May 09, 2012 Jessica Fraser Senior Policy Analyst 1 Indiana’s Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs

2010 Status of Wabash County Poverty has increased in Wabash county by 30% since 2007 The number of unemployed more than doubled, increasing by 114% since Median Earnings for individuals have dropped by 10.5% since Source: 2010 American Community Survey, Comparison of 3 yr averages.

3Source: 2010 American Community Survey

Self-Sufficiency Compared to Other Income Levels 4 Source: The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Indiana 2009 One in Three Wabash County residents do not earn enough to be Self-Sufficient.

5Source: 2010 American Community Survey

The Challenge for Wabash County 60% of people over the age of 25, DO NOT have the skills required to be competitive in the new economy! 6Source: 2010 American Community Survey

Indiana’s Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs 7 Full report available at:

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 8 Source: Indiana's Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs

What is a Middle Skill Job? 9 Job Title Education or Training Requirement Projected 2012 Openings Projected 2018 Openings 2009 Wage Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts Bachelor's Degree93494 $63, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Long Term On the Job Training $ 38, Construction Laborers Moderate On the Job Training $ 37, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Long Term On the Job Training $50, Registered NursesAssociate's Degree $48, Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor- Trailer Moderate on-the-Job Training $ 40, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Vocational Certification $36, First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers Work Experience $53, Physicians and SurgeonsProfessional Degree82653$166, Source:

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 10 Source: Indiana's Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs Associate's DegreesVocational CertificatesApprenticeships Time to completeTwo years, full timeUp to a yearTwo to four years Availability Community Colleges: i.e. Ivy Tech, Manchester College Community Colleges, or technical schools Partnership between unions and employers Examples of types of Jobs Radiation therapist, licensed practical nurse, computer specialist Dental assistant, legal assistant, auto mechanic, firefighter Electrician, aircraft mechanic, plumber

Middle Skill Certifications HVAC Fundamentals Certification Industrial Technology Certificate CDL Truck Driver Training, Class A Associate in Registered Nursing Practical Nursing Certificate Construction Technology Certificate Associate in Building Construction Management 11 Source:

The Demand for Middle Skill Jobs in Indiana Share of Indiana Jobs by Skill Level, Source: Indiana's Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs

Projected Indiana Demand for 30 Middle-Skill Occupations, EmploymentNet ChangeJob OpeningsMedian Earnings Number% 2009 Computers Support Specialists8,3449, %3,400$38,240 Specialists, Other1,4271, %450$67,920 Construction Carpenters34,16335,4241, %5,880$38,120 Electricians16,65617, %4,950$51,830 Painters8,3019, %2,330$34,010 Operating Engineers10,26311, %2,770$47,530 Plumbers12,40713,4601, %3,610$50,160 Healthcare Dental Hygienists3,9464,9941, %1,800$65,840 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers1,0301, %340$61,010 Licensed Practical Nurses18,84021,5262, %7,830$37,410 Medical Lab Technicians3,6214, %1,130$36,910 Radiology Technicians4,8585, %1,430$50,290 Respiratory Therapists2,8013, %1,120$50,700 Surgical Technologists2,2922, %1,320$38, Source: Indiana's Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs

EmploymentNet ChangeJob OpeningsMedian Earnings Number% 2009 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Aircraft Mechanics1,2661, %330$57,280 Auto Mechanics15,54517,1461, %4,720$34,040 Bus/Truck Mechanics7,7198, %2,520$38,140 Heating and AC Installers6,6277, %1,820$40,220 Heavy Equipment Mechanics2,7783, %830$40,850 Industrial Machinery Mechanics10,36610, %2,350$44,760 Transportation Air Traffic Controllers %270$126,550 Heavy Truck Driver59,45266,0526, %17,150$37,590 Public Safety Emergency Medical Technicians5,0235, %1,440$28,540 Fire Fighters5,7516, %2,810$43,800 Police Officers10,67911,7811, %3,960$45,530 Other Civil Engineering Technicians %210$45,690 Claims Adjusters3,9974, %1,220$58,470 Legal Secretaries4,3304, %1,140$33,410 Machinists14,85015, %2,530$37,170 Paralegals3,0693, %1,050$36,720 Projected Indiana Demand for 30 Middle-Skill Occupations, Source: Indiana's Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs

Indiana’s Middle Skills Gap Indiana 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. 15 Source: Indiana's Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs

Indiana’s Middle Skills Gap Nearly 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! 16 Source: Indiana's Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs

Where do we go from here? Recognizing that Education and Training are the keys to both reducing poverty in our community AND creating a work-ready county that can compete in the changing economy – Create a comprehensive plan to train both workers and students for the jobs of the future. – Support local programs, such as the Learn More Center that are instrumental in helping adults increase their skills and get the training they need to be competitive. – At the state-level, we need to develop financial aid policies that help adults go back to school and that promote middle-skills training. 17

? Questions and Answers 18

For More Information Jessica Fraser 1845 W. 18 th St. Indianapolis, IN