FEATURE
Are you in the pipeline?
High-growth, high-demand jobs are out there
There’s a new generation in town: Generation Z. Born after 1995, you’re just about to finish high school or maybe you recently graduated. You’re hoping to avoid college debt, so you’re looking for a pipeline to a meaningful career without spending a ton of money on tuition.
Our advice? Check out your local community college.
And this advice isn’t just for young Gen Z-ers. Baby Boomers looking to switch careers, Millennials looking to get ahead, Generations X and Y transitioning out of the military – the pipeline has room for everyone.
Many of the high-demand, high-growth jobs in North Carolina over the next five years will require post-high school education but not necessarily a four-year degree.
Examples of high-demand careers and average annual wages are listed in the box. The health professions rank high, of course, but some of the jobs may surprise you. Supervisors of landscaping, lawn services and groundskeeping, for example. Paralegals. Machinists. Automotive repair. Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration installers.
The good news is that you can prepare for these careers at your local community college, where you’ll find more affordable tuition than at four-year or for-profit schools. In some cases, you can earn an industry-recognized credential in as little as two semesters. At Wayne Community College, some of the career studies certificates set you on the path to a two-year associate degree.
WCC offers programs in a variety of the high-demand, high-growth fields. Some, like the health professions, have pre-requisites and additional admission procedures. Many, like automotive repair, welding, network administration, turfgrass management, and office administration, are open-enrollment. Advanced manufacturing careers are also experiencing high demand in Wayne County and surrounding areas. (See “Not your grandfather’s factory,” page 4.)
If you want to get yourself ready for a high-growth, in-demand career, put WCC on your list.
High-Demand, High-Growth Jobs in North Carolina
Job Title / Average Annual Wages (2013)
First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, groundskeeping $44,480
Registered nurses $58,930
Software developers $85,700
Pharmacy technicians $29,000
Network and computer systems administrators $73,000
Child, family and school social workers $45,100
Paralegals and legal assistants $27,500
Medical and clinical laboratory technicians $39,800
Database administrators $83,860
Interpreters and translators $64,200
Automotive body and related repairs $36,610
Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tool programmers $51,700
Welding, soldering and brazing machine setters and operators $36,300
