US News and World Report showcases what too many people still don’t seem to realize: trade and technical skills are in demand. You do not need a traditional four-year degree to make a good living.
It’s hard to believe, but nearly 20 percent of U.S. employers say they’re having a tough time filling job openings, according to Manpower’s 2009 talent shortage survey. (That figure, which is less than half of what it was in 2006, should rise again as the economy recovers.) The list of positions that are the hardest to fill can help serve as a guide for some of the best job opportunities in the future. Although engineers and nurses lead Manpower’s list of the 10 most in-demand jobs in the United States, a large portion of the hard-to-fill positions are blue-collar jobs.
Yet despite the data noted above, some people continue to push the idea of sending as many people as possible to a traditional university or college. It makes no sense and, in my view, is the byproduct of an elitist attitude that fails to value and appreciate people who work with their hands as well as their brains.
In this interview, education policy analyst Terry Stoops discusses the need to refocus on career and technical education in our state.
