Higher Education Levels Will Be Required for Most of Tomorrow's Jobs

A new joint survey from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Achieve shows that technical and educational requirements are rising across job categories.

"Today's tough job market means that many individuals are currently in jobs for which they have educational qualifications beyond those required for the position," said Jennifer Schramm, GPHR, manager of workplace trends and forecasting at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). "But this may not be the case down the line—education requirements are climbing for jobs across the board."

The responses of 4,695 HR professionals across nine industries and shows that:

• Comparing 10 years ago to today, there are more jobs with specific technical requirements (said 51%); more STEM-related jobs (said 26%); increased employee diversity (said 45%); and simply a higher education level required for most jobs (said 46%);


• Looking ahead three to five years, HR professionals expect even more jobs with specific technical requirements (said 60%); more STEM-related jobs (said 31%); increased employee diversity (said 50%); and simply a higher education level required for most jobs (said 49%); and
  
  
• There are also fewer entry-level jobs today compared to 10 years ago (said 31%) and fewer expected in the next three to five years (said 30%, too).

"This survey reinforces the importance of having strong and responsive K-12 and postsecondary education systems that provide all students with the knowledge and skills they need to access, and succeed in, their careers of choice," said Sandy Boyd, senior vice president, strategic initiatives, Achieve. "It's clear that the world has changed and employers are demanding more from their new employees, and applicants, than ever before. All students deserve a meaningful and rigorous academic experience that will prepare them for all opportunities in life."

HR professionals responding to the survey say education and training can correct the job skills mismatch. Training includes post-secondary certificate programs, highly job-specific training and employer-sponsored professional development. Education includes training as well as bachelor's degrees, associate's degrees and advanced degrees.

What it means for workers and employers across the country is that, for example:

• Future administrative and secretarial positions will require more education such as an associate's degree (said 21% of HR professionals) or a post-secondary certificate (said 11%);


• For salaried, individual contributors and professionals, future positions will require a bachelor's degree (said 71% of HR professionals) or an associate's degree (said 12%);


• Skilled laborers such as technicians, mechanics and foreman will need a specific post-secondary certificate or specific credentials for future jobs (said 31% of HR professionals); and


• While the majority of workers holding only a high-school diploma at present are able to advance via a lateral move (said 38% of HR professionals) or a one-step promotion (said 39%), future jobs will require more education or training.

A breakdown of responses from HR professionals by the industry they work in shows that:

• The industries most likely to report higher education requirements today compared to 10 years ago include health (54%), manufacturing (52%), state/local government (48%) and the federal government (46%)


• Looking ahead three to five years, the industries predicting that most of their sector's jobs will require higher education levels include manufacturing (59%), health (56%), high tech (51%), state/local government (51%) and professional services (49%).

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest association devoted to human resource management. Achieve is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit education reform organization based in Washington D.C., that helps states raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments and strengthen accountability.