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‘Everyone Needs a Plumber’
By LAUREN WEBER
The National Aviation Academy in Clearwater, Fla., graduated 235 new aircraft mechanics in June, and of those who passed their federal license exams, more than 95% are now working in the field. "There are so many jobs and there are more coming," says Angeline Capriotti, director of career services at NAA. Yet the technical school has had trouble building interest among young people, despite boosting its high school recruiting team in the last two years.
The lack of interest among young people in many blue-collar trades—such as welding, machine production and aviation mechanics—means they’re missing out on reasonably well-paid positions in fields where employment prospects are improving. Aircraft mechanics, for example, earned a median weekly wage of $980 in 2010, or nearly $51,000 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. ON THE REBOUND Unemployment in manufacturing stood at 7.7% in November, down from a high of 13% in January 2010. In the mining and oil industries, the rate is 7.8%, down from a high of 16.1% in April 2009. Construction remains depressed, with a November unemployment rate of 13.1%, but even that is a vast improvement over the 27.1% high in February 2010. By comparison, unemployment rates in professional and business services and hospitality are falling more slowly, at 9% in November vs. a 12.4% high in March 2010, and 11.1% vs. a 13.8% high in February 2011, respectively. Many trade-skills positions today are "orphan jobs"—meaning they tend to be viewed as dying professions. But in fact, there aren’t enough workers in these fields to take the spots of retiring workers—says Anthony Carnevale of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. "They’re in industries that no one thinks are growing and no one wants to go into," he says. The bottom line is, there are many overlooked job openings in multiple trades. Ms. Capriotti and others say parents guide their children away from vocational careers and toward four-year colleges instead, believing that their job prospects will be better with a college education. And just as young people are reluctant to add debt right now to attend a four-year college, some are shying away from technical degrees because of the cost. For instance, NAA’s 14-month aviation program costs $30,500 and a 16-month automotive technician program can run $25,000. Dorothy Walker, interim dean at the School of Technology and Applied Sciences at the Milwaukee Area Technical College, says she’s seeing "huge demand" for job candidates in the machinist, welding and manufacturing areas, but "we’re not seeing an awful lot of young people ages 18 to 25 looking at those careers." Instead, students entering the school are gravitating to programs in information technology, healthcare, videogame development and culinary arts. Ms. Walker says MATC currently has 37 students in its machine-tool program. But the school would happily add a second shift for 40 more students if the demand existed. YOUNG PEOPLE PREFERRED To be sure, trade jobs are not as plentiful as those in some of the other fields young people are pursuing, such as animation and IT. For example, Wisconsin is projecting only 90 new and replacement openings in machine-tool operations and 362 openings for automotive technicians in 2015, compared with 1,140 openings for office technology assistants and 775 for nursing assistants, according to the Wisconsin Technical College System. But employers and technical-school administrators say that young people aren’t entering trade programs at high enough rates to replace retiring workers or fill positions that are opening up as the economy improves, raising the risk that crucial jobs will sit empty as manufacturers and other companies see demand rise. Mike Mallwitz’s company, Busch Precision, is growing fast. The Milwaukee firm, which makes complex equipment for mining, energy and defense companies, plans to hire nine machinists next year on top of the nine added this year. He’d like to hire young people because they have a fluency with computers, a key qualification as manufacturing becomes more tech-driven. But he’s having a hard time finding talent. Mr. Mallwitz is teaming with MATC and other state organizations to cultivate interest among high school students, and says he’s participated in more than six events this year, including job fairs and open houses for students and their parents. Some young people are recognizing the opportunity. Michael Hennessy, 17, has been studying plumbing since his freshman year at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical School in Upton, Mass. He learned from his "employability" class, a requirement that helps freshmen choose their career path, that journeyman plumbers can earn $35 to $50 per hour, while masters can go up to $100 per hour. Plus, he says, "everyone needs a plumber." ADDITIONAL READING "The $200,000-a-Year Mine Worker" looks at a 25-year-old high-school dropout who’s made the big bucks in a vocation where skilled workers are scarce. "Average College Debt Level Reaches $25,250" discusses how much 2010 students borrowed for their education "Occupy Protests Trigger Envy, Ire in Generation X" looks at how high college debt and scarce employment opportunities have angered recent graduates. "Average Salary Up for Class of 2011" examines which career fields yielded the highest salary gains for new graduates. "A Recipe for Middle-Class Jobs" looks at how Texas created good jobs for even those who didn’t go to college, and what can be learned from its example. WEB RESOURCES SkillsUSA is an organization for high-school and college students who want to pursue a vocational education. "Employment Change by Detailed Occupation" report from the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Occupational Outlook Handbook looks at work sectors that are growing and shrinking, also providing some salary data. OBJECTIVE OVERVIEW STANDARDS REVIEW 1) What are "orphan jobs"? ACTIVITY IDEAS • Define "blue-collar job." As a class, discuss your perception of them. Then, individually, choose a blue-collar occupation. Research its educational requirements and costs, as well as the current employment and average salary data. Present your findings to the class, especially those that surprised you. • The articles suggest you may be able to make a decent living with less than a four-year degree. Is college worth the price tag? Research the average amount of debt a college student graduates with. What sort of student shouldn’t go to college? Should higher education be considered a right of every American? Discuss as a class. • Read "The $200,000-a-Year Mine Worker" (see Additional Reading). Are there similar jobs in the U.S.? What are the benefits and drawbacks of this type of employment? Does the high salary offset the risk? Why or why not? Discuss as a class. • Many high schools offer vocational training for students. Does yours? Research vocational-training opportunities at your local community college, which might be offered for concurrent high-school credit. What sort of certifications can you earn as a high-school student, and what sort of salary you can make in that vocation? Write up your findings in a report, assessing whether this might be a good option for you while you’re still in high school. • Calculate the cost of college for your intended major, as well as the average beginning salary for your intended career field. Next, find one blue-collar job that interests you and research the same factors. Present your findings to your parents, discussing the merits and drawbacks of each option. ADDITIONAL READING "The $200,000-a-Year Mine Worker" looks at a 25-year-old high-school dropout who’s made the big bucks in a vocation where skilled workers are scarce. "Average College Debt Level Reaches $25,250" discusses how much 2010 students borrowed for their education "Occupy Protests Trigger Envy, Ire in Generation X" looks at how high college debt and scarce employment opportunities have angered recent graduates. "Average Salary Up for Class of 2011" examines which career fields yielded the highest salary gains for new graduates. "A Recipe for Middle-Class Jobs" looks at how Texas created good jobs for even those who didn’t go to college, and what can be learned from its example. WEB RESOURCES SkillsUSA is an organization for high-school and college students who want to pursue a vocational education. "Employment Change by Detailed Occupation" report from the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Occupational Outlook Handbook looks at work sectors that are growing and shrinking, also providing some salary data.
Mismatch: Not enough jobs, yet not enough workers One reason unemployment is stuck above 8% is that even some of America’s best-educated workers don’t have the skills employers are seeking. Some companies that are hiring are finding it much more difficult to find the right workers than the high jobless rate would suggest. Most tough-to-fill positions are in fields like engineering or information technology that require specialized skills that can’t be learned quickly on the job. Meanwhile, there are plenty of unemployed workers with specialized skills—just in the wrong specialty. They face the choice of either taking a lower-skilled job or going back to school to learn more skills. Less-educated workers generally take jobs that don’t require as much training. Even though far more of them are out of work, they can switch more easily from one occupation to another. For example, a former hotel maid can become a waitress. But college-educated workers tend to have specialties developed over years of studying or learning on the job. When jobs in their field dry up, they can’t easily shift careers. On the other side of the coin are companies finding it hard to locate qualified people for high-paying jobs. BestCare Home Health Agency in Fresno, Calif., is struggling to recruit an occupational therapist. The agency is offering $55 to $65 an hour, a $15,000 signing bonus and help for new hires to pay off their student loans. In theory, these kinds of mismatches should ease over time. Young people looking at careers will be drawn toward areas with greater opportunities. Unfortunately, the demand for specialized skills can shift quickly, so picking a career today that has good prospects doesn’t mean it will be that way five or 10 years from now. —JUSTIN LAHART AND BEN CASSELMAN
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