"Job
Pandemic 2020"
The COVID-19 pandemic is
disrupting the daily lives of Americans and sowing anxiety, outrage, and
confusion. Fear is mounting with every update on the number of new cases and
deaths. Hundreds of thousands of American workers, perhaps as high as 30 percent,
are facing sudden unemployment with uncertain future prospects in a time of
severe labor-market disruptions. Adaptability will be key for those seeking
employment as some industry sectors shed workers and others need to add new
staff rapidly.
New York City, a major
COVID-19 hot spot, is experiencing a major shortage of medical personnel. Mayor
Bill de Blasio pleaded for a national draft of medics where they are most
needed. He admitted, "I don't see honestly, how we're going to have the
professionals we need to get through this crisis." A physician in
Chicago said he was torn between flying to New York and preparing his hospital
for the coronavirus onslaught. "There's a pull in myself to stay at my
institution and help when the problem gets here."
SKILL SHORTAGES AN
UNRELENTING PROBLEM
Over the past decade we have
been warning that the education and skills of the U.S. workforce have not kept
up in the race with technology. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics projected that with more than 500,000 nurses retiring by
2020, 1.1 million new RNs will be needed to avoid a nursing shortage.
Projections Central estimates over 200,000 average annual openings for RNs
between 2016 and 2026, far more than the number that are graduating and being
licensed. The United States has only 2.6 physicians per 1,000 people: in
contrast Germany has 4.3 and Italy 4.0 per thousand. Moreover, 30 percent of
American physicians are over the age of 60, so retirements will further deplete
their ranks. America also is experiencing growing shortages of dentists, dental
hygienists, many types of medical technicians, physical therapists, and other
medical personnel.
The COVID-19 crisis is
placing an unprecedented strain on America's health system and medical
personnel at a time when staffing shortages are already widespread. The
proportion of Americans over 65, an age group with more healthcare needs, is
also rapidly growing. These considerations are increasing the urgency of
revamping education-to-employment systems to prepare more students for careers
in the health sciences once schools can again resume normal operations. This
effort needs to begin with improving math and science education and reading
proficiency at the elementary and secondary levels. Students also need to learn
about careers in health sciences, related technical areas, and the other
economic sectors that provide employment in their region along with the
educational prerequisites for obtaining degrees or certificates in different
careers. Too many students at present are dropping out of college-level
programs due to inadequate educational preparation.
The launch of Sputnik in 1957
triggered the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union and
heightened the threat of nuclear warfare. Fearing that the United States was
losing ground in science and engineering, Congress passed the National Defense
Education Act of 1958 that provided federal assistance for strengthening
science, math, and foreign language programs at all levels and instituted a
loan program for college and university students. This stimulated local and
regional K-12 and higher education programs to develop new initiatives and
tighten standards. Parents were encouraged to assist through daily support of
educational activities at home and in school. This crisis spurred the growth of
the American aeronautic and defense industries with a consequent surge of jobs
and careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) areas.
The 1958 act resulted in some
islands of excellence in math and science education and boosted college and
university attendance, but it had little lasting impact of overall educational
attainment. Through the passing decades the lack of esteem for education in
American popular culture has eroded funding for schooling at the state and
local levels. Due to a lack of communication and support from other community
sectors, education programs often are not producing graduates with the
knowledge and skills local employers need.
MOVING FORWARD
The COVID-19 pandemic
is forcing everyone to adopt new perspectives and set new priorities. What can
we do to put the United States on course for a stronger tomorrow? This is a
watershed moment in our history, and it has highlighted the importance of local
leadership in finding community resources to meet this emergency and keeping
local populations informed. Will this foster a new wave of community activism?
Like Sputnik, the COVID-19
crisis should provide the wake-up call that alerts the American general public
to the urgency of reinventing the education-to-employment system to produce
workers with the needed skills and credentials for the demanding medical,
technological, and scientific careers of the 21st century. We have in the past
reported on Regional Talent Innovation Networks (RETAINs), public-private
community partnerships, that are successfully organizing regional
talent-delivery systems supporting systemic change. Can you be part of the
local leadership that does this for your community?
The
Gordon Report is published by Imperial Consulting Corporation. For previous
reports, visit our website www.imperialcorp.com.
We welcome your responses at imperialcorp@juno.com.
