This post was originally published on this site.
Middle-skills workers provide essential services and potentially earn high salaries, but a new report addresses impending shortages.
The Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy has issued “Missed Opportunities: Credential Shortages in Programs Aligned with High-Paying Middle-Skills Jobs in 55 U.S. Metro Areas.” The report examines the production of middle-skills credentials that prepare workers for potentially high-paying occupations in metropolitan areas with populations exceeding one million people.
There is a broad range of middle-skills occupations, from blue collar positions, such as electrician and carpenter, to vital healthcare professions like registered nurse to police officers and firefighters. High-paying middle-skills occupations provide salaries in which individuals can out-earn most young people with a bachelor’s degree. Median annual earnings could reach around $80,000 by mid-career.
“Missed Opportunities” compares the number of credentials currently being produced with the number of job openings projected to exist in 2032. CEW has an online tool to assist regional planners and middle-skills providers in crafting solutions to the anticipated shortage.
“Institutions should understand what the size or magnitude of that projected shortage in their local economy is, take stock of what their current credential production is and understand the constraints they are experiencing,” said Dr. Zack Mabel, research professor and director of research at CEW, co-author of the report. “Understand which [constraints] are in the control of the institution to address and which they need to broker relationships with other entities.”
Advocacy with elected officials and other policymakers to expand resources is part of addressing these shortages, Mabel added. To be effective in this, institutions must be clear about what is impeding their capacity.
Dr. Jessica Perez, director of the Center for Career & Professional Development at LaGuardia Community College in New York City, found the report’s projections informative. “The report provides us with insights and thought-provoking data to promote awareness of the importance of work-based learning opportunities for community college students, cultivating and fostering industry partnerships and to regularly review curriculum,” Perez said.
Students who are making decisions about their futures should receive information such as this, said Kathryn Campbell, CEW editorial director and co-author of the report. Economic potential contributes to the decision making process. Unfortunately, a lot of institutions are not providing this information to students, Mabel added, who further noted high school is when to start informing students.
“We know that there are a lot of opportunities for our students and we take it very seriously making sure that our programs are up to date,” said Dr. Stacia Edwards, deputy provost of City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), a group of seven colleges that serve over 60,000 students with everything from GED preparation to certificates and associate degree programs. CCC has been working with high school students on a “purpose pathway,” to help them identify career aspirations.
Career planning is introduced during the first year seminar at LaGuardia. Perez said the recommendations in the report align with what the college is currently doing. She added that the college is always looking for ways to update curriculum to focus on in-demand skills.
The report notes that the largest shortage is anticipated in the blue collar sector in 52 of the 55 U.S. metropolitan areas. It is predicted that Washington, D.C., Dallas and Boston will experience the greatest shortages relative to projected labor market demand. Shortages in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields will be considerably less with only 10 major metropolitan areas expected to face a shortage.
“There needs to be messaging campaigns to make it clear that these blue collar occupations of which there is the most severe shortage…really require a lot of technical prowess, they’re dynamic, they’re evolving and they lead to further advancement opportunities,” said Mabel. “These are quality jobs and they’re in tremendous demand in our country and they’re going to be for the foreseeable future.”
Healthcare is the occupational group that the report predicts to have an oversupply. Mabel explained that is because several healthcare professions have shifted to preferring people with a bachelor’s degree, thus lessening opportunities for middle-skills workers.
The report states that middle-skills providers, such as two-year institutions, must adjust their production of middle-skills credentials—certificates and associate’s degrees — to address the impending shortages. Suggestions to do so include recruiting more students to institutions that offer relevant credentials. Second, offering better career counseling. Third, seeing to it that employers work with institutions to provide work-based learning opportunities.
Edwards said the third point is crucial, and CCC constantly talks to employers and economic development organizations to ensure the colleges are delivering the things that employers need, not only for today but for the future. For example, CCC colleges are working with IT employers on cloud curriculum.
“The only way that we’re going to make progress in getting our population of students connected to employment and get these jobs filled is for employers to walk alongside with us, hiring the students when they have that minimum skillset and continue to develop them so that they can get to that middle-skill job because those middle-skill jobs don’t start at entry level,” said Edwards. “We have to work with the employers through apprenticeships and other opportunities in order to get those students ready to take those jobs.”