Too Few Middle-Skills Credentials to Meet Future Job Demand
Sara Weissman
September 5, 2024
Most providers have to double the number of credentials they produce for well-paying jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s to avoid workforce gaps, a new report finds.
A new report from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that colleges and other credential providers aren’t producing enough credentials that lead to well-paying, middle-skills jobs to satisfy employer demand in many metro areas across the country.
The report, published today, defines high-paying middle-skills jobs as those that require an associate degree or credential, but not a bachelor’s degree, and in which more than half of early-career workers earn at least $53,000 per year. Such jobs span a wide range, from firefighters to software developers to radiologic technicians. The report found that out of 343 credential providers, 311 of them, or 91 percent, would need to more than double the number of credentials they award in such fields to avoid local shortages in the future.
