Job Shortages
The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of Kansas employers based on the level of education they require. There is a state minimum wage of $7.25 in Kansas. The one highlighted occupation under each of the three education levels has been selected to expand on in terms of potential career advancement.
Potential Career Advancement
1) Food Preparation Worker to Certified Food Manager
Food Preparation Worker Job Description:
- Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking
Entry Level Requirements:
- Food Handler Certification – not required by Kansas state law, but required in Lincoln & Leavenworth County within 30 days of hire
- Obtain Food Handler Certification online here ($7, 2 hours); click here to take exam in Español, 普通话, 한국어, Việt, American Sign Language, Tagalog, Serbo-Croatian
Certified Food Manager Job Description:
- Responsible for food safety to protect the public from foodborne illness
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Pass the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) certification exam ($55)
- Online courses are not required, but provide knowledge for the ANSI exam
2) Teacher Assistant to Elementary School Teacher
Teacher Assistant Job Description:
- Assist in the teaching of academic and social skills to students at any and all school levels
Entry Level Requirements:
- Associate’s degree OR a high school diploma/GED with 48 credit hours completed at university OR pass a State assessment on math, reading & writing
Elementary School Teacher Job Description:
- Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school level
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Obtain Bachelor’s degree
- Complete state-approved teacher preparation programs at an accredited college or university
- Pass the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) & Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching exams
3) Registered Nurse to Nurse Practitioner
Registered Nurse Job Description:
- Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and administer nursing care
Entry Level Requirements:
- Complete a state-approved nursing program
- Pass the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) exam ($200)
Nurse Practitioner Job Description:
- Diagnose and treat patients independently or as part of a healthcare team
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Earn a graduate degree in a chosen nursing specialization
- Becoming nationally certified is recommended, but not required to apply for license in Kansas
Immigration in Kansas
The following are facts about the immigrant community in Kansas:
- Immigrants comprise 7% of the state population and 9% of the Kansas labor force
- Top industries of immigrant employment:
- Manufacturing, 24,500 workers
- Accommodation and Food Services, 17,715 workers
- Construction, 16,162 workers
- Health Care and Social Assistance, 14,600 workers
- Educational Services, 12,967 workers
- 13,938 immigrant business owners account for 9% of all self-employed Kansas residents
- 40% of immigrants in Kansas are naturalized and another 35% are undocumented
- Top foreign-born countries of origin:
- Mexico, 41%
- India, 9%
- Vietnam, 6%
- Guatemala, 4%
- China, 4%
- 7% of native-born Kansans are children of an immigrant
- Educational attainment of foreign born adults in Kansas:
- High School diploma or less – 54%
- More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 18%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher – 28%
- Share of Brain Waste* – 24%
* Share of immigrant professionals, who are unemployed, employed at poverty-level wages in High School diploma or less jobs, or significantly underemployed in more than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree jobs
Sources
Jobs
Projections Managing Partnership (PMP), Projections Central – State Occupational Projections, “Long Term Occupational Projection (2018-2028)”; http://www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, “Education and training assignments by detailed occupation,” 2019; https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
National Council of State Legislatures, “State Minimum Wages”, December 2020; http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx#Table
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic News Release, “Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls by State, Seasonally adjusted”, November 2020; https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm
Potential Career Advancement
National Conference of State Legislatures, “The National Occupational Licensing Database”, March 2020: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/occupational-licensing-statute-database.aspx
Immigration
American Immigration Council, State by State Fact Sheet, August 2020; https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/state-by-state