The United States and the American South face a skills gap. A 2011 Manpower survey found the number of employers struggling to fill positions is at an all-time survey high despite a relatively stagnant unemployment rate. The survey documented that 52 percent of U.S. employers are experiencing difficulty filling mission-critical positions within their organizations, up from 14 percent in 2010. Middle-skill jobs, which require more than a high school diploma but not a four-year degree, featured prominently among the top ten “hardest to fill” jobs of 2011, with skilled trades topping the list.1 A number of studies have found that America’s skills mismatches account for a portion of the increase in unemployment since the start of the Great Recession.2 Taking immediate steps to address the skills gap is an economic necessity for the American South.
Longer term, there is little debate that education and training are critical to enhancing the competitiveness of U.S. businesses in the global economy, and to helping more workers obtain well-paying jobs and careers. Many emerging jobs in critical sectors such as health care, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing will be middle-skill jobs; that is, jobs that require education and training beyond high school, but not a four-year degree. Businesses demand a well-trained and highly educated workforce, and the unemployed—particularly laid off workers seeking to transition to new careers—will need multiple pathways into the labor market. American South states that adopt policies that expand access to education and training for workers at all levels will be positioned to meet the growing demand for higher skills and credentials.
