Jobs For Postsecondary Graduates Will Exceed Supply
In 1970 nearly three quarters of the workers considered to be middle class had not gone beyond high school, but by 2007 that figure dropped to 40%. Now a new study says the number of jobs requiring at least a 2 year postsecondary program will exceed supply of qualified people who complete community college or private career degrees and certificates.
The United States economy is in serious danger from a growing mismatch between the skills that will be needed for jobs being created and the educational backgrounds of would-be workers, according to a report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. By 2018, there will be a shortage of 3 million workers who have some postsecondary degree and of 4.7 million workers who have a postsecondary certificate. Colleges need to be more career-oriented and overhaul the way they educate students, to much more closely align the curriculum with specific jobs, the report said.
As a teacher on staff at several professional programs, as well as community colleges and an online school, I was encouraged by the statement that “colleges need to be more career oriented and overhaul the way they educate students…to better align with specific jobs.”
In short, this is the function of specialized professional programs. Hence, maybe an individual doesn’t need an “ivy league” education to be an effective care-giver and nurse professional.