From jobs to debts – with a dash of bitcoin and college

Today’s column is about the nation’s job situation. And the election. And bitcoin. And the Middle East. And the day I interviewed the governor of Montana and his dog.

Also — the state of US colleges, Americans’ view of the economy and dying in debt.

How do all these topics fit together?

This column will be like when Mom clears out the fridge and whips up an unexpected (and hopefully tasty) smorgasbord for dinner.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Colleges will continue to have a rough time in 2020 as enrollment keeps declining. The number of undergraduate and grad students in the fall semester fell by 1.3%, or by 231,000 students, according to Student Clearing House.

That’s the eighth annual decline in a row.

Meanwhile, an alternative to college seems to be doing well. Since I wrote about Apprenti, a service which matches people with apprentice programs in the high-tech area early last month, the amount of interest in the…