Community colleges looking to strengthen workforce programs and respond to local labor shortages have a new resource at their disposal.
A new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce finds that all 55 of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas are projected to face shortages of workers qualified for certain “springboard occupations” through at least 2034. These occupations, which typically require a certificate or associate degree rather than a bachelor’s degree, offer strong starting wages and significant earnings growth over time.
The report identifies 159 middle-skills springboard occupations across the 55 metro areas studied and includes a data tool designed to help policymakers, educators and employers understand where demand for those workers is highest and where credential production falls short.
For community colleges, the findings underscore a familiar challenge: producing enough graduates in programs that align with regional workforce needs.
“We applied our criteria to occupations in each of the 55 major metro areas to identify each metro area’s specific middle-skills springboard occupations,” Emma Nyhof McLeod, the report’s lead author, said in a release. The results revealed substantial local variation, with only 16 occupations appearing in at least 50 of the 55 metro areas.
Local-focused data
That variation may be one of the report’s most important takeaways for colleges. Rather than relying on national employment trends, institutions can use the metro-level data to identify occupations that offer strong wages and advancement opportunities in their own communities and adjust programs accordingly.
The report also points to opportunities for colleges to deepen employer partnerships. Georgetown researchers project credential shortages in every major metro area and across a wide range of occupational fields. Installation, maintenance and repair occupations and construction and extraction occupations are expected to experience shortages in 53 of the 55 metro areas studied.
Those shortages could create openings for colleges to work with employers on apprenticeships, customized training, equipment investments and program expansion. The data also may help colleges strengthen student recruitment efforts.
Related article: Gauging the impending skills shortage
Sectors of growth
Springboard occupations are defined as jobs in which workers with certificates or associate degrees earn above-median starting wages and experience above-median wage growth through midcareer. Examples include electricians, firefighters, police officers and general and operations managers.
Researchers found that more than 2.1 million middle-skills workers are currently employed in springboard occupations within healthcare professional and technical fields and computer and mathematical sciences occupations. Meanwhile, management and installation, maintenance and repair occupations are expected to see some of the strongest growth in openings through 2034.
The report argues that better alignment between education and labor market demand will be essential to addressing workforce gaps. It also calls for improved access to local labor market information and program outcome data, tools that can help colleges make informed decisions about program investments and demonstrate the value of their credentials.
Related article: Equity opportunities in middle-skills occupations
Ultimately, the study reinforces the role community colleges play in preparing students for careers that provide economic mobility without necessarily requiring a bachelor’s degree. While Georgetown researchers note that bachelor’s degrees remain the most reliable path to economic opportunity overall, they say targeted middle-skills pathways can provide strong returns for workers and help employers meet growing workforce demands.
For community college leaders, the message is clear: The opportunity is not simply to produce more credentials, but to produce the right credentials for the opportunities available in their regions.
