Today, only 4 in 10 U.S. adults possess a two- or four-year degree and approximately 3 million jobs go unfilled because employers can’t find people with the right skills. While the U.S. is falling in its proportion of college graduates relative to global competitors, the need for postsecondary education is rising for jobs in the 21st century global economy. If the U.S. is to close the widening skills gap, it will require more than increasing the number of graduates from existing career programs. Postsecondary institutions will also have to design new career programs to prepare students for emerging employment opportunities in new and expanding fields. As enrollments at many institutions have declined, new career programs aren’t only necessary to prepare tomorrow’s workforce, they are also needed to continue to attract students.
Designing new career programs requires extensive research analyzing multiple factors from forecasted employment outcomes and expected job growth to anticipated enrollment and local competition just to name a few. If schools do the necessary research to design new career programs that meet market demands, they can help be a much-needed solution to the widening skills gap. The 21st century economy is going to require new skills and new jobs will be created that haven’t previously existed. The opportunity to prepare students for this new economy is something that should excite us all.
If you are interested in learning more about developing new career programs, you may want to review OP106 – Developing New Career Programs: Research and Selection.
