Career and Job Training Readiness Center

Politicians around the country are telling us that this economic downturn is nearly over and that if we can just hang on for a few more months, the unemployment rate will begin to drop.  They also are telling us that our economy is changing.  It’s moving from a manufacturing base to a service-based economy.  But what does that mean in practical terms?

For the past several generations, workers have found good jobs with earning potential in the manufacturing sector.  They could get a job in a factory, work forty to sixty hours per week and earn a decent hourly wage with benefits, thanks to union support in most cases.  Then the jobs started to head overseas due to the lower wages that companies could pay workers in second and third world countries.  Manufacturing jobs have been leaving the United States at an astounding rate.  The jobs that are left are either in the service sector or in the technology area. 

Unfortunately, high-paying jobs in the service sector are difficult to come by if you do not have extra training.  Many manufacturing workers are finding that they do not have the skills necessary to qualify for the higher paying service sector positions.  Even new manufacturing positions that are predicted in growth areas like green technology take a different skill level than the ones that have disappeared.  You can no longer count on jobs that don’t involve higher skills to be available.

If you are one of the millions who either did not graduate from high school or who graduated without the necessary skills to continue with training, you probably need to consider brushing up on those basics so that you can take advantage of the training opportunities that are becoming available around the country. 

Our local community college reports that nearly 50% of the applicants that they have gotten in the past year due to the economic crisis cannot meet their minimum requirements for enrollment in their REMEDIAL programs!  This means that even though these workers have a sound employment record and they want to work, they are being closed out of the new wave of jobs because they cannot succeed at the training to gain entry level skills.

Don’t be left in the dust!  If you have any doubts about your basic skills, try the Check Ups on the Job Training Readiness Center site.  You’ll be able to find out if your skills are ready for the challenges that lay ahead on your job search. 

Please share your experiences with us by commenting below!