Education Witnesses Growth
May 1st, 2009
As the economy continues to play hide and seek with stock market and employers continue to downsize their staff in an effort to keep afloat, industries across the board have felt the impact of a down market. As analysts continue to predict when the economy will recover, individuals that have lost their jobs, been subject to furloughs, pay cuts and any other action that has decreased their income are looking for better opportunities; occasionally accepting lesser pay in favor of greater job stability and flexibility.
However, considering that most industries have seen companies shut their doors, layoff a portion of their workforce, or cut back hours of operation, what realistic opportunities exist for those professionals seeking employment or a career change? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in January 2009, education was only one of two industries to see any growth, adding 33,000 jobs as every other industry had job loss. Evidence further points to educations growth compared to 2008. For example, the BLS asserts that in January 2009 there were over 70,000 job openings in private education in comparison to a year prior when there were only 65,000 openings.
While education may not be a sector of the economy that many would expect to grow over other industries, it has been on the rise for over the past twenty years and shows no signs of slowing down. It is estimated that elementary school enrollment will grow by at least 10 percent through 2016. Couple that with President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that bestows over $50 billion to education and a huge population of education professionals moving towards retirement, job openings will increase in all divisions of the sector.
Opportunities most likely to see the greatest amount of growth through 2016 include: school counselors, college faculty, education administrators, coaches, school bus drivers, self-enrichment teachers, special education teachers, GED teachers, and janitors. |
