Week 2: Post-Secondary Education for All

Once, “college for all” was the only way to achieve success. Now, there are many opportunities in the workforce, and a variety of ways to achieve them.

Did You Know?

There will be 55 million job openings in the economy through 2020: 24 million openings from newly created jobs and 31 million openings due to retiring baby boomers. (Source: Georgetown University, Center on Education and the Workforce)

• 33.36% of the job openings will require at least a bachelor’s or master's degree
• 30.51% of the job openings will require some college or an associates degree
• 36.13% of the job openings will not require education beyond high school
• Students collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. The average student in the Class of 2016 has $37,172 in student loan debt. (Source: Forbes, 2018)

Middle-Skill Jobs

Middle-skill jobs are jobs that require some form of post-secondary education but not necessarily a four-year degree (Source: National Skills Coalition). They are in high demand in the Bay Area, and include web developers, computer support specialists, instrumentation workers, and water treatment operators.

• Middle-skill jobs make up the largest part of America’s and California’s labor market
• Between 2014-2024, 43% of job openings will be middle-skill jobs (Source: National Skills Coalition)
• In 2015, middle-skill jobs accounted for 50% of California’s labor market but only 39% of the state’s workers were trained to the middle-skill level (Source: National Skills Coalition)

High Wage, High Growth, High Demand Jobs

Jobs that are in demand in the Bay Area include the following:

• Computer User Support Specialist: Project job openings: 4,940; salary range: $69,521 (Source: Employment Development Department)
• Web Developers: Projected job openings: 3,200; salary range: $103,912 (Source: Employment Development Department)
• Instrumentation Worker: salary range $80,000 to $96,000
• Water Treatment Operator: salary range $75,000 to $90,000

The Two-Year Degree

According to the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, 65% of today’s jobs will require post-secondary education, but not all jobs require a four-year degree. In many instances, two-year degrees offer several benefits and access to jobs. They are available at the three community colleges within San Mateo County:

• College of San Mateo, San Mateo
• Canada College, Redwood City 
• Skyline College, San Bruno 

The Four-Year Degree

The role of the university is changing to provide a continuous form of learning. The US Department of Education reports that 60% will graduate within 6 years with a bachelor's degree.

Useful Links:

California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office 
California State University 
Harvard Business School
Georgetown University Center on Education and The Workforce

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–Kelly

–Alex

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Visit the San Mateo County Office of Education's website to find out more about CTE Awareness Month.