Texans in Demand

In Texas, tomorrow’s work force will need specialized training and certifications in several fields. To meet employer demands, many Texas high school students are working in career and technology academies to earn professional certifications or even college credit before their graduation.

“When we look at high-demand occupations, no longer is it sufficient to have a strong back and a good heart to earn a good wage,” says Diane Rath, former chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission. “Today’s employers require specific skills.”

About 60 percent of jobs in fields such as welding, manufacturing and automotive and aircraft repair require one to two years of post-secondary training, Rath says, adding that technology has changed the workplace.

“I think there’s a lack of understanding in how technical those jobs are,” she says. “You need specialized training, especially in computers, to make repairs on modern automobiles. Manufacturing plants in Texas today are very automated with robotics and computerization. And those jobs are available in towns of all sizes around the state.”

Manufacturing jobs earn workers with a high school education and some post-secondary training about $47,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Welding, a crucially understaffed occupation, can earn skilled workers more than $30,000 annually.

“In West Texas, there’s tremendous demand for welders in the oil fields,” Rath says. “In Southeast Texas, there’s a $15 billion capital investment occurring, mostly by oil refineries, and they estimate they’re going to need 13,000-15,000 skilled workers, many in construction and many in oil with very high wages and great benefits packages.”

Information technology certifications, medical equipment repair and diesel engine mechanics are also on the list of what Rath calls well-paying, in-demand jobs. And from El Paso to the Valley, employers and colleges are beginning to team up with schools.

“We’re seeing employers being more involved with schools and their collaborations have resulted in training, internships and educational funding,” Rath says.

Tax incentives are fading in their importance to a moving or expanding employer, being replaced by the availability of a work force. Rath says Texas is well stocked.

“Texas has the critical natural resource, and that’s people,” she says. “Our challenge as a state is making sure those workers have the skills that employers will need in the long term.”