Jessica Fraserjfraser@incap.org

Senior Policy Analyst1

Indiana Grantmakers Alliance Fall Forums

November 2011

Indiana’s Forgotten Middle Skills Jobs

2Full report available at: www.incap.org/indianaskills2compete.html.

What is a Middle Skill Job?Middle-skill jobs represent the largest share of jobs in Indiana—some 55 percent—and a substantial share of future job openings.

Who are Middle Skill Workers? • Construction Workers • High-tech Manufacturing Workers • Nurses • Health Care Technicians• Truckers• Biotech Workers • Police• Firefighters

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What is a Middle Skill Job?

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Job TitleEducation or

Training Requirement

Projected 2012 Openings

Projected 2018 Openings 2009 Wage

Management Analysts Bachelor's Degree 439 2595 $ 39,563.00

Construction Laborers Moderate On the Job Training 107 419 $ 37,077.00

BoilermakersLong Term On the

Job Training21 132 $ 60,061.00

Registered Nurses Associate's Degree 482 2636 $ 48,349.00

Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and

InstallersLong Term On the

Job Training 88 510 $ 38,589.00

Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Moderate on-the-Job Training 342 1202 $ 52,271.00

First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Construction Trades and Extraction

WorkersWork Experience 96 584 $ 53,194.00

Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer

Moderate On the Job Training 1803 7128 $ 38,848.00

Accountants and Auditors Bachelor's Degree 64 603 $53,363.00

What is a Middle Skill Education or Training?

In short, middle-skill training is more education than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree

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The Demand for Middle Skill Jobs in Indiana

25%

20%

55%

Share of Indiana Jobs by Skill Level, 2009

High-Skill Jobs

Low-Skill Jobs

Middle-Skill Jobs

26%

24%

50%

Share of Indiana Jobs by Skill Level, 2006-2016

High-Skill Jobs

Low-Skill Jobs

Middle-Skill Jobs

Share of Indiana Jobs by Skill Level, 2009

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Projected Indiana Demand for 30 Middle-Skill Occupations, 2006-2016

Employment Net Change Job Openings Median Earnings

2006 2016 Number %   2009

Computers        

Support Specialists 8,344 9,161 817 9.80% 3,400 $38,240

Specialists, Other 1,427 1,498 71 5.00% 450 $67,920

       

Construction        

Carpenters 34,163 35,424 1,261 3.70% 5,880 $38,120

Electricians 16,656 17,313 657 3.90% 4,950 $51,830

Painters 8,301 9,147 846 10.20% 2,330 $34,010

Operating Engineers 10,263 11,044 781 7.60% 2,770 $47,530

Plumbers 12,407 13,460 1,053 8.50% 3,610 $50,160

       

Healthcare        

Dental Hygienists 3,946 4,994 1,048 26.60% 1,800 $65,840

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers 1,030 1,228 198 19.20% 340 $61,010

Licensed Practical Nurses 18,840 21,526 2,686 14.30% 7,830 $37,410

Medical Lab Technicians 3,621 4,201 580 16.00% 1,130 $36,910

Radiology Technicians 4,858 5,627 769 15.80% 1,430 $50,290

Respiratory Therapists 2,801 3,508 707 25.20% 1,120 $50,700

Surgical Technologists 2,292 2,909 617 26.90% 1,320 $38,940

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Employment Net Change Job Openings Median Earnings2006 2016 Number %   2009

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

       

Aircraft Mechanics 1,266 1,464 198 15.60% 330 $57,280 Auto Mechanics 15,545 17,146 1,601 10.30% 4,720 $34,040 Bus/Truck Mechanics 7,719 8,556 837 10.80% 2,520 $38,140 Heating and AC Installers 6,627 7,289 662 10.00% 1,820 $40,220 Heavy Equipment Mechanics 2,778 3,068 290 10.40% 830 $40,850

Industrial Machinery Mechanics 10,366 10,981 615 5.90% 2,350 $44,760

       Transportation        Air Traffic Controllers 672 764 92 13.70% 270 $126,550 Heavy Truck Driver 59,452 66,052 6,600 11.10% 17,150 $37,590

       Public Safety        

Emergency Medical Technicians 5,023 5,890 867 17.30% 1,440 $28,540

Fire Fighters 5,751 6,465 714 12.40% 2,810 $43,800 Police Officers 10,679 11,781 1,102 10.30% 3,960 $45,530

       Other        Civil Engineering Technicians 735 804 69 9.40% 210 $45,690 Claims Adjusters 3,997 4,201 204 5.10% 1,220 $58,470 Legal Secretaries 4,330 4,775 445 10.30% 1,140 $33,410 Machinists 14,850 15,083 233 1.60% 2,530 $37,170 Paralegals 3,069 3,721 652 21.20% 1,050 $36,720

Projected Indiana Demand for 30 Middle-Skill Occupations, 2006-2016

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Indiana’s Middle Skills GapIndiana has been experiencing a shortage of middle-skill workers . In 2009,

about 55 percent of all jobs were classified as middle-skill, but only 49 percent of Indiana workers had the education and training required to fill

those positions.

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Indiana’s Middle Skills GapNearly two-thirds of the people who will be part of Indiana’s workforce in

the year 2020, were already working adults in 2005—long past the traditional high school-to-college (K-12) education pipeline!

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What are We Doing to Close the Middle Skills Gap?

The Indiana Skills2Compete Coalition

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The Indiana Skills2Compete Coalition

• The Skills2Compete Coalition is generously funded by the Joyce Foundation located in Chicago, IL.

• It was created to promote effective state strategies for improving the skills of the state’s workforce through sector partnerships, pathways, public-business partnerships, and public policy.

• The Coalition released its policy recommendations in December of 2010 and is actively working with members of state government to pass related legislation and bring further attention to the skills gap in Indiana.

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The Indiana Skills2Compete Coalition MembersState Senator Dennis Kruse (Co-Chair)

Senator Karen TallianRepresentative Bill Davis

A Democratic Representative, to be determined

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• Indiana Labor Institute for Training

• Conexus• Indiana Department of

Workforce Development• Central IN Community Action

Program• Training, Inc. • Indiana State AFL-CIO• Ivy Tech Community College• Indiana Chamber of Commerce• Indiana Community Action

Association

• Indiana Education Roundtable• REACH, Inc.• Ready Indiana, Inc.• Indy Reads• Indiana Department of Education• Indiana University SPEA• RecycleForce• Local Initiatives Support

Corporation• Community Action Program, Inc.

Western Indiana

The Following Organizations are represented on the Coalition:

The Indiana Skills2Compete Coalition2010 Policy Platform: • Encourage the development of additional regional sector or industry partnerships;• Form an interagency council on middle-skill credentials;

– Senate Resolution 85 passed during the 2011 Indiana General Assembly session urged each individual agency involved in issuing credentials to incorporate a regular assessment of those credentials in into their state plans or by-laws. The State Workforce Innovation Council is expected to be the first to formalize this work by amending their by-laws at its December 2011 meeting.

• Make Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs) available to all Indiana workers;• Build on existing workforce education initiatives;• Maximize on-the-job training (OJT) opportunities;• Create a scholarship or tuition assistance program geared to Adult workers. • Continue to explore financing mechanisms to fund supportive services for non-

traditional students.

2011 Policy Priorities will be finalized at the November 10, 2011 meeting.

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What Foundations Can Do:• Pilot a Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs) program with employers in your

community

• Support Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)• Support a local organization that administers IDAs• Partner with a bank and purchase tax credits

• Workforce Contingent Scholarships• Change an existing scholarship program to focus on high-demand middle

skill jobs in your region. • Create a scholarship program focused on high-demand middle skill jobs.

• Community Based Training • Supporting programs with proven success.

• Staff Development• Upgrading equipment

• Funding Computer Skills Training for low-skill adults

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What Foundations Can Do:• Community Literacy Groups

– Support existing programs with proven success– General operating support – Pilot a literacy program if there isn’t one in your community

• Sector Partnership Work– Sector partnerships organize the stakeholders connected with a

specific local or regional industry—multiple firms, labor groups, education and training providers, and workforce and education systems to develop workforce development strategies within the entire industry

– Sector partnerships are active in nearly forty states and the District of Columbia. Most Sector partnerships have been organized locally, but some states are organizing state efforts as well.

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What Foundations Can Do:• Work with local community college to set up a Gap Tuition

Assistance Fund– Provides tuition support for students enrolled in non-credit

certifications, which are not eligible for federal financial aid. – Foundation and College can collectively decide the eligibility

parameters, allowing the foundations to serve the constituencies they choose.

• Work with local community college to set up a supportive services assistance fund– State financial aid cannot be used for expenses such as child care,

transportation, lost wages, etc. – Working Adults experience a significant need for supportive

services while trying to pursue higher education.

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What Foundations Can Do:• Join the National Fund for Workforce Solutions by setting

up a Regional Collaborative – The National Fund is dedicated to preparing jobseekers and

employees for a career, not just a job. The National Fund brings together local and regional leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors to spark and drive innovation. They work hand-in-hand to create practices and systems that can help employers and employees succeed in a post-recession economy.

– Five Strategies are to: • Create regional funding collaborative;• Organize workforce partnerships; • Develop strategies for specific industry sectors; • Build career pathways; and• Coordinate local workforce programs.

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• Support Research Reports – The Institute has written several research reports

regarding education and workforce development, among other topics. Our research is funded by foundations such as; Lumina Foundation for Education, the Joyce Foundation, as well as the Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate, and Duke Energy Foundation.

• Support Public Policy – Skills2Compete Coalition is an example of how public

policy work can be supported through a Foundation.

What Foundations Can Do:

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?Questions and Answers

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For More Information

Jessica Fraser 1845 W. 18th St.Indianapolis, IN 46202317-638-4232jfraser@incap.org www.incap.org/iiwf.html

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