Workforce: Nevada

Overview & Synopsis

In Nevada, the demand for well-educated employees will only increase over the next several years. In the decade leading up to 2012, healthcare occupations will see growth of 47 percent. Teachers will be in demand: over 1,100 new primary and secondary educators will need to be hired each year. Managers will see their ranks swell by 44 percent, with high growth in top jobs, like CEO and general manager; about 24,000 new openings will need to be filled in all. The growth of these sectors is good news for Nevada's citizens, since wages for jobs in these areas are significantly higher than the average for Nevada in general. But entry into these jobs comes with a price tag: most positions in these fields will require a bachelor's degree or higher. The question for Nevada and other states is how, in a time of tight budgets, to meet the increasing demands on higher education and thereby meet the needs of an increasingly sophisticated economy. (Contains 2 tables.)