Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Get to work energizing our future workforce
On Thursday an estimated 37 million adults will bring children to work — part of a quarter-century tradition known as Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.
For us, the celebration of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is much more than a break from school or a chance for young Floridians to see what the adults in their lives do to earn a living. Talent development, job skills awareness and career training are vital to the organizations we are privileged to lead, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and CareerSource Florida. This annual tradition is an opportunity for tomorrow’s workforce to get an in-person introduction to the many career options and employers available in our state. Along with being a fun day for adults and the children in their lives, Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is an important teaching opportunity.
The workplaces children visit this month could be the spark that inspires a future teacher, computer engineer or CEO. The professionals your children meet could be the inspiration for a love of the courtroom, the college classroom or the exam room. Or perhaps it won’t be a “room” at all, but a warehouse, an open road behind the wheel of a semi, an oyster farm or a construction site.
Today’s students are Florida’s future workforce, and for our state to have the nation’s top economy and be the best place to live and do business, we must ensure workers continue to have the knowledge, skills and passion to compete globally into the next decade and beyond.
Florida is diverse in our culture, our people and our careers. Important industries include health, technology, tourism, agriculture and finance. To turn this experience into a teachable moment, consider the following Florida facts for your conversations:
Four of the five highest-paying occupations over the next 10 years are in the medical field (general internist, family and general practitioner, psychiatrist, pediatrician) and require doctoral degrees.
Two of the top five in-demand jobs over the decade that require a bachelor’s degree are in education — elementary and secondary school teachers. The other three are accountants and auditors, management analysts and market research analysts.
A two-year degree continues to provide outstanding career opportunities. Nurses, secretaries and medical assistants will be among the fastest-growing jobs over the next 10 years.
Florida is among 36 states and Guam recently selected to help the U.S. Department of Labor double and diversify the number of career apprenticeships by 2019.
Occupations requiring postsecondary adult vocational training are projected to gain the most jobs through 2025.
Occupations requiring bachelor’s and higher training are projected to grow the fastest in that same period — between 12 and 16 percent.
The career opportunities awaiting today’s students are exciting and include fields that will use technology not even invented yet. As the adults in our children’s lives, we are positioned to help the next generation explore opportunities that can lead to rewarding and meaningful work. Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is a great way to start that exploration.