In the midst of a shaky economy, many job-seekers are looking for alternative ways to make a living. But finding that new job can prove to be a challenge.

Whether one is attempting to change careers or receive training at a local college or high school, knowing which jobs are in high demand from employers can make all the difference.

“The change in the economy has gone from phenomenal to good,” Worksource Skagit administrator Brian Humphrey said. “Once employment goes up, we’ll still be looking pretty good compared to the rest of the state. The jobs that we have that are growing are good longevity jobs and good for the community.”

According to the Washington State Department of Labor, 463,000 jobs have been lost so far this year, with 51,000 cut in July. Skagit County’s unemployment rate rose to 6.3 percent in June — a 0.8 percent increase over May.

But jobs are still out there, Humphrey said. In Skagit County, growing industries, such as medical and manufacturing, are looking for skilled, experienced workers to fill a number of positions.

Adventures in medicine

Some jobs require more training that others.

In-demand health care jobs include nursing, imaging and any specialized field a local hospital may focus on. For example, United General Hospital tends to looks for employees with oncology experience for its North Puget Cancer Center.

“Having a hospital choose a specialty creates a demand for those particular skills,” Humphrey said.

Experience isn’t always necessary in the medical field, though. Employees in supporting positions, which can be entry-level jobs, often receive tuition assistance from employers to learn new skills, Humphrey said. Those jobs include positions in billing, accounting and even janitorial or kitchen staff.

Teresa Johnson, employment specialist at United General, said employees are always coming and going, creating opportunities for new job-seekers.

She said the hospital is continuing to see a number of well-qualified registered nurses coming into the hospital. From Skagit Valley College, Whatcom County colleges and secondary education in Oak Harbor, there is not lack of good labor.

“We’re fortunately in the hub of the schools here,” she said.

Even with qualified labor, Johnson said the hospital is always looking for more recent graduates to fill positions. She said the hospital had just recently filled 13 positions, and she said more will likely be on the horizon soon.

“There are tons of positions that people don’t realize that are there,” she said.

Skills needed in manufacturing

Educated or not, experience can make the difference in manufacturing fields. To help feed the constant need in those areas, many local high schools and colleges offer hands-on training and related course work.

However, there is still room for improvement.

Paul Kevis, general manager for Fibrex Corp. in Burlington, said his company has been working closely with local educators to help create better training for potential employees. From Western Washington University and Skagit Valley College to Mount Vernon High School, the company is always looking for skilled labor.

Despite a growing number of students becoming involved with these programs, some employers are still having a hard time filling vacancies, he said.

For Fibrex, a 60-person up-and-coming company that specializes in fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) composites, the company is having problems finding qualified employees that demonstrate leadership abilities — a highly sough-after trait, Kevis said.

“A lot of the time you’re looking for people that want to advance and can think on the fly,” he said. “We’re really struggling to find those people.

Another hurdle for manufacturing companies is finding laborers that are 18 and older, Kevis said. Washington state law prohibits those younger than 18 to work on a manufacturing line.

“It’s something that we just can’t do — we can’t even have people under 18 come on tours of the facility usually,” he said.
Employees should be able to demonstrate leadership and a bevy of skills, Humphrey said.

Once an employee is hired in a manufacturing industry, whether it’s in marine or wood product, employers are always looking for additional skills in metals or welding, Humphrey said.

“Industries are looking for cross-training,” he said. “Having those other skills gives you fluidity and flexibility.”

Being able to have trained staff in multiple fields gives those companies the confidence to make more aggressive bids because they know they’ll be able to complete projects on time, he said.

Into the future

Jobs are out there, it’s just a matter of knowing where to look for training.

Pam Church, director of career services at Skagit Valley College, said the school obtains job data from Worksource Skagit to help project which types of training programs may be needed in the near future.

The task can be tricky, since not all employers are represented in the data. Smaller companies, or those who do not advertise their jobs where data is collected, may not be taken into account when the college estimates a job’s demand.

“In our area, 80-90 percent of it is small business,” Church said. “It kind of flies under the radar. We need to know who those (businesses) are and develop relationships with them.”

Those partnerships will likely be a key in moving forward, she said, as it is a win-win situation for both parties.

“We provide them with fairly trained students and they can look to those students as potential employees,” Church said.

Most local high schools participate in the PrepWork Consortium, in which high-schoolers can gain skills in a number of career and technical fields without the costs of college courses. As an added bonus, there are no transportation or book costs associated with the courses since they take place at the local high schools.

Skagit Valley College offers nursing programs on its Whidbey Island and Mount Vernon campuses, and has a number of technical fields students can get experience in.

Both the college and the work program both have online job boards, which are updated daily. High school career centers also have a number of job postings.

Church said she recommends students — or those just looking for a career change — should connect with the college’s career services, available online or in person.

Humphrey said businesses looking to partner up with high school or colleges are encouraged to contact their local chamber of commerce. He said there will be training opportunities this month to give people in various industries information on how to work with young people.

“Exposing those students in the classroom as early as possible — it’s helping them to understand a variety of options available to them,” Humphrey said.