Middle Skills Jobs That Are Going Unfilled in the United States

Nancy Anderson
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While news that job openings are increasing in the United States sounds encouraging, there's a flip side to the latest jobs reports. The uptick in job openings indicates that employers are having difficulty filling jobs. This is often because of the growing skills gap, with millions of so-called "middle skills" jobs going unfilled for months at a time because employees can't be found with the requisite skills.

Middle skills jobs are those that require some training or certification beyond a high school diploma but don't necessarily require a college degree. These middle skills jobs are the largest part of the labor market across the country. The need to fill these positions is expected to grow in the coming years.

What Middle Skills Jobs Are Going Unfilled?

Middle skills jobs are going unfilled in several key fields, including health care and information technology. In addition, skilled trade positions are languishing for lack of people to step in. These jobs, which include machinists, welders, plumbers and electricians, are becoming increasingly hard to fill.

Many middle skills jobs pay well, which makes them potentially attractive if prospective employees can acquire the needed skills. Some jobs that fall into this category include nurses; heating, ventilation and air conditioning installation and repair technicians; auto mechanics; hotel managers; and computer science developers, analysts and administrators.

What Is the Trend?

About 2.5 million middle skills jobs are expected to open up by the end of 2017. Many of these will come as the result of retirement in certain fields, such as electronics engineering, maintenance technicians and electricians. The average age of people who currently hold these jobs is far higher than the average age of workers in general.

The health care sector is expected to grow by 14 percent over the next five years, and the IT sector has a projection of 15 percent growth over the same period. Jobs requiring middle-skills level STEM skills are expected to increase in fields ranging from energy to food production.

What Can Be Done to Close the Skills Gap?

Part of the problem lies in the education system, which tends to channel students toward a four-year college degree as the default option. Without educational or other institutional support to help people entering the workforce gain the required skills, there's no obvious onramp to let prospective employees prepare for middle skills jobs. A White House initiative to put $100 million into developing apprenticeship programs may help in some areas.

Encouraging high school students to head to two-year colleges that teach some of the skills needed for middle skills jobs may help close the gap. Not everyone is cut out for a four-year college, but many students have been led to believe that's the only viable choice if they want to make a good life for themselves.

Many people argue, however, that some employers are simply demanding too much. In past years, employers put more time and effort into training its new hires, helping them to acquire the skills they needed for their jobs. Now, an employer is likely to demand that a new employee already have certain skills without the opportunity to learn them beforehand. In addition, some employers are demanding college degrees for jobs, such as secretarial positions, that haven't traditionally required them.

While employers may have to shift their expectations a bit, it's increasingly clear that the educational and business worlds need to find a way to close the middle skills gap, whether by offering apprenticeships, encouraging students to seek middle-skills training after high school, or increasing job training sponsored by employers. Harnessing the abilities and training of newly discharged veterans to step into some of these unfilled jobs or be trained for them is another remedy that has been proposed. As younger job seekers realize that millions of well-paying jobs are waiting to be filled, they may refocus their job search efforts to gain the skills needed to close the gap.

Photo Courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 
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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. @Jay so very true. Learning can certainly motivate you to learn more. @Duncan it is not true that those with a 4 yr college degree are going to end up in a middle skills position. We have those with PhDs asking if you want fries with that. It's much more than just education. I would agree that they need training prior to taking on or being hired for a middle skills position.

  • Duncan Maranga
    Duncan Maranga •

    It is the norm that in most cases the people going for four-year college degree courses eventually become supervisors for the middle skilled workforce. Is it not imperative that they also get rigorous training on such skills so as to occasionally fill in the gaps before the rightful people come in?

  • Jay Bowyer
    Jay Bowyer •

    Middle-skills jobs are such a goldmine if you're willing to undergo a little extra training. They also offer another advantage, though: if you've been feeling stuck in your current job, or uninspired by life, getting the training needed to perform a middle-skills job can give you a real boost. If you start training for a middle-skills job, you could find yourself inspired to learn even more, thus elevating yourself continuously within your industry!

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. You have to wonder what happened to the high school programs. Don't they have career days anymore. What about guidance counselors? Are they not available to help teens? What about the vo-techs at the high schools? Are they reaching out to employers to do a match up between the teen and the job? I agree that it has to start somewhere so why not start in High School and get the kids ready for their future. It's true that not all jobs need a 4 yr degree; some all you need is a certificate to get your foot in the door.

  • Kellen P.
    Kellen P. •

    In my experience hiring workers, I have seen the "middle skills" trap in full effect. Getting a four-year degree is considered the default, so almost all of the applications I received for one job were from recent graduates of four-year institutions ... even if that wasn't a requirement for the job! Where are all the trade school graduates? Do they not apply for certain jobs because they think they won't get hired? This particular job could have used a highly skilled person with a focused degree. The company needed a technician, not a philosopher king!

  • Shaday Stewart
    Shaday Stewart •

    I definitely think more high school outreach would make a difference because, from my experience, most teenagers don't see themselves as having the skills to do many jobs without college. Many teenagers are surrounded by relatives and educators urging them to go to college to have any viable future, but with the new economy and ultra-competitive job market, that's not the best option for a lot of people.

    Teenagers who don't go to college often enter the workforce, but target unskilled labor jobs, rather than pursuing certifications and mini-degrees. If recruiters can help them visualize a realistic timeline for gaining a functional skill set, teenagers may be more likely to start thinking in career mode.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. @Lydia I think that would depend upon the program. For instance, if someone did a bootcamp for a particular programming language and that's what the company needed it - well that would be a good match. Getting a degree is great but not always the best. Think of all of the courses that you had to take that were not relevant to your career. Sure they may have helped to round you out but will you ever need them again? Probably not. That's why I am in favor or mini-degrees and I think that companies are, too. They want to know that the applicant is well versed in the program and are current and up to date. What better way than to just get a "degree" in the skills needed for the position? @William do you remember when you were in grad school and someone ask you what you want to be when you grow up? Do you remember how frustrated you would get and the response - how do I know, I am just a kid. Most grade school kids have no idea who they are or what they want to do with their life. If we tried to institute a program where we would start training them in their career goals, they would be labeled. We all know that this would happen. And what if, when we grew up, we no longer wanted that career? So as great as that sounds, I agree with companies focusing on high school kids instead of at the grade school level. What does everyone else think about this?

  • William Browning
    William Browning •

    I agree that companies need to encourage teenagers to attend some type of training program. However, I think schools and employers should encourage kids in elementary school and not just high school. Companies should think 10 and 15 years down the road by piquing the interests of elementary kids who have an innate curiosity about many things. Catering to teens is a good thing, but kids develop some interests at much younger ages.

  • Lydia K.
    Lydia K. •

    @Nancy, I wonder what you think about the growing trend towards bootcamps and mini- or even nano-degrees. They're especially popular in the business and IT fields. But I wonder how businesses are responding to these kinds of credentials? Does a candidate with tech skills picked up in an online bootcamp program look just as qualified as a candidate with a B&M degree in IT? Should people choose bootcamps over 4 year degrees to qualify for a middle skills job?

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for your comments. The healthcare field does seem to be growing - at least on paper. We get hundreds of correspondence from those in the healthcare field who can't find a job. Typically the reason is because they are over 40 and employers think that's getting too old to carry on the manual labor and grunt work. They worry about the rising cost of healthcare and if their more mature worker is going to need extensive care due to the toll that being a healthcare provider - especially a nurse - takes on the body. @Catherine not sure why high school students aren't given more information on careers in healthcare. Seems that the STEM careers are in much greater demand. @Jacob not too sure about the laborers. It could be because there is no growth potential with a smaller company. And, being self-employed, well you are as high as you can go if it's your company. It is true that companies are going to have to jump on board here even if it means that they have to up their educational budget to keep current employees up to date with their skills. These jobs are not going to go away and, as the article stated, the healthcare field, in particular, is going to grow due to the aging population.

  • Abbey Boyd
    Abbey Boyd •

    Healthcare is a field where job openings seem to be the norm. As the market grows, especially with the elderly population, so does the demand for middle skills workers. Nursing seems to be the hardest hit area. When I went to school for nursing, my primary motivation was that I knew I would never have a problem finding a job. In the nursing field, there is a moderate amount of schooling needed, which means having college debt. When working in the field, there is a lot of hands-on, direct care which often involves some degree of manual labor. I know that these facts are true of most middle skills positions, and can be a real turnoff to some people. It's hard to find a person that wants to commit to the schooling and still do manual labor and grunt work.

  • Jacob T.
    Jacob T. •

    Is it likely that part of the drawback to some of these middle skill jobs, such as machinists, auto mechanics, HVAC service providers and plumbers that many of them are self employed or are much smaller companies? The wages may be decent, but there is seldom potential for career growth or benefits such as health insurance. Those things can be a real detriment to new workers looking to build a life for themselves and their families.

  • CATHERINE S.
    CATHERINE S. •

    I've definitely seen this trend happen in the healthcare field. There is a high demand for nurses, pharmacists, physician assistant, laboratory techs and many other types of positions. One major advantage of this field is that there is job security- there will always be a demand for healthcare and these jobs cannot be exported to other countries. I wish that high school students were given more information about viable career paths and, like you said, pointed in the direction of 2-year colleges.

  • Katharine M.
    Katharine M. •

    I agree with Emma that internship programs are a good option. In many fields, there's a gap between theory and practice, and a pre-graduation internship can help to bridge that gap.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. @Emma I know that here in my area that coordination between the colleges and local clinics has been going on for a long time. Those in healthcare do get to do an internship prior to graduation and it is included as part of their curriculum. @Shannon it is true that an apprenticeship or internship is not for everyone. Most of them are unpaid positions and most soon to be graduates can not afford to work for free. So it is actually for a small segment.

  • Shannon Philpott
    Shannon Philpott •

    While I agree that the push for a four-year degree plays a role in this issue, I disagree that apprentice programs are the way to go. Students seek out a four-year degree to expand their opportunities that lead to advancement. Many graduates also begin in these positions that are considered 'middle skills.' A student with a certificate, two-year degree or apprenticeship may be able to fill these gaps, but without a four-year degree, they have little to no opportunity to advance later in their careers.

  • Emma Rochekins
    Emma Rochekins •

    Perhaps another alternative for teaching employees the necessary skills - in the health care industry, at least - could be developing residency programs and student opportunities through established college programs in partnership with clinics in the community. It seems the clinics could benefit from additional staff, yet they already are short-staffed and not equipped to provide adequate education; partnering with a local university who would be responsible for the education part seems beneficial for all, since the student would gain hands-on experience. Would something like this be possible or useful in other industries?

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