AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report projects Texas will add 144,000 jobs in the next four years. Pearson, a multinational corporation that creates digital learning materials and assessments, released its Skills Map of the United States.
The map provided an analysis of the American job market through 2028.
“When it comes to Texas, the findings mirror what we’re seeing nationally. We see increases in tech jobs and in healthcare jobs across the state, and the big factors that are impacting that workforce shift in Texas are what we call the three A’s: AI, automation and an aging population,” said Global Head of Pearson Workforce Solutions Melissa Matlins.
In Texas, the report estimated some of the top rising roles would be:
- Systems Software Developers
- Personal Care Aides
- Janitors and Cleaners
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
- Operations Managers
- Project Management Specialists
- Home Health Aides
“In Texas, the aging population is creating workforce gaps and driving demand for jobs to support their care,” the report said.
Matlins said the report showed an increase in tech jobs that support the aging population.
“Healthcare is very tech-intensive, and so we see those roles in healthcare as well,” Matlins said.
Rising roles include Personal Care Aides and Home Health Aides, while the majority of trending skills are healthcare-related.
Even with an emphasis on tech, Matlins said there’s still a demand for human skills.
“In Texas, the most sought-after skills are not computer programming,” Matlins said. “They’re human-centric skills like communication, customer service, critical thinking, and a lot of those skills are going to support that growth that we’re seeing in healthcare.”
According to the report, popular skills in the last year included:
- Nursing Practices
- Nursing Care
- Health Promotion
- Patient Assessment
- Medication Administration
- Case Management
- Teaching
- Patient Monitoring
- Care Coordination
On the other side, Pearson’s report projected the retail trade industry to decline by 9% by 2028.
Healthcare demand locally
Workforce Solutions Capital Area said healthcare is a top industry in Austin. Director of Healthcare Partnerships Ashley King said there’s a growing demand for 15,000 job openings online.
“We have opened up multiple hospitals in the past two years, as well as all of our current hospitals that we had are currently under or have undergone an expansion in the past two years as well.”
Ashley King, Workforce Solutions Capital Area Director of Healthcare Partnerships
Looking ahead, King said they expect the healthcare industry to grow by 3% every year.
“We are going to be needing 10,000 workers in the next five years in healthcare, on top of the shortages that we already have,” King said.
King said the nonprofit hopes to chip away at that number.
“Letting K-12 students know about the opportunities in those healthcare fields. Also getting the education higher to increase the number that they are graduating each year, to kind of fill those shortages,” King said. ‘Then working with the industry to kind of upskill employees that they already have.”