Job Shortages
The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of Rhode Island employers based on the level of education they require. There is a state minimum wage of $11.50 in Rhode Island. 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) Waiter & Waitress to Certified Food Manager
Waiter & Waitress Job Description:
- Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in a restaurant
Entry Level Requirements:
- Food Handler Certification – not required by Rhode Island state law, but employers may prefer it
- Obtain Food Handlers Card online here ($7,2 hours); click here to take exam in Español, 普通话, 한국어, Việt, American Sign Language, Tagalog, Serbo-Croatian
- If serving alcohol, must obtain an alcohol permit ($10)
Certified Food Manager Job Description:
- Responsible for food safety to protect the public from illness as required by state regulations
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Pass the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) certification exam ($55, 1.5 hours)
- Online training courses are not required, but provide knowledge to prepare for the 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:
- Pass the ParaPro exam($55) OR complete at least 2 years at an institution of higher education OR obtain an Associate’s degree or higher
- Complete a state-approved Teacher Assistant Pre-Employment Training Program ($270-$335, 2-6 weeks, exceptions to this requirement listed here)
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 program from an accredited college
- Pass Praxis exams (prices found here)
- Complete 60 hours of field experience and 12 weeks of student teaching
- Apply for certification in Rhode Island ($100, renewable every 3 years)
3) Accountant & Auditor to Financial Manager
Accountant & Auditor Job Description:
- Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports on activities in an organization
Entry Level Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree with accounting concentration and at least 1 year of experience in accounting
- Pass the CPA exam (Approx. $900 with $170 application fee)
- Pass the AICPA Ethics exam with a minimum score of 90
- State residency required
Financial Manager Job Description:
- Plan, direct, or coordinate accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of a branch, office, or department of an establishment
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in finance related field required, Master’s degree encouraged
- 5+ years of experience in business or financial occupation, more information found here
Immigration in Rhode Island
The following are facts about the immigrant community in Rhode Island:
- Immigrants comprise 13% of the state population and 16% of the Rhode Island labor force
- Top industries of immigrant employment in Rhode Island:
- Health Care and Social Assistance, 18,438
- Manufacturing, 17,458
- Educational Services, 10,072
- Administrative & Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services, 8,111
- Retail Trade, 7,675
- 7,187 immigrant business owners account for 16% of all self-employed Rhode Island residents
- 61% of immigrants in Rhode Island are naturalized and another 19% are undocumented
- Top foreign-born countries of origin:
- Dominican Republic, 19%
- Guatemala, 10%
- Portugal, 7%
- Cabo Verde, 5%
- India, 4%
- 19% of native-born Rhode Islanders are children of an immigrant
- Educational attainment of foreign born adults in Rhode Island:
- High School diploma or less – 55%
- More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 18%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher – 27%
- Share of Brain Waste* – 20%
* 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