Year 3 Update: 556,635 Completions
The nation’s postsecondary career education colleges and universities prepared 556,635 career professionals in 2018 according to research published today. This brings the total number to 1,783,764 career professionals produced during the first three years of the sector’s “Campaign to Create 5 Million Career Professionals” within 10 years.
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“Our sector is on pace to meet its goal to train 5 million of the next generation of career professionals,” said Steve Gunderson, president and CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU). “However, these numbers also reveal the underlying issue of insufficient skilled workers to meet the demands of the US economy. In almost every category, we are producing fewer skilled professionals than are needed to meet the demands of both growth and retirements. This underscores why career schools are so important in providing skilled workers for the American economy.” |
View the data (based on IPEDS data pulled December 2019)
Year 2 Update: 597,000 Completions
Results from the second year of the Campaign to Create 5 Million Career Professionals in the Decade Ahead show that career colleges and universities produced about 597,000 academic awards in 2017. While the sector has fewer schools and enrollments, completions have not significantly declined. This shows the sector remains focused on completions and keeps us on track to meet the campaign commitment of 5 million career professionals in the decade ahead.
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“In the first two years of this campaign, our schools have produced 1,227,129 new career professionals.” said Steve Gunderson, president and CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities. “While our sector’s total enrollment has declined, the growth in academic awards has substantially increased as we focus on student completions." |
View the data (based on IPEDS data pulled January 2019)
Year 1 Update: 630,000 Completions
First-year results of the Campaign to Create 5 Million Career Professionals in the Decade Ahead show that career colleges and universities produced about 630,000 academic awards last year. This puts the sector on track to meet the campaign commitment of 5 million career professionals in the decade ahead.
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“With 46.5 million new skilled workers needed by 2024, our sector is committed to meeting the needs of our nation’s workforce,” said Steve Gunderson, president and CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities. “These first-year results show that the postsecondary career education sector is crucial to developing the skills that lead to real jobs, real wages, and a real chance at a place in America’s middle class.” |
View the data (based on IPEDS data pulled October 2017)
America is at a unique moment in our history. We live in a world brimming with new job opportunities, but these opportunities also bring new challenges. Over the next 10 years, career education has a two-part challenge:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the decade of 2014-2024 we will need:
In response and in commitment to America's future:
Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) announces the Campaign to Create 5 Million Career Professionals over the next decade. Our postsecondary institutions have committed to do what we do best: provide individuals with the career education and skills that lead to real jobs, real wages and a real chance at a place in America's middle class.
Skills-based education for careers in fields like nursing, allied health, the trades, manufacturing, technology and more are an essential part of preparation for the future that is required to give all Americans a chance to succeed.
These careers - and others we can't imagine yet - are offering opportunity and hope to Americans willing to work for a better future, just as career and skills-based education programs have done throughout American history.
Shortage of Skills, Now and Into the Future:
A variety of factors have combined to create a real shortage of skills in America's workforce. We have reduced labor-force participation rates due to workers without skills leaving the workforce, and new skill demands created by innovation and technology have not been matched by new opportunities in learning.
In August 2016, there were:
The Campaign:
A group of independent researchers have produced the data for this campaign. We have detailed how we can meet this commitment program by program, state by state over the next decade. Here is how they did it:
Key Statistics:
In over 200 occupations, private sector career colleges and universities contribute between 25-100% of academic credentials for a given occupational area. The chart below notes a few of these occupations that are growing quickly. See the full overview infographic here.
- First, we have to help close the skills gap. Today, millions of jobs go unfilled because of a shortage of skills among Americans looking for work.
- Second, we have the challenge of helping American workers adjust to these changing times by learning the skills they need for the jobs of the future.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the decade of 2014-2024 we will need:
- 9.8 million skilled workers to fill new jobs
- 35.3 million skilled workers to replace retirees
- 46.5 million new skilled workers
In response and in commitment to America's future:
Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) announces the Campaign to Create 5 Million Career Professionals over the next decade. Our postsecondary institutions have committed to do what we do best: provide individuals with the career education and skills that lead to real jobs, real wages and a real chance at a place in America's middle class.
Skills-based education for careers in fields like nursing, allied health, the trades, manufacturing, technology and more are an essential part of preparation for the future that is required to give all Americans a chance to succeed.
These careers - and others we can't imagine yet - are offering opportunity and hope to Americans willing to work for a better future, just as career and skills-based education programs have done throughout American history.
Shortage of Skills, Now and Into the Future:
A variety of factors have combined to create a real shortage of skills in America's workforce. We have reduced labor-force participation rates due to workers without skills leaving the workforce, and new skill demands created by innovation and technology have not been matched by new opportunities in learning.
In August 2016, there were:
- 337,000 manufacturing jobs
- 958,000 healthcare job openings
- 4.9 million private sector job openings
The Campaign:
A group of independent researchers have produced the data for this campaign. We have detailed how we can meet this commitment program by program, state by state over the next decade. Here is how they did it:
- Using Department of Education data, they identified the awards by each school in 2014.
- Using BLS data, they connected each program to the primary occupation.
- Using BLS data, they projected the occupational growth over the next decade.
- We inserted a very conservative 25% replacement rate for each occupation.
- We then projected this growth over each year of the next decade.
Key Statistics:
In over 200 occupations, private sector career colleges and universities contribute between 25-100% of academic credentials for a given occupational area. The chart below notes a few of these occupations that are growing quickly. See the full overview infographic here.
To view the full report and data, please click here.
For questions, please contact: communications@career.org
For questions, please contact: communications@career.org