Friday, November 13, 2009 8:56 PM CST
Lake Land jobs outlook shows growth in medical fields
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — Six of the top jobs in the Lake Land College district are in the medical field, based on a college jobs outlook report.
Four of the top five jobs with the highest demand among professions requiring an associate degree or vocational training are linked to nursing or emergency medicine. Those are, in order of placement on the list, nurse’s aides, orderlies and attendants; registered nurses; licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses; and emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
Real estate sales agents were the only non-medical-related careers listed in the top five.
The remaining top jobs, in order or demand, are automotive service technicians and mechanics, library technicians, preschool teachers (not including special education), dental hygienists and medical secretaries.
Estimated totals on the job outlook for 2009 are 2,149 positions for nurse’s aides, orderlies and attendants, and 1,741 for registered nurses. In five years, the job outlook for the same categories within the Lake Land district is 2,377 and 1,909 during 2014, with 15 to 18 percent of those being new jobs for that year.
Lake Land College President Scott Lensink said the only surprise on the top jobs figures was library technicians.
“That has never been on our radar before,” Lensink said.
The remaining jobs with high demand requiring associate degrees are appraisers and assessors of real estate, computer support specialists, legal secretaries, fitness trainers and aerobics instructors, bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, medical records and health information technicians and farm equipment mechanics.
A big question for any career planning is what the pay prospects can be. The job outlook list from Lake Land shows some wide gaps on pay. A registered nurse is paid about $23.67 per hour, while nurse’s aides receive about $10.51 per hour. Appraisers and assessors of real estate can expect $8.86 per hour, while medical secretaries can earn $11.41 per hour.
Other top job prospects in coming years include farmers and ranchers, carpenters, cooks for restaurants, law enforcement officers, welders, cutters, solderers and brazers, cabinetmakers and bench carpenters, and firefighters
Some of these require associate degrees or post-secondary vocational training, but some call for long-term on-the-job training. There are also wide pay gaps on these jobs. An experienced farm or ranch hand might have a good chance at getting hired, but the pay might be as low as $8.12 per hour. Police and sheriff’s patrol officers can earn $20.68 per hour, and firefighters $16.28 per hour.
The list also includes job prospects for about 20 other careers. Lensink said the list can help current or prospective students with career planning, and also help the college on its planning on future programs.
Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.
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