By Elizabeth Ling, DFER NY State Director
In this time of high unemployment rates, there are well-paying New York manufacturing jobs going vacant due to a gap between the proficiency levels required to perform these jobs and what our current labor force is able to supply. This statewide gap – which mirrors similar dynamics at the national level – is anticipated to become more severe due to projected baby boomer retirements:
“Nationwide, manufacturers can’t fill 5 percent of their positions. That’s 600,000 jobs…Finger Lakes Community College physics professor Sam Samanta estimated the number of open positions in New York state at 50,000.” And: “[A]n estimated 40 percent of advanced manufacturing employees are expected to retire over the next five to 10 years.”
The public discourse around the need to improve our K-12 education system is often grounded in issues of social justice and equity. This reinforces another important reason that we must continue to move fast to improve career and college readiness levels, which is to maintain and strengthen our economy and US competitiveness. There’s no time to waste.
Elizabeth Ling oversees strategy and operations for DFER’s New York State advocacy programs. She focuses on building coalitions of various education reform groups, and works with legislators and government officials to help shape public education policies.