Shaping the Candidates Employers Want A three-year-old unit at Delaware Tech, the Office of Work-Based Learning, is helping to bring employers closer to their prospective new hires, says Bryan Horsey, the office’s director. “We are employer-facing,” he says, explaining that the office asks employers to identify the skill sets that they need so the college can tweak its programs to ensure that students possess those essential skills before they’re placed in jobs. Also, he says, the office determines how many openings businesses are going to have in specific areas, and then works to make sure an appropriate number of candidates is available when the openings occur. Many well-paying careers do not require a four-year degree, Morris says, and, depending on the field, Delaware Tech can provide career- launching training. Such training ranges from certificates that can be earned in anywhere from six weeks to nine months to associate degrees, which normally take two years to complete. The combination of pandemic-related job vacancies and high inflation is making it easier for career switchers to find good jobs after completing training, he says. “Employers are fighting for the same people, and hourly rates are going up for all kinds of positions.” Plenty of opportunities will continue to open in the construction fields, thanks in part to recent federal legislation to fund infrastructure improvements and support pandemic recovery. “These projects need workers,” Morris says, and certain levels of training are required even for entry- level positions, like serving as a flagger on highway projects or driving heavy equipment. Stacking Credentials to Grow a Career Opportunities also continue to grow in health care, and Morris points to Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) as a good example. CNAs had been earning $10 to $12 an hour pre- pandemic but are making $17 to $20 an hour now. Openings used to be primarily in long-term-care facilities, but hospitals are now making greater use of CNAs, he says.