No Degree Required

Technical courses gain favor for those interested in finding new career path. Studies, aphorisms and the press all preach the gospel that a baccalaureate is the only way to achieve success in an increasingly competitive job market. What with outsourcing, technology advances and productivity increases, one might think the only jobs left for those who haven't graduated from college would be service-sector ones such as nurse's aide and janitor -- jobs that don't pay enough to support a middle-class lifestyle.

Truth is, there are plenty of decent-paying jobs that don't require a four-year degree. They include many familiar occupations -- nurse, carpenter, truck driver, plumber. But a number of up-and-coming jobs are also on the list: MRI repairperson, solar-panel installer, biotech lab assistant and biodiesel technician. You could think of some of the new ones as chrome collar (working as technicians in various fields) or green collar (clean energy, environmental).

Government studies show that the overwhelming majority of jobs, both today and in the future, will require some post-secondary education, but not a four-year degree. Jobs requiring high school and some college currently account for 110 million out of 145 million total jobs in the United States, said Richard Holden, regional commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2014, the "some college" jobs will account for 121 million out of 165 million expected jobs.

Now states are starting to address the needs of students who are not candidates for four-year schools. "Vocational education," once considered a low-status choice for students who struggled academically, has been renamed "career technical education" or career tech. Instead of being confined to classes in shop or home economics, it encompasses academic courses integrated with real-life skills -- the math needed to enter a construction apprenticeship, for example.

Many students enter the work world and then return to school for a four-year degree. That path -- interweaving work, on-the-job training, certificate programs, associate degree programs -- is an increasingly common one, as is waiting to get a four-year degree until after spending some time in the work world.

Futurist Paul Saffo cautioned that it's a fallacy to think that jobs available to people without baccalaureates are simple. "Whether you have a formal degree or not, you still need more knowledge and intellectual skills than ever," he said. Saffo pointed out that there has been a change in how people approach their careers. Between longer life expectancies and constantly evolving technology, a career is no longer a single static vocation. "Our grandparents thought about having a job at one company," he said. "Our parents thought about a career (in one field) because they knew they'd work at multiple companies. Today, kids have to think about multiple careers."

For students interested in the trades, calapprenticeship.org offers links to 50 major trade fields. Entering most trades generally requires two to four years of study at community college or trade schools while working alongside experienced workers in the field. Some people enter the trades entirely through on-the-job training -- finding someone who needs a helper.

Where the jobs are - occupations offering decent salaries and career advancement for those without a four-year college degree:

• Biotech assistant. The burgeoning biotech industry requires those with technical training to work in manufacturing or as assistants in research labs
• Medical technician. Trained workers are needed to help patients recover from injuries and to operate the machines that peek inside our bodies. Professions such as occupational therapy assistant, physical therapy assistant, diagnostic medical sonographer and cardiovascular technicians are all projected to experience strong growth over the next decade.
• Green business. Growing concern about global warming and allocation of money for alternative energy have created opportunities in a range of emerging fields. Solar companies need people to install panels. Biodiesel companies need people experienced with alternative fuels. Car repair shops need technicians familiar with hybrid vehicles. Construction companies need workers who know green building techniques.
• Justice system. The "CSI" television phenomenon has spurred student interest in the field of forensics, which luckily is matched by growing demand for crime-scene investigators.

On the other side of the spectrum, some familiar occupations are expected to shrink in coming years. It's not news that future farmers will have more limited prospects, as productivity increases and farms are consolidated. Computer operators and word processors are dwindling occupations because there is less centralized data processing. Meter readers will increasingly be replaced by remote monitoring systems. And toll collectors? Forget about it.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, Carolyn Said, 4/2/07