finance, Health and Safety, Revenue Canada, the list goes on and on. But there are two jobs titles where that little piece of paper is not necessary to be the boss. In fact non-education related skills are much bigger assets. Like charisma, charm, honesty, tact and the ability to sway people with your words. 

  Those two job titles...Prime Minister of Canada and Member of Parliament. High school drop out? Yes you can get this job. Baker? You too. Self taught carpenter? Car salesman? Yoga instructor? Yes, yes and yes. Now think about that for a second.

  You cannot do the books for the Canadian government but you can be the person in charge of the Finance Department. Interesting. You must have a degree to run the offices that make foreign policy but not to be the Foreign Affairs Minister. The Minister of Education doesn't have to be book educated. Interesting isn't it?

  To become an MP, and in turn the PM, education doesn't play a factor in the process. There is no prerequisite. You have to be a Canadian citizen, 18 years old, on or before, election day and you must file a nomination paper. That's the basics. It's weird how you can run the department because constituents said you could but can't work for that said department because you don't have a degree. 

  The Senate has recently changed it's rules for application. But in the past there have been a number of them without university degrees. And they came from all walks of life. Even a hockey coach was mixed in among the lawyers and doctors. These folks decided on the laws of our countries. Our laws. That's important stuff.

  So if there is no education prerequisite to be the leader of the government why is it a necessity to run a small department or even a large one? As my Dad would say this is ass backwards. Why can't someone, who is not interested in school but wants to learn, get a low level job and work their way up? Maybe someone is amazing at math but doesn't do well in other subjects. Couldn't they be taught accounting to become an auditor? Or the Auditor General? Business does this every day. Why doesn't the government?

  Lots of McDonald's managers used to be the fry cook. Or the evening cleaner. Walmart regional warehouse managers started out filling shelves and unloading trucks. These are huge companies. And they are making out just fine. What do they know that the government doesn't?

  They know that not everyone can get a post secondary education. For a multitude of reasons. Finances, health or other responsibilities. Sick parents who must be financially taken care of. Bad choices in their youth coming back to haunt them. Learning disabilities. And some have just plain and simple had enough of school. Companies see past that and look at the individual. Our government doesn't. They are seeing paper first and people second.

  That is something you don't need a degree to understand.

  Ang

***Let me clarify....I DO believe in higher education. It IS important for many careers. But those who don't go to university should be given opportunities as well...especially within the government.***