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EMPLOYMENT BRIEFS: Matter of degrees; fade away; open wide

Source: Tribune Media Services

Matter of degrees: Most jobs in the health care industry require less than four years of college education, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. In fact, health care provides many job opportunities for people without specialized training beyond high school. Approximately 56 percent of the workers in nursing and personal care facilities have a high school diploma or less, as do 25 percent of the workers in hospitals.

Fade to gray: As the U.S. population continues to age, demand for health care professionals will only increase in the years ahead. Senior citizens now represent 12.5 percent of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but as members of the Baby Boom generation – people born from 1946 through 1964 – begin to hit age 65 after 2010, the percentage of elderly will soar to 20 percent by 2030.

Open wide: Dental hygienists are projected to be one of the 30 fastest growing occupations in the next 20 years, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

“We’re keeping our teeth longer, meaning more people are going to dentists,” said Ann Naber, president of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association in Chicago.

© 2009, Tribune Media Services