ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (WCAX) – It’s graduation season, and that means students looking to join the workforce are left to make big life decisions.
At the Center for Technology – Essex, the majority of graduating students plan to find a job in-state. Educators say there are openings in fields across the board – a big difference from just a few years ago.
Students at the Center for Technology are getting the call to work all over the state in fields like manufacturing, electrics, dental assisting, and automotives.
Work-based learning coordinators John Dowman and James Paterson say during and after the pandemic, many fields like construction and dentistry saw staff retire. Now, there are high wages offered for students to take their spots.
“I’d say every market seems like they’re looking for qualified employers, and they really just want students who know how to work, you know, show up on time, communicate well, and they’re willing to do a lot of the training themselves,” said Dowman.
According to ADP, the average median pay for Vermont-staying graduates was $59,000, with wages growing year over year by 5.9%.
The educators say finances are increasingly playing a role in students’ entry into the workforce.
“Think about not just your financial peace, but think about the benefits that come with that particular job or career, because we’ve all learned some one way or another – a little later in life and some earlier life – but preparing for the future. Live for now but prepare for the future,” said Paterson.
At Middlebury College, Ursula Olender and Matt Kuchar of the Center for Careers and Internships say last year, 18% of students went into financial services, 15% into science and healthcare, and 14% into education.
“This group of students that we’re dealing with right now are very interested in financial wellness and being able to save money and they’re very leery of student loans. And do not want to be carrying debt for their lives,” said Olender.
They say during the pandemic, industries like real estate and travel hired fewer people while consulting and tech increased hiring – a decision that’s now impacting prospective employees.
“What we’re seeing right now is a little bit of a post-COVID correction. So we’ve seen a downtrend with hiring for consulting, as well as for tech. They both staffed up so much during that era that things have been a little bit flat or a bit lackluster in those two particular industries,” said Kuchar.
Personal priorities are shifting too. Kuchar says grads are focused on stability, work-life balance, and location, and Vermont isn’t always at the top of the list.
Middlebury says roughly 30 students out of 6,700 a year graduate and work in Vermont.
Of the graduating seniors this year, 14% have indicated they were applying for in-state jobs.
“We also know that Middlebury alumni tend to return we just hope they’ll return in their 20s and 30s and, you know, not wait till retirement,” said Olender.
According to ADP, there are tens of thousands of jobs open in hospitality, education, construction, and the trades.