Some 21 percent of jobs require “middle” skills — more than a high school diploma, but less than a bachelor’s degree. Community colleges can help 1.5 million unemployed Americans bridge the skills gap, researchers say. But colleges will have to balance open access with the push for higher graduation rates.
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#edu #education Bridging the skills gap – Some 21 percent of jobs require “middle” skills more than a high school d… http://t.co/EqyDGrhs
The term “middle-skill jobs” is unfortunate, as it implies that 2-year college jobs are inherently less-skilled than 4-year college jobs.
Does a 2-year degree in CNC machine-tool programming really represent a lower skill level than a 4-year degree in sociology or “communications”?
Currently, there are 3.6 million job vacancies in areas of skilled labor – from IT to welding to electrical to health care. The nation is also facing a huge shortage of truck drivers. But instead we tell everyone to get a bachelor’s degree – or we say something innocuous like “go to college.”
I recently read that a company which moved to South Dakota was having trouble finding enough people with various technical skills – and SD is a state where many kids do go to a technical school. Several hundred well-paying jobs…