SKILLED WORKFORCEBuilding the Skilled Technical Workforce: “I’s Very Much a Work in Progress”

By Sara Frueh

Published 30 December 2024

Skilled technical jobs —jobs that involve some technical knowledge — do not require a B.A. or a B.S., but almost always require some postsecondary training and education. These jobs probably make up about 5 to 10 percent of the labor force, but they are very important.

The key role played by skilled technical workers in the U.S. economy was the topic of a 2017 National Academies report. We wondered if there’s been progress in building this part of the labor force, and how recent developments like legislation to develop computer chips and advances in artificial intelligence are likely to affect it. Harry Holzer, a member of the committee that wrote the report, and John LaFarge Jr. SJ Professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University, chatted with writer Sara Frueh,  to share his perspective. 

For people who aren’t familiar with the term, what is the skilled technical workforce? What types of jobs does it refer to?
Holzer: Well, it’s broadly what we often refer to as technicians — jobs that involve some technical knowledge. They can be in a very wide range of industries, everything from health care to advanced manufacturing to information technology. They are jobs that do not require a B.A. or a B.S., but almost always require some postsecondary training and education. And they usually pay reasonably well for people without a bachelor’s degree.

These jobs probably make up about 5 to 10 percent of the labor force, but they are very important for two reasons. Number one, these technical sectors are very important for America’s productivity, growth, and advancement. And number two, they provide very good opportunities for people not getting B.A.s. So, we care about this workforce, even if its size is not massive.

Is demand for these types of workers growing?
Holzer:
 I think it is growing. The CHIPS and Science Act, for example, has increased the demand for that kind of worker. You often hear people say that to be successful in computer chips, we need engineers, but we also need very good technicians to build and run the plants — called “fabs” — where the chips are made. And the current lack of technicians is a problem.

Is the CHIPS and Science Act deliberate about strengthening that part of the workforce? Does the law include support for worker training?
Holzer: It’s very much an allowable use of the funds. And in that particular case, the Commerce Department has been quite serious about figuring out exactly how to do it. So, there is money and support, and people trying to figure out the best way of doing this, especially in rural areas and small-town areas.