These new publications describe the opportunities available in three industry sectors for which CTE prepares students: infrastructure, construction and nursing
Infrastructure: The infrastructure workforce is facing shortages. The transportation sector will need 4.6 million workers by 2022 due to industry growth, retirements and turnover. And President Trump’s proposal for infrastructure investments could lead to more than 11 million more jobs, according to a 2017 report by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and Workforce. To meet this need, a brief from the National Skills Coalition recommends sector partnerships, incentivizing apprenticeship and other work-based learning, and creating a new federal Work-based Learning Support Fund.
Construction: Seventy percent of contractors have a hard time finding qualified hourly craft workers, according to a survey from the Associated General Contractors of America, and only 16 percent rate their local talent pipeline as good or excellent. The survey also asked contractors how they recruit workers: 57 percent responded that they do outreach to community/industry groups and 57 percent conduct outreach to postsecondary institutions, while 48 percent target job fairs and 45 percent offer internships. However, only 31 percent provide outreach to high schools, which means many contractors are missing the chance to encourage or recruit talent from high-quality secondary CTE programs.
Nursing: The state of the nursing workforce is addressed in a recent Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce report. With the average age of the nursing workforce rising, opportunities will continue to be available in this sector. In addition, registered nurses (RNs) make higher than average incomes, while annual earnings for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses outpace earnings for other female-centric occupations that call for some postsecondary education but no degree. However, male RNs earn more than female RNs across the board, and racial and ethnic diversity remains a challenge, particularly at higher education levels.
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