Workforce Development: Skills, Credentials and Economic

Outcomes

Lansing Davis, Ed.D.

Senior Policy Analyst

New JerseyState Employment and Training Commission

June 2011

The future U.S. workforce is here—and it is woefully ill-prepared for the demands of today’s (and tomorrow’s) workplace.

Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skill of New Entrants to the 21st Century US Workforce, The Conference Board, 2006

Percentage of Adults in the US by NAAL Literacy Levels

Below Basic

Basic Intermediate Proficient

Prose 14 29 44 13

Document 12 22 53 13

Quantitative 22 33 33 13

Source: National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2003

US Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey, 1 year estimates.

T H E W O R K R E A D I N E S S P R O F I L E

What New Workers in Entry Level Jobs Need to Be Able to Do

New workers need to be able to use these EFF Skills…

Communication SkillsSpeak So Others Can UnderstandListen ActivelyRead With UnderstandingObserve Critically

Interpersonal SkillsCooperate With OthersResolve Conflict and Negotiate

Decision Making SkillsUse Math to Solve Problems and CommunicateSolve Problems and Make Decisions

Lifelong Learning SkillsTake Responsibility for LearningUse Information and Communications Technology

well enough to successfully carry out these critical entry level tasks:

Acquire, use and share information accurately and in a timely manner.

Use appropriate technology to get the job done.

Understand Systems.

Monitor and Correct Performance.

Work as part of a team to achieve goals and objectives.

Work through conflict constructively.

Provide direct, accurate and timely responses to customer questions and concerns.

Take responsibility for completing one's own work accurately, on time, to a high standard of quality.

Demonstrate integrity.

Avoid absenteeism.

Demonstrate promptness.

Maintain appropriate grooming and hygiene.

Manage time effectively.

Cope with a work situation or tasks that change frequently.

Identify actual or potential problems related to one's own work: report them, and help to fix them.

Learn new/additional skills related to your job.

“Not long ago, postsecondary education was a privilege enjoyed by only a few. The economy did not require much more of our grandparents than a high school diploma. Many workers were able to get along well enough without even that. But today, the stakes are much higher. A high school diploma or GED may not be enough for many entry-level jobs and certainly does not provide an avenue to the high-skills/high-wage jobs of choice. Further, the evidence suggests that while our ability to compete internationally depends on the skills of our workforce and its ability to learn and adapt to new situations, the U.S. can no longer claim to be the world leader in education that it once was.”

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), Adult Learning in Focus National and State-by-State Data, 2008, http://www.cael.org/adultlearninginfocus.htm.

United States Ranking Among 20 High-Income Countries

International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS)

Literacy Type US Rank

Prose Literacy 9th

Document Literacy 13th

Quantitative Literacy 13th

Source: Kirsch, I, Braun, H, Yamamoto, K, America’s Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation’s Future, Educational Testing Service (ETS), 2007.

Postsecondary Certificates

2 yr. & 4 Yr. DegreesOccupational/Industry Certifications

GED or HS Diploma

EducationalOccupational

Vocational Certifications

Work-Readiness Certification

Work-Readiness Certification

Personal Earnings by Educational Attainment for Persons 25 Years Old and Over:

New Jersey, 2008-2009 (Median Income in 2008 Dollars)

Personal Income Persons 25 Years Old and Over by Educational Attainment

(Two-year   Less than High School Some college/ Bachelor's Postgraduate or

moving average) Total High School Diploma Associate Degree Degree Professional

Degree

Total 5,693,200 654,600 1,843,700 1,058,300 1,363,000 773,600

None or negative 30.7% 52.3% 37.5% 27.0% 21.1% 18.3%

Less than $10,000 5.0% 5.3% 5.3% 6.9% 4.0% 3.5%

$10,000-$24,999 13.0% 24.2% 15.6% 14.0% 7.6% 5.0%

$25,000-$49,999 21.7% 14.7% 25.1% 26.4% 22.4% 11.5%

$50,000-$74,999 13.3% 2.2% 10.7% 13.4% 17.8% 20.6%

$75,000-$99,999 6.4% 0.5% 3.0% 6.2% 9.4% 14.3%

$100,000 or more 10.1% 0.9% 2.9% 6.2% 17.8% 26.8%

Median Income $41,732 $21,402 $31,799 $38,658 $55,876 $73,872

New Jersey Estimated and Projected Employment by Occupations with Greatest Employment Growth: 2008-2018

  Employment   Average Annual    

  Actual Projected   Job Openings Education/Training Average

Occupational Title 2008 2018 Percent Total Requirement Wage **

Home Health Aides 28,700 40,600 41.6 1,480 Short-term on-the-job training $ 11.00

Registered Nurses 79,500 89,650 12.8 2,400 Associate degree $ 36.05

Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Incl. Fast Food 60,850 68,200 12.1 2,030

Short-term on-the-job training $ 9.40

Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants 51,350 58,500 14.0 1,230Postsecondary vocational training

$ 12.90

Customer Service Representatives 59,400 65,100 9.6 2,440Moderate-term on-the-job training

$ 17.00

Accountants and Auditors 42,800 47,200 10.3 1,160 Bachelor's degree $ 38.15

Child Care Workers 40,900 45,250 10.7 1,630Short-term on-the-job training $ 10.90

Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists 28,400 32,500 14.5 830

Postsecondary vocational training

$ 14.60

Computer Software Engineers, Applications 29,550 33,350 12.8 630

Bachelor's degree $ 45.20

Waiters and Waitresses 57,600 61,250 6.4 3,550Short-term on-the-job training $ 11.00

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers 37,250 40,800 9.6 800

Short-term on-the-job training $ 13.15

Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts 10,750 13,750 27.6 490

Bachelor's degree $ 43.35

Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors 13,300 16,200 22.0 530Postsecondary vocational training

$ 20.50

Receptionists and Information Clerks 48,050 50,950 6.1 1,590Short-term on-the-job training $ 13.05

Medical Assistants 12,500 15,200 21.5 410Moderate-term on-the-job training

$ 15.75

New Jersey Estimated and Projected Employment by (Education) Occupations with Greatest Employment

Growth: 2008-2018      

  Employment   Average Annual    

  Actual Projected   Job Openings Education/Training Average

Occupational Title 2008 2018 Percent Total Requirement Wage **

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 50,800 56,500 11.2 1,730

Bachelor's degree $ 60,860

Teacher Assistants 46,150 49,850 8.1 1,350

Short-term on-the-job training

$ 25,240

Self-Enrichment Education Teachers 11,300 14,650 29.7 510

Work experience in a related occupation

$ 49,610

Middle School Teachers, Exc. Special and Vocational Education 26,350 29,200 10.8 890

Bachelor's degree $ 62,060

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education 14,000 16,800 19.9 560

Postsecondary vocational training

$ 33,770

Occupation Title2008 Emp

New Occ Listings

NJ # Cont'g Unemp Claims

NJ Avg Annual Projected Openings (2008 -2010)

NJ Avg Hourly Wage

Preferred Edu/ Trng

Computer Programmers 2,066 3,539 27 380 $37.75 BA

Computer Software Engineers, Applications 4,078 2,148 32 570 $43.80 BA

Management Analysts 1,865 468 51 330 $42.85 Exp + BA or higher

Financial Analysts 2,271 351 59 60 $42.20 BA

Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software 913 231 10 180 $47.50 BA

Accountants and Auditors 3,135 213 204 740 $36.70 BA

Social and Community Service Managers 278 139 41 140 $35.50 BA

Compensation, Benefits, Job Analysis Specialists 349 108 6 70 $32.35 BA

Training and Development Specialists 372 93 11 120 $31.35 Exp + BA or higher

Employment, Recruitment & Placement Specialists 652 70 30 140 $30.60 BA

Business Operations Specialists, All Other 4,018 46 37 520 $31.95 BA

Loan Officers 501 46 34 50 $33.80 BA

Credit Analysts 255 39 13 60 $33.90 BA

Personal Financial Advisors 997 33 19 40 $43.40 BA

Meeting and Convention Planners 56 27 20 40 $25.00 BA

Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Spe 367 20 109 160 $32.00 BA

Tax Examiners, Collectors, and Revenue Agents 215 19 8 40 $33.25 BA

Cost Estimators 248 15 8 100 $32.10 BA

Financial Examiners 1,506 8 6 20 $41.75 BA

Real Time Jobs In Demand

Connecting Work and Education

NJ Pathways Leading Apprentices to a College Education

Nursing Career Pathway

Value-added Education

Credential/ Degree