Pressure mounts for universities to anticipate in-demand jobs – The Hechinger Report
But producing grads with needed skills is something employers say America hasn’t done well
As record numbers of Americans lose their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic, Kathleen Perlmutter has been desperately trying to turn out enough graduates to fill a critical shortage of workers.
Perlmutter trains phlebotomists, the people who draw blood in hospitals and clinics, for which demand is surging and will increase by double-digit percentages over the next few years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — with or without a recession.
“We are almost at crisis mode,” said Perlmutter, who directs the phlebotomy program at Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County Community College. “When somebody retires, we can’t replace them.”
Whatever happens to the economy, shortages will remain not just in phlebotomy, but in many other professions, and some may even get worse as a result of the pandemic; social distancing and changes in behavior following the massive shutdowns will likely increase the already strong demand for digital and social media marketers, for instance.
And while the pandemic’s financial toll could postpone the expected retirements of huge numbers of aging veterinarians and plumbers, those specialists will eventually step aside, with little letup in demand for the services they offer.