A report by the Texas State Comptroller’s office in 2014 points to a skills gap but not necessarily where it might be expected. Interestingly, the gap appears to be greatest for “middle skill” jobs that may require certification but not necessarily a bachelor’s degree. Local community colleges, including Central Texas College, play a key role in filling the need for skilled workers for today’s technical jobs.1
Vacant jobs can cost companies hundreds of dollars a day in lost profits, research shows, and ultimately the job skills gap hurts America’s economic growth.
The demand is there—especially in high tech fields. About 20 percent of all American jobs are now in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, with half of those open to workers who don’t have a four-year college degree, according to recent analysis by the Brookings Institution. Many of these “middle skill” stem jobs are in construction, installation, manufacturing and health care. They include registered nurses mechanics, carpenters, welders and electricians. STEM jobs that don’t require a four-year degree pay about $53,000 on average, about 10 percent higher than non-STEM jobs available to people with similar education backgrounds.
Fewer Americans have the experience or qualifications for these “middle skills” types of jobs. Chris Tilly, an economics professor at U.C.L.A. argues that too many Americans are going to college, fixated on the idea that a four-year college degree is the only way to make big bucks.
“I can’t solve the problems that my plumber and my electrician can solve,” said Tilly. In those jobs, “you can make a fair amount of money.”
According to the Boston Consulting Group, San Antonio was one of five U.S. metro areas to have significant or severe worker shortages in 2012. The highest-need occupations were welders, machinists and industrial-machinery mechanics—many of which pay above Texas’ median annual salary and require certificates, apprenticeships or associate (two-year) degrees.
Workers in existing jobs also must invest in additional training and education as technology evolves and as workforce needs expand and contract. Many mid-career adults are faced with choosing a new field requiring additional study or risk being underemployed. Fortunately, community colleges specialize in the type of short-term training and education that can quickly improve marketability for a job.
Education and Training as a Solution
The Comptroller’s report focuses on the need for ongoing skills training of workers and emphasizes that the gap will continue until Texas increases overall educational attainment. The report outlines four paths to address the skills gap in Texas, including college degrees, career and technical education, industry-based certifications and apprenticeships. Three out of four can be found at Central Texas College.
A College Degree
Eleven of the 15 highest-demand jobs require an associate or bachelor’s degree. Unfortunately, most high school students do not graduate “college ready” and only one third of those who start college finish with a degree. A 2014 report from the American Institutes for Research found that students who attend an Early College High School program (ECHS) are more likely to enroll in college and earn a degree.
Central Texas College and the Killeen Independent School District began just such a partnership this year with 150 carefully selected ninth graders and will expand the program next year to include 300 freshmen and an additional 150 sophomores, bringing the total enrolled to 600. As these students progress, the focus is on college-readiness and completion of up to 60 college credit hours while in high school.
Dual enrollment programs, offered in local high schools through Central Texas College, also provide an opportunity for students to build confidence in their ability to succeed in college.
Two-year degrees in medical and technology fields should not be overlooked as a path to a successful career. In fact, nursing positions requiring an associate degree are not only among the fastest growing but also rank among the highest paying in Texas. Community colleges, including Central Texas College, focus on these two-year degrees designed to provide immediate entry into the workforce in addition to providing an affordable alternative for the first two years of academic work toward a bachelor’s degree.
Career and Technical Education
Thanks to the passage of House Bill 5 in 2013, high schools can now place a renewed emphasis on career and technical education and build connections from high school to college. Through Career and Technical Education (CTE) in high school students may earn marketable skills and certifications prior to graduation for immediate entry into the workforce. The Advanced Technical Credit (ATC) Program also gives high school students a chance to receive credit at Central Texas College for taking certain enhanced technical courses during high school. This saves time and money towards additional certifications or a degree.
Many exiting veterans and adults who want to advance or retrain find themselves at a community college in a CTE program. Demand is so strong in some fields that CTC has industry partners who are willing to hire students upon completion of their academic programs as well as pay for the cost of the coursework. To date, the college has programs for veterans with industry partners in truck driving, welding and pipe-fitting and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC).
Many programs of study offer “stackable” certificate programs designed to build employability quickly and then continue to build skills through multiple certificates and eventually an associate degree.
Industry-Based Certifications
Central Texas College offers several options for this type of short-term technical training. Through CTC’s Continuing Education department, non-credit career training options include computer and medical certifications and licensure preparation programs. The Licensed Massage Therapy (LMT) program can be completed in seven months and jobs are waiting for students starting at $20 per hour and up. CTC credit coursework also focuses on certifications, including CISCO certification preparation through the Electronics Department, preparation for multiple industry certifications though the Computer Science Department, and licensure programs for nursing, Emergency Medical Technology and Medical Lab Technician.
With entry-level jobs increasingly hard to come by for a graduate from a four-year degree program in a non-technical field, industry certifications and licensures are increasingly important to landing a job. The majority of nursing students at Central Texas College are returning students with a college degree in another field of study.
Community colleges also work closely with employers and with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to stay focused on instruction leading to high demand careers. Small businesses with fewer than 100 employees have access to free workforce training at CTC through the Texas Workforce Commission’s Skills for Small Business program. Through the Veteran and Industry Partnership (VIP), veterans receive free training to land jobs in the state’s most high-demand industries. The initiative, which brings together industry associations, local Workforce Solutions partners and community colleges to develop training in key industry occupations for veterans throughout Texas.
1 Workforce: Capitalizing on our Human Assets (Tx State Comptroller rpt 2014). comptrollertexas.gov/specialrpt/workforce/96-1756.pdf
Written by Barbara Merlo, Director of Marketing & Outreach, Central Texas College
Published in the Greater Killeen Business Quarterly 2016 Newcomer’s Guide