Hot Jobs list helps students find career path

Missourians now have access to a resource that identifies which Missouri jobs are expected to be hot through 2016.

The Missouri’s Hot Jobs report, available at www.MissouriConnections.org, provides information on hundreds of occupations with bright outlooks.

“While the economy will have its ups and downs, it is important for students to look at the long-term trends so they will know which occupations are most likely to be in demand,” said Michele Clark, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

To be rated “hot,” an occupation must be growing, have numerous openings and offer better-than-average wages, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, which partnered with DESE’s Division of Career Education to create the report.

“We expected high school students, in particular, to be interested in learning which jobs meet these criteria, but we have been surprised at just how popular this report has been with Missourians of all ages,” said Clark. “It has attracted more than 10,000 hits in the few months it has been available online.”

The 10-page report groups the hot occupations under six career paths: arts and communication,; business, management and technology; health services; human services; industrial and engineering technology; and natural resources and agriculture. This organization allows users of the report to easily find jobs related to their areas of interest.

“A quick glance shows students that there are good jobs in all the paths,” Clark said. Featured occupations range from plumbers and music directors to aerospace engineers.

The report also organizes the careers according to the level of education that is typically required, such as a bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree or on-the-job-training. For each occupation, the report shows the number of expected openings through 2016, as well as the average annual wage at the entry, experienced and average levels.

DESE is working with other career-focused agencies to expand the locations where the report can be accessed. The statewide job search Web site, MissouriCareerSource.com, administered by the Division of Workforce Development, now features a link to the Hot Jobs report, allowing job seekers to integrate this information into their job searches.

While the “Hot Jobs” report identifies Missouri’s high-demand occupations, a brand new resource gives students a great start in planning for these and other popular occupations.

This month, DESE released a compilation of more than 250 Missouri occupation profiles on the Missouri Connections site. The occupations, which reflect those commonly pursued and demanded in Missouri, are organized according to 16 career clusters. Students can click on a cluster, such as health science, and see various occupations in that field, from a public health social worker to a microbiologist.

Selecting an occupation brings up a one- to two-page profile that contains a brief description of the occupation, education requirements, wage information, employment trends and a list of Missouri schools that may offer related education and training for that career.