Old Cheezhead

Healthcare Jobs in Kansas

The 2004-2014 Kansas Occupational Outlook found that five of the 10 fastest growing occupations in the state are health care jobs. According to the report, the fastest growing industry jobs in Kansas are expected to be those of medical assistants, home health aides, dental hygienists, dental assistants and physician assistants.

Associate dean of Fort Scott Community College’s Pittsburg campus Judy Collins said that the need for dental hygienists in Kansas is something they have long been aware of. She went on to say that “the need was emphasized to us years ago by the Kansas Dental Association and local dentists.” 

The report found that the number of healthcare jobs for Kansas dental hygienists are expected to increase from 2004’s 1,850 to 2,620 by 2014. Despite the anticipated 42 percent increase in available positions, the FSCC Dental Hygiene School, which is affiliated with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, is only able to admit 12 students a year. Still, Collins says that accepted will have no troubles finding employment due to the number of opportunities available.

In the southeastern region of the state, the fastest growing healthcare jobs are expected to be those registered nurses and nursing aides, orderlies and attendants. The number of Rns needed in this area is anticipated to increase by 22 percent over the next few years, going from 1,800 jobs in 2004 to an expected 2,200 in 2014. Barbara McClaskey, a professor at the Pittsburg State University Department of Nursing, says that the college is accepting as many students as possible at this time. At this time, 100 percent of those that graduate from the program have been able to find jobs. 

The healthcare industry is expected to be fastest growing sector in southeast Kansas and the second fastest in the state, behind transportation equipment manufacturing, according to the report.

Brookings Institution on DC Job Market

Since a good number of Washington DC jobs require more than a high school diploma, a group of area leaders believe that the creation of a new community college will help residents find better jobs. Although not this is not the first time such an effort has been suggested, growing support is making it more likely to become a reality.

Hoping to help residents find better Washington DC jobs, the Brookings Institution, the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice and the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute have banned together. Aiding these institutions are officials from the University of the District of Columbia, which is the city’s public college. The UDC board chairman, James W. Dyke Jr., says that creating the community college is “one of our top priorities now.”

Approximately one third of all jobs in Washington, DC require that employees have more education than high school can provide but less than a bachelor’s degree. According to a report by the Brookings Institution, the city’s poverty rate, which is almost 20 percent, is the highest its been in ten years. The report also found that only 5 percent of residents with a bachelors degree and 14 percent of those with some college or an associate’s degree are poor. Considering this, the creation of a community college would likely not only help residents get better DC jobs but also help the area’s economy as a whole.

UDC currently has classes available that lead to an associate’s degree, but the program is thought by many to be under-funded. The Brookings Institution’s report says that the university has favored it’s bachelor degree programs and has not left enough options for students who are not pursuing four-year degrees.

Chad & Cheezhead - Episode III

The boys tackle bad time at Monster, CareerBuilder's naughty ad, DICE's gas and social networking site shutting down.

What is Internet Recruiting?

The job market can be a tough place for both employers and job seekers, but one resource is bridging that gap: Internet recruiting.

Internet recruiting is the act of scouring the Internet to locate actively-searching job seekers and passive candidates, or potential candidates who are content in their current position.

Recruiters often use large job boards, such as Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com, to locate potential employees, while job seekers use these same resources to locate potential employers. Apart from this, there also are third party recruiters, which will help an employer fill the gap between job openings and job seekers for a price.

Employers also have begun using social and business networking sites to locate potential candidates. The immediate goal of internet recruiting is usually to find individuals that a recruiter or company can present to hiring managers, and Internet recruiters often have very short-term goals when dealing with online recruiting.

Generally, a recruiter will receive a new job requisite, and if no matches are found on the company's database, the Internet is usually the next step.

According to Gaebler Ventures, online employment sites provide job-seekers with a free venue to post their resume. This has become an increasingly attractive employment resource due to the lack of out-of-pocket expense.

"As popularity with top candidates surges, a great number of employers are also turning to the Internet as a way to fill vacancies with people that will fulfill the needs of their organization," the site explains. "In exchange for acting as an intermediary, companies looking to utilize these sites are required to pay a fee in order to post open job listings as well as for the ability to communicate with candidates."

Some companies even chose to recruit exclusively online because of the convenience and efficiency.

It's noted in "The Effect of Internet Recruiting on the Matching of Workers and Employers," by Yael S. Hadass, that more than 25 percent of unemployed job seekers use the Internet to find jobs.

"The adoption of Internet recruiting is modeled as reducing application costs to workers and improving screening technology for firms," Hadass states. "The reduction in application costs to workers is shown to induce applications from candidates who are relatively less qualified and to decrease the proportion of qualified new hires; however, the improvement in firms' screening technology may offset this effect."

Hadass also states that employees hired through the Internet have similar job durations as those hired through print advertising.