{"id":25,"date":"2022-03-09T14:35:56","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T14:35:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/skill-gap-opportunity\/"},"modified":"2022-05-19T17:21:59","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T17:21:59","slug":"education-can-close-the-skills-gap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/","title":{"rendered":"Education Can Close the Skills Gap"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we navigate our way through the economic swings in the era of COVID, many people don\u2019t realize how many good jobs still need qualified employees. But believe it or not, it\u2019s happening\u2014and it isn\u2019t a new phenomenon. It\u2019s known as the \u201cskills gap,\u201d and it\u2019s been a hot topic among economists for the last decade. That gap is expected to balloon in 2022 and beyond.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

What is the skills gap?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The US Chamber of Commerce writes: \u201cThe demand for skilled workers is greater than ever, but availability is in short supply.\u201d This, in a nutshell, is the contradiction. There are many job openings projected for the future across multiple industries, but not enough people adequately trained to fill these positions.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a few different reasons for this dilemma. There are the natural shifts which take place across age demographics. An older generation of the trained workforce is aging and moving towards retirement, leaving jobs open which need to be filled. On the flip side, while the younger generations are some of the most educated in history (think Millennials and Gen Z), their degrees have often failed to prepare them for the changes in the job market. In other words, they are qualified in fields which aren\u2019t hiring.<\/span><\/p>\n

Closing the skills gap<\/span><\/h3>\n

The US Chamber of Commerce has three proposed solutions for closing the skills gap. First, they urge employers to create and implement initiatives in the workplace to increase current employees\u2019 skills. This is also called \u201cupskilling,\u201d and there may be opportunities in your current job to get trained with the possibility of higher earnings. Second, they urge the use of apprenticeships and other training which provide a direct pathway to in-demand jobs. For example, local programs or internships could give you the skill set you need upon certification or completion. Finally, they urge colleges and other educational institutions to align their programs to the skills needed by today\u2019s employers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get skilled and get hired<\/span><\/h3>\n

What does this mean for job seekers? The good news is that well-paying jobs are available now in different industries. There are options to choose from if you\u2019re looking to get into a new field with job security, or if you\u2019re thinking about updating or improving your current skills to increase your income. The even better news is that you can re-tool and get the training and certification you need to get on (or stay on) a great career track, right here at Northwest State Community College.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re working with employers throughout our six-county service area to close the skills gap in our community. Our tremendous Prior and Workplace Learning Coordinator, Brad Geer, has also developed solid working relationships with numerous employers for co-op and internship opportunities, which can lead to great career opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Industry Example<\/span><\/h2>\n

Manufacturing<\/span><\/h3>\n

In our STEM and Industrial Technologies division, there are plenty of great career opportunities available with local employers, providing family-sustaining wages. The interesting aspect is the demand currently outweighs the supply. In other words, we need more students in these programs because of the increasing need for a skilled workforce in the manufacturing sector. Generalized production positions typically pay over $41,980 annually, while supervisors make on average north of $65,150 in Ohio, so continued education certainly pays off in this sector.<\/span><\/p>\n

Local jobs upon completion:
\n<\/span>General Production: $41,980\/year<\/span><\/p>\n

Healthcare<\/span><\/h3>\n

Our healthcare programs (nursing, phlebotomy and medical assisting) offer practicums and externships for our learners, which is a perfect opportunity to put what they\u2019ve learned in the classroom into practical application in the healthcare facility. Aside from the obvious educational benefits, these external assignments are also a great way to gain employment after graduation. With a continued need for qualified healthcare workers around the country, Northwest State students are well prepared for these external learning and work opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Local jobs upon completion:
\n<\/span>Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, Phlebotomist, Medical Assistant, Medical Billing\/Coding<\/span><\/p>\n

Local salary information: <\/span>
\nRegistered Nurse: $71,640\/year<\/span><\/p>\n

Office Admin\/ Support<\/span><\/h3>\n

Often referred to as the \u201cglue that holds the business together,\u201d office administrative and support students have great post-education employment opportunities with local employers. Per the Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office and Administrative Support Occupations employ 133 people per 1,000 jobs across the state. The well-balanced education received at Northwest State Community College prepares these graduates to enter the workforce ready to move business forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

Local jobs upon completion:
\n<\/span>Office Administrator\/Office Support: $41,460\/year<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we navigate our way through the economic swings in the era of COVID, many people don\u2019t realize how many good jobs still need qualified employees. But believe it or not, it\u2019s happening\u2014and it isn\u2019t a new phenomenon. It\u2019s known as the \u201cskills gap,\u201d and it\u2019s been a hot topic among economists for the last… read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":61,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16],"article_type":[5],"class_list":["post-25","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-continuing-education","tag-3-1","tag-3d-printing","tag-a-century","tag-a-to-z","tag-accounting","tag-additive-manufacturing","tag-administration","tag-administrative-assistant","tag-admission","tag-admissions","article_type-feature"],"yoast_head":"\nEducation Can Close the Skills Gap - Spring 2022, Volume 7 \u2013 Issue 1<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Education Can Close the Skills Gap\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As we navigate our way through the economic swings in the era of COVID, many people don\u2019t realize how many good jobs still need qualified employees. But believe it or not, it\u2019s happening\u2014and it isn\u2019t a new phenomenon. It\u2019s known as the \u201cskills gap,\u201d and it\u2019s been a hot topic among economists for the last... read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Spring 2022, Volume 7 \u2013 Issue 1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-09T14:35:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-05-19T17:21:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/skillgap_800.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"jimbellamy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"jimbellamy\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/\",\"name\":\"Education Can Close the Skills Gap - Spring 2022, Volume 7 \u2013 Issue 1\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/skillgap_800.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-09T14:35:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-05-19T17:21:59+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/#\/schema\/person\/19a7a39f29f298dd8ae4f15cc223465b\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/skillgap_800.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/skillgap_800.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":400},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Education Can Close the Skills Gap\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/\",\"name\":\"Spring 2022, Volume 7 \u2013 Issue 1\",\"description\":\"Just another Northwest State Community College Sites site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/#\/schema\/person\/19a7a39f29f298dd8ae4f15cc223465b\",\"name\":\"jimbellamy\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a1e8317fd6d9ba34ba2bafc3a677a3b64e2811cca403ab88d5d29255e5f5377?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a1e8317fd6d9ba34ba2bafc3a677a3b64e2811cca403ab88d5d29255e5f5377?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"jimbellamy\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/author\/jimbellamy\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Education Can Close the Skills Gap - Spring 2022, Volume 7 \u2013 Issue 1","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Education Can Close the Skills Gap","og_description":"As we navigate our way through the economic swings in the era of COVID, many people don\u2019t realize how many good jobs still need qualified employees. But believe it or not, it\u2019s happening\u2014and it isn\u2019t a new phenomenon. It\u2019s known as the \u201cskills gap,\u201d and it\u2019s been a hot topic among economists for the last... read more","og_url":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/","og_site_name":"Spring 2022, Volume 7 \u2013 Issue 1","article_published_time":"2022-03-09T14:35:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-05-19T17:21:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/skillgap_800.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"jimbellamy","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"jimbellamy","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/","url":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/","name":"Education Can Close the Skills Gap - Spring 2022, Volume 7 \u2013 Issue 1","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/skillgap_800.jpg","datePublished":"2022-03-09T14:35:56+00:00","dateModified":"2022-05-19T17:21:59+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/#\/schema\/person\/19a7a39f29f298dd8ae4f15cc223465b"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/skillgap_800.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/skillgap_800.jpg","width":800,"height":400},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/education-can-close-the-skills-gap\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Education Can Close the Skills Gap"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/#website","url":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/","name":"Spring 2022, Volume 7 \u2013 Issue 1","description":"Just another Northwest State Community College Sites site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/#\/schema\/person\/19a7a39f29f298dd8ae4f15cc223465b","name":"jimbellamy","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a1e8317fd6d9ba34ba2bafc3a677a3b64e2811cca403ab88d5d29255e5f5377?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a1e8317fd6d9ba34ba2bafc3a677a3b64e2811cca403ab88d5d29255e5f5377?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"jimbellamy"},"url":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/author\/jimbellamy\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60,"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25\/revisions\/60"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northweststate.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2022-volume-7-issue-1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=25"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}