So you want a new job? Here’s how to retrain

The tens of millions of workers who have left their jobs in the “Great Resignation” — 4.4 million in September alone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — won’t necessarily need to retrain before they land their next job. But those who want a new career entirely may find little financial help and social support to acquire the skills they need for the future, labor experts say.

Erin Hatton, associate professor of sociology at the University at Buffalo in New York, says the pandemic caused especially difficult conditions for consumer-facing workers, including risk of COVID-19 exposure and the responsibility to enforce mask compliance on customers, which created an “undue burden on workers they’re just not willing to deal with.”

Pandemic-weary workers are questioning the value of their jobs, Hatton says, and this self-reflection may stir workers to switch fields — or at least attempt to.

Changing careers often requires a new credential (a degree or certificate), meaning you’ll need some type of higher education. Employers across labor sectors require workers to have certain credentials, even in fields that used to be accessible without one.

Hatton says “changing careers in a significant way” is particularly challenging for those who lack the time and money to train in a new field while balancing obligations like paying rent or a mortgage. Elder care and child care can also increase the burden.

When considering your options, you’ll want to ask yourself whether the job exists in the area where you need to be, want to be or can be, says Pamela Egan, director of the Labor Management-Partnerships Program for the University of California, Berkeley Labor Center.

Start with your state’s workforce development investment board, which provides information about training opportunities, Egan suggests. She says the system has its flaws, but it’s accessible to all since it’s funded with public money. Your state might also have “high-road training partnerships” between high-quality employers in a particular job market and workforce education and training programs, Egan says.

Additional options for retraining include:

■ Employers that provide training. Yvette Lee, an HR knowledge adviser with the Society for Human Resource Management, says employers are using many approaches to train workers to fill spots, including on-the-job training and providing tuition assistance.

■ Community college programs. Public two-year schools are typically eligible for student aid and provide career training programs and associate degrees. The programs are inexpensive and eligible for federal aid.

■ Trade schools and shortterm certificate programs. Trade schools may be the fastest and most-streamlined option to get reskilled and go from credential to licensing to job. But schools vary in quality and outcomes and can also be pricey or ineligible for financial aid. College Scorecard includes training programs that accept Pell Grants and participate in federal workforce development programs.