ACT report provides guide to fast-growing jobs

The fastest-growing occupations for Americans with college degrees seems obvious, with that perennial shortage of registered nurses.

But what about job-seekers who only have a high school degree, or limited post-college training?

A report released by ACT this month outlines the jobs that are producing the most openings.

For high school grads, it's the retail sector with 719,635 job openings estimated next year. For those with an associate degree or post-high school training, it's that old standby, bookkeeping with 303,213.

ACT issued the report to help job-seekers and students figure out where the jobs will be, how much they usually pay, and which jobs might suit their abilities as measured by three of ACT's WorkKeys assessments.

Want to be an actor?

The job is one of several profiled in ACT's section for “NEXT” jobs, the jobs that can be obtained with limited education beyond high school, such as a two-year community college certificate.

Actors make a median salary of $49,733 per year nationally, the report says. There's some good news for aspiring actors who don't like math. It doesn't take a high score on ACT's Applied Mathematics WorkKeys assessment.

But getting a job as an actor requires a relatively high score on both of the other WorkKeys assessments used in the report to define job suitability: Locating Information and Reading for Information.

ACT recommends that job-seekers take the tests at a testing center such as the one at Kirkwood Community College.

“It gives you an idea of what skill levels may be required for the specific job,” ACT spokeswoman Katie Wacker said.

The test results typically have a shelf life of about five years, Wacker said.

ACT also recommends the undecided take a 20-minute online ACT assessment called “Fit” that matches the tested person's interests and values to the work environment.

The Fit assessment costs $15 at Kirkwood Community College, while the three WorkKeys assessments cost $15 each, according to Ana Gilbertson, a program director at Kirkwood. The tests can be scheduled during the day or weekday evening hours by calling Kirkwood at (319) 398-7194.

Taking the three WorkKeys assessments together to obtain the National Career Readiness Certificate lowers the total cost of the assessments to $35.

ACT issues the report periodically depending on the availability of fresh government data on job openings and other factors. The report comes with a tool called the “world of work” map that describes the landscape of how jobs relate to each other based on primary work tasks.

It profiles about 50 jobs in each of the three categories.