High-growth positions within reach for many
By Banks Albach
Knight Ridder News Service
WASHINGTON — Some U.S. jobs pay living wages, are in fast-growing fields, have lots of openings and don't require bachelor's degrees.
Most of them aren't glamorous, but they won't be offshored anytime soon either, according to a newly published analysis by the nonprofit agency Jobs for the Future. Among them: truck and bus driving, nursing, construction and computer-technician jobs.
"A lot of these industries are having difficulty finding reliable workers with the skills they require," agency official Jerry Rubin said.
His group, based in Cambridge, Mass., winnowed Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 725 job categories to find the best shots. It looked for jobs that paid $25,000 or more, were in fields with at least 20,000 openings a year, offered at least some opportunity for advancement and had modest requirements for education and experience.
Its report, "The Right Jobs," profiles these winners:
Note: School admission is highly competitive but the acute nurse shortage is expected to double by 2015.
Note: Easier to get into than registered-nurse jobs. Lots of jobs in long-term care. Can lead to an R.N. career.
Note: The work — answering customers' questions in person, on the phone or via e-mail or the Internet — is stressful. The turnover rate is often high, and offshoring is possible.
Note: Head mechanics at car dealerships can earn $100,000.
Note: Network administrators are paid the best. Help-desk support jobs are the easiest to land.
Note: Wages are 50 percent higher in unionized jobs, but they're tougher to get. A criminal record may be tolerated.
Note: New federal regulations that limit daily driving time are expected to yield 60,000 new jobs. School bus drivers trade lower pay for work close to home.
Many high schools and colleges aren't training for these high-growth fields, according to Rubin.
"The jobs are there, but particularly for working adults, traditional education just isn't going to cut it," Rubin said. "New ways for training that meet the real-life requirements for adults are critically important."
Until then, community colleges will fill most of the gaps.
"They are a tremendous resource," Rubin said.
