41free-times.com | September 7-13, 2011 get ahead

A study released during the Southern Governors Association’s recent annual meeting in Asheville found that 52 percent of U.S. employers are having trouble finding qualified people to fill what they termed “mission critical” positions in such areas as health care, energy, infrastructure construc-tion, and advanced manufacturing. These “middle-skill” occupations require special-ized education beyond high school but less than a four-year university degree. Many of these positions pay well and will comprise a

fast-growing portion of the job market over the next decade.

“I have heard about the need for middle-skill workers more and more over the last three years,” says Marshall “Sonny” White Jr., president of Midlands Technical College. “There are all kinds of middle-skill jobs in the health care industry. In fact, today that is where most of the jobs are.”

Examples of middle-skill jobs in health care support include phlebotomist, nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse, medi-

Since South Carolina’s unemployment rate reached 10.9 percent in July, it seems reasonable to conclude that the jobs just aren’t there in this down economy. But workforce experts

say there are jobs to be had, just not where many are looking.

Finding Opportunities in a Down EconomyFast-Track Training Programs Can Boost Employability

By Kristine Hartvigsen

cal office and billing specialist, and dental assistant. Non-health middle-skill jobs include HVAC (heating and air condition-ing or refrigeration) technician, machinist, office manager, paralegal, project manager, plumber, and welder.

The report, prepared by the National Skills Coalition (NSC) and titled “Middle-Skill Jobs in the American South’s Econo-my,” presented state-by-state analyses for the South. It found that middle-skill jobs account for more than half (53 percent) of

South Carolina’s labor market. It indicated that two-thirds of people who will be in the state’s workforce in 2025 already were work-ing adults in 2010, so training programs for the next generation of workers should focus not solely on those coming out of high school but on seasoned workers as well.

White said that, overall, 20 percent of jobs require a four-year degree; 20 percent

File photo.

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42 September 7-13, 2011 | free-times.comfree-times.com | September 7-13, 2011get ahead

require a high school diploma; and the remaining 60 percent — the vast majority — require some sort of middle skill certi-fication. Meanwhile, only about 43 percent of South Carolinians have some form of middle-skill certification, according to the National Skills Coalition, creating a gap between positions and people qualified to fill them.

Many laid-off or displaced workers who are highly qualified have gone many months without a job interview and growing in-creasingly frustrated. A common anecdote they tell is that employers tell them simply that they are “overqualified.”

“We see a lot of people with bachelor’s and master’s degrees who can’t find employ-ment in their field,” said Lee Ann McRaney, director of admissions for Centura College in Columbia. “They are having to come in and retrain in careers that we offer.”

According to the South Carolina Tech-nical College System, 44 percent of students enrolled in the state’s technical schools are aged 25 or older, and nearly one-third grad-

uate in a health care field. New Carolina, the Council on Competitiveness, predicted several years ago that 65 percent of future jobs in South Carolina would require an as-sociate’s degree or advanced technical train-ing. And the South Carolina Department of Commerce projected that health care would be the fastest-growing workforce sector.

“Seventy-five to 80 percent of my time is spent out in the business community under-standing where those jobs are,” White says.

“Now, with the changing laws, particularly in health care medical records, we now need health records information people. There’s a need to combine medical assistance with information technology. The good thing is that we can quickly adapt for that.”

Another area with tremendous job creation potential is in the energy industry, including nuclear plants as well as alterna-tive energy sources such as wind and solar.

“To build a nuclear plant, it takes 3,600 skilled craft workers — people like welders, electricians, and pipefitters — 10 years to build,” White says. “Then you need people with the skills to run those nuclear reactors.

Fifty-two percent of U.S. employers are having trouble finding qualified people to fill what they termed “mission critical”

positions in such areas as health care, energy, infrastructure construction, and

advanced manufacturing.

File photo.

Finding Opportunities, continued from page 41

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September 7-13, 2011 | free-times.com 43free-times.com | September 7-13, 2011

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44 September 7-13, 2011 | free-times.comfree-times.com | September 7-13, 2011get ahead

Most of the people who will support those kinds of industries will be technicians that colleges like ours will train.”

As the economy lags, the advantages of middle-skill jobs become more apparent. Primary among them is stability.

“Many middle-skill jobs are local, hands-on jobs, meaning that they are unlikely to be outsourced to other coun-tries,” the NSC report stated. In addition, as middle-skill jobs are filled, those workers pay taxes and purchase goods, helping elevate local economies and create even more jobs.

While he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemistry from Clem-son University, White has two brothers who are employed in middle-skill jobs, one as an HVAC technician and the other as a machinist.

“They have never been unemployed in their lives,” White says.

“What we need to change is how people look at [tech degrees]”, he adds. “High school counselors in the education environ-ment need to understand that technical colleges are a good choice.”

The South Carolina Technical College System, a partnership among the state’s 16 technical colleges, is working with eco-nomic development officials and employ-ers to grow business opportunity in South Carolina through its ReadySC and Appren-

ticeship Carolina programs. ReadySC helps incoming employers recruit and train quali-fied workers for their new or expanding facilities in the state. Apprenticeship Caroli-na helps employers create flexible training apprenticeship programs that are registered with the federal Department of Labor. Such programs qualify South Carolina employers for tax credits while providing paid, on-the-job training for workers who are filling critical talent gaps.

The Brookings Institute has projected that by 2014, sub-baccalaureate health care support jobs will increase as much as 40 percent, computer specialist jobs will increase by 20 percent, and jobs in the con-struction trades, installation, maintenance, and repair all will grow about 20 percent.

With an estimated five job seekers for every job in the United States right now, competition is fierce. Public technical schools, as well as smaller for-profit col-leges, offer courses that can land the long-term jobless in specialized jobs in as little as three weeks to six months. It’s never too late to go back to school and expand one’s professional profile.

“Our school is kind of small. There are a lot of people who don’t even know what we offer,” McRaney said. “We hope word gets out there.”

For more information about the Richland County Public Library’s Job Center and its services, call 929-3401 or visit the website at myrcpl.com/rcpl/job-center-rcpl.

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September 7-13, 2011 | free-times.com 45free-times.com | September 7-13, 2011

QuickJobs! Pick up a paycheck sooner than you think4 Start a new career or move up to a better one.4 Fast-paced Continuing Education programs offer Career Training.4 Despite the current economy, there is still a demand for skilled workers in SC.4 Industry experts agree that 70% of jobs projected through 2012 will require specific or

occupational training, not a four-year degree.4 QuickJobs programs have been developed for fields where job growth is expected.4 Many programs can be completed in less than three months.4 Some programs have annual earning potentials over $60,000.4 You may be eligible for tuition assistance.

Learn to be competitiveMake yourself employable fast

Take a look at the QuickJobs training MTC offers:

Interested in something else?There are hundreds of other certificates, programs, and even online courses offered by MTC. Check them out at mtctraining.com/quickjobs.

Start now. Don’t wait.To begin, go to mtctraining.com/quickjobs or call (803) 732-0432 for more information.

Working Together for Tomorrow’s Workforce

Additional assistance for those receiving unemployment benefits or eligible for WIAThe Midlands Workforce Development Board works in partnership with Midlands Technical College to help job seekers build the skills they need for jobs that are in demand. Call yournearest Midlands Workforce Center in Columbia, Lexington or Winnsboro and ask about the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and tuition assistance for QuickJobs training as well asother training available at MTC. In Columbia, call 737-5627. If you live closer to the Lexington One Stop, call 359-6131 or go by and ask to speak to a WIA case manager. In Winnsboro,call 635-2812 and ask about WIA.

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46 September 7-13, 2011 | free-times.comfree-times.com | September 7-13, 2011get ahead

Area hospitals are listing dozens of open-ings for allied health and administrative personnel, including medical office assistants, patient care technicians, medical laboratory technicians, nurse technicians, occupational therapists and pharmacy technicians. These jobs require special training and pay from $10 to $16 per hour. Those involving computer

specialization, such as database management or network administration, can pay from $20 up to $35 per hour.

Becoming qualified for these jobs need not take an enormous investment in time and money. Aside from technical colleges, private institutions such as Centura College, Fortis

College, Remington College, Strayer Univer-sity and the University of Phoenix offer vari-ous degree and certificate programs in allied health, information technology, construction and HVAC fields. Midlands Technical Col-lege can turn out a certified nursing assistant in as little as five weeks, with tuition and books totaling about $715. A phlebotomist

(someone who draws blood) can be certified and ready to work in nine weeks at a cost of about $1,140.

Be sure to compare costs before enroll-ing; public technical colleges will usually cost less than for-profit colleges. Also ask about financial aid programs, graduation rates and

Midlands job seekers might find employment as nearby as their doctor’s office. Growing medical practices and hospitals continually need support employees such as

licensed practical nurses and nurse assistants, phlebotomists, radiology technicians, medical transcriptionists, medical office coding and billing staff, EKG technicians, and the list goes on.

This past year ... 18 percent of new Midlands Tech enrollees already had a four-year degree and were seeking

additional credentials.

Go Where the Jobs AreHealthcare, Nuclear Industries Among Fields Growing Locally

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September 7-13, 2011 | free-times.com 47free-times.com | September 7-13, 2011

job-placement rates. It’s important to make sure that going back to school will make sense financially in the long-run, rather than leave you saddled with more debt and still unemployed.

At Midlands Tech, for example, financial aid is available through Pell grants and the Lottery Tuition Assistance program.

“Fifty percent of our students are low-income, first-generation students,” says president Sonny White. “They wouldn’t have the opportunity for an education otherwise.”

As famously hot as Columbia is, there’s always work for heating and air condition (HVAC) technicians.

Jim Reynolds, CEO of Total Comfort Solutions, a commercial HVAC company employing about 80 people in South Caro-lina, knows firsthand the difficulties of find-ing qualified HVAC technicians to hire. His company approached local high schools to try and attract students interested in enter-ing the field. And whether it’s coincidence or not, Midlands Technical College has seen enrollment in its HVAC program nearly double in recent years.

With SCANA planning two nuclear reac-tors in Fairfield County, White expects to see enormous job growth for positions support-ing the nuclear power industry.

Kelly Steinhilper, spokeswoman for the South Carolina Technical College System, agrees.

“We hear quite a bit when we are work-ing with companies looking to locate here that not only do they need the engineers,

but they also need the engineering techni-cians to support those engineers,” she says. “The Midlands has put a lot of emphasis on the nuclear industry and is providing a lot of training around that particular industry. Welders in that industry have to have certain certifications.”

“One of the things that makes the technical college system unique,” Steinhilper continues, “is that we can work together as a system and have all these programs accred-ited across the state.”

The popular cliché that a rising tide lifts all boats is only partially accurate in a rough-sailing economy. Updated training can shore up career prospects.

“If you don’t have a pathway to a boat, or if your boat is leaking, you have no chance when the tide actually rises,” White says.

White says that about 35 percent of Mid-lands Tech graduates go on to attend four-year-institutions. This past year, however, 18 percent of new Tech enrollees already had a four-year degree and were seeking additional credentials. So, students move in both direc-tions to follow their dreams.

“The technical colleges in South Carolina are well-designed, and that is why I think they have been so successful,” White says. “But we still need to keep the focus and remind people that there are still jobs out there.”

Let us know what you think: Email news@free-times.com or comment online at free-times.com.or comment online at free-times.com.

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Program Timeframe esTimaTed CosT*

HEALTH CARE Certified Nursing Assistant 5 weeks $714Cardiac Care Technician 6 weeks $1,034Phlebotomist 9 weeks $1,135EKG Technician 5 months $1,574Emergency Medical Technician 5 months $870Patient Care Technician 9 months $2,835Medical Transcriptionist/Editor 9 months $2,769Medical Office Billing and Coding Specialist 15 months $2,945

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY Computer Technician 3 weeks $3,498Database Manager 4-6 months $2,692Desktop Support and Network Administration 7 weeks $4,999Web Designer 3-4 months $2,901

CONSTRUCTION AND TRADES Pipefitter 8 weeks $4,750Welder (daytime program) 16 weeks $5,995Residential Electrician 8 months $2,536Industrial Electrician 10 months $3,294

BUSINESS Customer Relations Specialist 6 weeks $479Office Administrator 8 weeks $1,681Project Manager 6 months $2,621

* Cost includes tuition and books. (Source: Midlands Technical College)

Here is a sampling of some in-demand fast-track certification courses provided through Midlands Technical College’s Quick Jobs program. For full details, visit www.midlandstech.edu.

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