What Is Causing the Shortage of Skilled Workers in the US

What Is Causing the Shortage of Skilled Workers in the US

There are different types of jobs. Each job requires a specific skill-set for it to be carried out efficiently. This is where skilled employees come in. A skilled worker is a person who possesses specialized knowledge, skill, training and capacity in a particular job. To be able to have the knowledge, this person would have attended school or online class, be it a technical college, university, or college, where he or she would have had information of these specific areas instilled into them. A skilled worker may also become one through learning at the job. If he or she has done this particular job over a reasonable period of time or had a mentor, he or she may become as skilled as a person who went to school to study in that specific field.

It is important to note that in recent years the elephant in the room has become a shortage of skilled workers in the job market. There are many reasons that researchers trying to get to the root of this problem have come up with, for instance, employee IQ tests. The volatility of the business world has also had a role to play, both positive and negative. For instance, business for sale ads may serve as new dawn for job seekers as new posts are created. A recent study shows that one of the big stories of this year when it comes to the economic state of the US will be that people and companies seeking to employ skilled workers have had a very hard time finding a skilled workforce to fill in a surprising 6.7 million job slots. Here is a list of some of the reasons

1. A low unemployment rate of skilled workers

While this is not a bad thing, it is the first reason why there is a shortage of skilled workers in the US. Presently the number of unemployed high skilled workers and medium-skilled workers is low. Statistics show that last year in 2017, the unemployment rate went down to about 4.1%. This has resulted in a shortage of skilled workers as very few of them have no job position. There are no employees who are qualified to fill in the roles that remain unoccupied. It may sometimes push the employers to work with semi-skilled personnel who seem to have the potential to become skilled. For this to be achieved resources that may not have been allocated for improving their skills.

2. The push for the elimination of trade school

Trade schools are vocational training colleges where students are taught specific skills and knowledge for very particular jobs. In years prior to the ’90s, vocational training was prevalent and more championed for. Currently, there has been a trend whereby high schools in the US are eradicating vocational training. The high schools are instead pushing for further pursuit of education in colleges and universities. This has resulted in the number of young people who are skilled in certain vocations being quite low and the majority being knowledgeable with regards to the professional field, for instance, medicine and accounting. This, therefore, means a shortage of skilled workers.

3. The lucrative world of high-level technology

With the growing demand in technology where almost everything can be operated with a handy smartphone, most young people prefer to do technology related courses at the colleges and universities. It is not just limited to the development but the complete lifecycle of any technology (the development and recycling it back) has great technical implementations . This is because technology is the ‘it’ thing right now and having expertise in technology-related courses puts you in high demand. Almost everything today requires a person to be tech-savvy, therefore, knowledge in the same is even more appreciated and companies pay a good deal of money to technology gurus. The promise of a highly rewarding job and a comfortable lifestyle pulls young Americans towards careers in programming, coding and other technology-related careers and away from possible trades. Therefore contributing to a shortage of skilled workers.

4. The sale of family businesses

Most of the businesses that require skilled labor for instance landscaping and contracting companies are family owned. A lot of these companies have been in the same families for more than one generation. In the past businesses owned by families were such that every member felt obliged to be around and felt compelled to make sure that the businesses were able to remain profitable and in existence. Means that these family members had to be taught on and gain knowledge on the specific field their businesses dealt with thus had adequate skills. These days, however, millennials want to discover their paths and pursue their dreams. This deflection from traditional family businesses and vocational jobs that come with them causes a shortage of skilled labor.

5. Using employees IQ tests to gauge their compatibility for jobs

At times employers use personality test and employees IQ test as a guide to employing skilled workers in the USA for specific jobs. This is a great step. Nevertheless, there may be a reason for their lack of success in finding qualified workers for many reasons. Potential employees might not be prepared for the test, and may answer questions not based on their opinion, but to please the employer. It is crucial to educate the masses, especially those seeking to advance their careers on the importance of such tests, and why it is crucial to prepare for them beforehand.

6. An aging skilled workforce

Going hand in hand with the push for the elimination of trade school is an aging skilled workforce. Days, where vocational training was paid to attention in the US curriculum, are over. Since the current generation has diverted away from such jobs, it means that there are fewer workers who are skilled for these jobs. It leaves the older generations forming a large percentage of skilled workers. Therefore as people in this job market were trained long ago, it means that when they are too old to work, they will not have anyone to replace them. It is what is currently happening, more skilled workers are retiring from work due to the old age than they are being replaced. Aging skilled workers are retiring, and there are no qualified workers available who will be able to replace them adequately. This is, therefore, causing a shortage of skilled workers and it is a ticking time bomb.

These are but a few reasons as to why there is a shortage of skilled workers in the US. An in-depth review of the above may provide a way forward to finding a solution to this crisis.