Study Reveals Ga.’s High-Demand Jobs, Workforce Gap
FILE – In this Feb. 27, 2013, file photo, hands type on a computer keyboard in Los Angeles. News that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s rarely used Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest accounts were briefly compromised should serve as a reminder that we’re all susceptible to hacking. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
Georgia businesses and educators may finally have the information they need to close a jobs gap that’s been affecting the state for years.
According to this week’s Atlanta Business Chronicle, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, working with the Atlanta office of global professional services consultant Accenture PLC, found significant shortages of qualified workers for the jobs in highest demand in Georgia.
The occupations in most demand in Georgia are software developers, followed by all other computer-related occupations and registered nurses, based on the number of job postings from 2007 through 2015, according to the study. At the same time, the study found those occupations at or near the top of the list of workforce shortages.
While Georgia employers posted 14,453 openings in the computer/information sciences job category last year requiring a bachelor’s degree, only 1,864 Georgians earned bachelor’s degrees in fields related to those openings during the 2013-14 academic year.
On the other hand, the deep statistical dive conducted during the eight-month study also turned up a substantial oversupply of Georgians holding post-secondary degrees and certificates qualifying them for jobs in relatively low demand.
Not content with pointing out the problem, the study recommends strategies for addressing the jobs gap. One solution was for more clarity in jobs postings. The study also suggests educators adjust their curriculum to more closely align with the skills needed to fill jobs in Georgia’s workforce.
Dave Williams covers government for Atlanta Business Chronicle
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