As economists warn of a looming recession and traditional college prices remain unattainable for many families, high school and college students and other young adults are looking for ways to develop skills that will help them break into the workforce and ensure job security and economic mobility.
One of those ways is by exploring other options outside of high school or college for developing hard skills—such as technical knowledge and procedures—as well as critical soft skills such as critical thinking and digital literacy. By focusing on these skills early, students can gain an advantage that will help them enter into always in-demand careers during school or soon after graduation.
The first step is identifying areas of interest to pursue as a future career. If a student already knows what career path they want to follow, there’s no need to wait until graduation to start learning the essential skills that will align with that type of work. In fact, in today’s job marketplace, students who wait until their traditional education is over may be too late, putting them behind their peers in finding well-paying work.
The key is identifying careers in the current marketplace that are going to be recession-proof, and to start honing the skills that will be necessary for a job in that particular field. There are multiple areas in the coming years where workers will continue to be highly in demand. Here are three of the most promising for them to explore:
- Healthcare: Jobs in the medical field are only expected to grow even more over the next decade. With a large aging population and more people than ever interested in and focused on preventative healthcare, the opportunities are expansive and in demand.
- IT support: The demand for skilled computer and IT support specialists is expected to grow by 6% over the next decade, adding more than 56,000 new jobs by 2031. As more companies rely on technology to perform day-to-day tasks, they'll also need more skilled specialists to upgrade their computer equipment and software and keep them up-to-date.
- Veterinary care: The veterinary medicine industry is expected to grow much faster than average over the next decade, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As more people are becoming pet owners and greater emphasis is placed on pet wellness, there is a growing demand for skilled vet assistants, which is a great place to start when considering a veterinary career path.
As students and young adults look toward their future, they should be encouraged to explore some of these career pathways as soon as possible. One easy way they can do this is by taking additional courses while in high school and college, or enrolling in a career-specific program in place of traditional higher education. Whether they are still in school or just out of it, it’s a great time to see if their interests may line up with some of these promising, growth-oriented careers.
Exploring career pathways early provides an opportunity to secure work after graduating while, at the same time, still working towards graduation. Online coursework makes this possible and easy too. My educational organization, Penn Foster, offers online classes in all these areas through an online program that is easy to access with flexible scheduling. Sample courses, closely tied to real skills, we are currently offering in these promising career areas include:
- Healthcare: Medical Administrative Assisting, Office Procedures, and Basic Pharmacology
- Information Technology: Computer Applications, Introduction to Programming, and HTML Coding
- Veterinary Assistant: Veterinary Assisting, Algebra, and General Science
Finding additional classes outside of traditional school settings can also be a great option for public high school students who may be experiencing the harmful impacts of funding cuts that often stem from the threat of a recession. Cuts in school programs may be limiting their exposure to these careers outside of the traditional core curriculums. But by taking these engaging and accessible online classes not only gives students a feel for what a certain field may be like, but the credits they earn can also be transferable towards a post-secondary educational degree.
By developing these hard skills early on, students can get themselves on a path that prepares them well for specific, in-demand careers with high job security. Knowing that many people shift jobs many times, it’s important to gain skills starting in high school, and upskill throughout life. It’s one of the best ways available for them to secure their future in an uncertain world.
Dr. Andy Shean is an online education expert and the Chief Learning Officer at Penn Foster, an accredited online high school.