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The Great Career Change: Top Industries and Profitable Skills for Growth

May 5, 2022 | Heather Fletcher

Smiling professional in an office space

Thinking of making a pivot in your career or professional life? There has never been a better time. This week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a record-breaking 11.5 million job openings in March—meaning there are now nearly two job openings for every unemployed person seeking work.

You have likely heard terms including the “Great Resignation,” “The Great Reshuffle, “The Great Migration” or other similar concepts regarding current employment trends. But what does it mean for you and your career? With job vacancies and employment opportunities at an all time high, career changers have a unique opportunity to take action for professional growth and success. 

More and more professionals are leveraging affordable adult education to guide the direction, or redirection, of their careers. Shorter completion windows, convenient meeting times and online formats make many career training, skill development and online certificate programs attainable options for busy schedules. These programs provide high-quality curricula from industry experts and University instructors without a degree application for admission. If you are envisioning what your next step looks like, consider exploring short-term career training options to help you achieve it. 

Occupations Primed for Growth

According to the BLS, employment is projected to grow from 153.5 million to 165.4 million from 2020 to 2030. Growth in healthcare-related occupations and pandemic recovery are expected to account for a large share of this increase. Aside from industries recovering from the pandemic, the top three career areas with high projected growth for the coming year include:  

Healthcare support occupations

Top posted job titles across NW Florida 

  1. Certified Nursing Assistants
  2. Phlebotomists
  3. Medical Assistants
  4. Certified Medical Assistants
  5. Dental Assistants 

Courses to launch your career in Healthcare:

Computer and mathematical occupations

Top posted job titles across NW Florida

  1. Systems Administrators 
  2. Software Engineers 
  3. Systems Engineers 
  4. Network Engineers
  5. Information Systems Security Officers 

Begin or advance your career in Information Technology:

Community and social service occupations

Top posted job titles across NW Florida 

  1. Social Workers
  2. Counselors 
  3. Family Support Workers 
  4. Registered Behavior Therapists 
  5. Educators 

Begin a career serving your community: 

Enhance your Soft Skills for Success 

Soft skills illuminate basic communication skills, social and emotional intelligence—they can also indicate strong interpersonal abilities to employers such as critical thinking, collaboration and delegation skills as workplaces navigate remote and hybrid team environments. Consider enhancing these in-demand soft skills to increase visibility in your next job search. 

  1. Communications 
  2. Management 
  3. Operations 
  4. Planning 
  5. Customer Service 
  6. Leadership 
  7. Troubleshooting
  8. Problem Solving 
  9. Information Technology 
  10.  Research and Writing


UWF Continuing Education offers Career Training, Skill Development and Bootcamps in the most in-demand fields for students and professionals looking to take the next step in their careers. If you are looking for additional guidance on program selection or registration, reach out to the UWF Continuing Education support office at ContinuingEd@uwf.edu or 850.473.7468. 

Explore all personal and professional development opportunities at uwf.edu/continuinged.

Sources: Emsi Burning Glass Job Posting Analytics, 2022; Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2022

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