In survey after survey, employers around the country are saying that they can’t find enough people with the specialized skills to fill all the open jobs in some highly in-demand careers.

That’s because technology has changed the way we all work, creating a demand for new or updated skills in almost every field, including cybersecurity, health care, and manufacturing, to call out a few.

If you’re out of work and looking for a job – or if you’re thinking it’s time to switch careers – there is good news: there are short-term training and certification programs that can get you skilled up and in the door for some of these in-demand careers.

The even better news is that many of the programs are low-cost and some are even free.

Solutions are collaborative. Employers, educators, civic leaders, and nonprofits are working together to create pipelines of skilled talent ready to fill open jobs in growing industries.

Here are some examples.

You Don’t Have to be a Tech Geek or Have a College Degree to Get a Job in Cybersecurity

Cyber attacks are on the rise – up nearly 40% in the past few years alone. The attacks have been on infrastructure, government agencies, big and small companies, and individuals.

That’s made cybersecurity professional one of the fastest-growing, in-demand careers. Unfortunately, at this point, according to employers, there are not enough people with the needed skills to fill the more than 750,000 current open jobs in this country.

To help meet some of that demand, Google expanded its Google Career Certificate program last year to include a Cybersecurity Certificate.

The training prepares workers for entry-level jobs such as cybersecurity analysts and information security analysts. The median entry-level salary in the field is more than $100,000. The cost for the Google training is about $49 a month. It is online via Coursera and it takes about six months to complete.

No degree or experience is required to enroll.

Read more stories from WorkingNation on jobs and training in cybersecurity here.

Help Wanted: Certified Nursing Assistants and Other Health Care Workers

Health care hiring continues to fuel the American job market. And, yes, this is an industry that is out-and-out shouting “we need more workers.”

Demand for workers in the health care industry will grow 13% over the next seven years, accounting for more than two million new jobs over a decade, according to a forecast from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

All across the country, state and local communities, along with medical employers, are creating programs that will help fill those jobs.

For example, Delaware is currently experiencing a massive shortage of certified nursing assistants (CNA) at its four state-run health care facilities. In response, the state has launched an incentive program, covering up $3,000 in tuition for a six-week training program.

In exchange for the free tuition, the students are required to work at one of those four under-staffed centers. These are entry-level jobs that pay around $34,000 a year for certified CNAs, but the ultimate goal for these and other health care training programs is to introduce job seekers and career-switchers to the field, and then encourage them to train to fill the growing demand for LPNs and RNs.

Read more stories from WorkingNation on jobs and training in health care here.

Manufacturing is Putting Emphasis on New Tech Skills

Even before COVID-19, the manufacturing industry was struggling to fill open jobs. More than 1.4 million jobs were lost during the pandemic. According to a study from the Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte, that labor shortfall is going to get worse unless we work on a solution.

That report makes a stark case for immediate action, saying:

• By 2030, manufacturers will need to fill 4 million jobs, 2.1 million of which could go unfilled if we do not inspire more people to pursue modern manufacturing careers.
• The cost to not filling those opportunities can be significant, preventing manufacturers from taking on new work and expanding their offerings.

Ford Motor Company is opening a new electrical vehicle manufacturing facility next year in western Tennessee. The company says they expect to hire more than 6,000 workers at Blue Oval City. While Ford says there is a skilled manufacturing workforce in the region already, the EV plant will require some upgrading of skills to match the new technology and has launched Blue Oval Learning. Some of the training will be for job seekers still in high schools, while some will be work-place learning for people already employed at Ford.

In another example, this one in southeast Arkansas, five local employers and training providers got together to create the Catalyst Program, a free 16-week pre-employment training program to prepare job seekers to work in chemical manufacturing plants. Local adults looking for employment or a change in employment are encouraged to register for the program. Graduates are guaranteed a job in one of the plants.

Read more stories from WorkingNation on jobs and training in manufacturing here.

Explore More Career and Training Opportunities

For more than seven years, our focus at WorkingNation has been on telling stories about in-demand careers today and tomorrow and how to get the skills you need to land jobs in those fields.

There are hundreds of stories here on our website, highlighting local and online upskilling certification programs, earn-and-learn apprenticeships, employer training programs, training programs at community colleges, and more.

Looking for something specific? Check out this list of careers and training initiatives by types of programs, industries, and more.