Richard Martineau Argues It May Be Time to Rethink the Rush to University

Richard Martineau is questioning the familiar advice that young people should pursue a university degree if they want a well-paid job. In his column, he argues that the growing popularity of higher education may have left some graduates struggling to find work in their chosen fields, while skilled tradespeople remain in demand. Martineau points to figures showing that the share of young Quebecers earning bachelor’s degrees rose from 30 percent in 1984 to more than 42 percent in 2007–08. He also says full-time university enrollment among young people continued to climb between 1997 and 2025. At the same time, he cites the Institut du Québec on rising unemployment among young university graduates. The columnist contrasts those difficulties with the workload and earnings of people in construction and trades such as plumbing and electrical work. He suggests that artificial intelligence could put some knowledge-sector jobs at risk, while hands-on tasks such as repairing a blocked drain are harder to automate. His point is not that university education has no value, but that manual and technical careers deserve greater respect and attention. Martineau also refers to an opinion essay by two teachers, published in Le Figaro, which calls for an end to the mass expansion of university education and renewed recognition of practical occupations. He recalls that students who chose vocational training were once looked down on, while university-bound peers expected to earn more. Today, he writes, the balance may look different for young people trying to secure stable work and afford a comfortable life.