If you read the latest news about jobs in this country you know that the U.S. continues to face a major job shortage in various trade fields. Partly due to the fact that high school students have been given the message that it is essential to get a Bachelor’s degree, many communities are trying to recover from a lack of people working in trade fields.

The latest employment research indicates that there are as many as 30 million jobs in America that pay more than $55,000 a year that do not require a Bachelor’s degree. And while there are many cybersecurity recruiting firms and others who are looking for people with college diplomas, there are many that do not. The message is that in high school students should be allowed to pursue their own interests. Any stigma that is connected with industrial tech classes at the high school level need to be eliminated so that there can be a growing pool of possible employees for some of the toughest jobs to fill today.

From food processing equipment positions to injection molding jobs and thousands of other careers, the key to success is not a college degree, but specialized training. Fortunately, this training is often covered by an employer. In fact, in addition to hiring bonuses more and more employers are also paying for their workers to get the training that they need.

Getting a College Degree Is Not Necessary for Many $55,000 a Year Jobs

In a time when cybersecurity recruiting firms are getting lots of attention, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that not all careers require a college degree. In fact, the skills that many people can get on the job, combined with specialized training in a number of technical trades, can lead to some very lucrative careers. Training the people who need these skills can be even more lucrative. For instance, a recent report by the Public Broadcasting Association indicated that at California Steel Industries, some supervisors without college degrees make as much as $120,000 a year. The report also indicated that electricians also can make six figures.

Although there has been some progress made in the last decade, many recruiters fear that the trend of it bing difficult to fill many jobs will continue. For instance, 71% of respondents admit to having a shortage of skilled candidates in their respective sectors for the year 2014. And while this was a slight drop from the 76% in 2013, the fact of the matter is that this is still a significant percentage. By talking to cybersecurity recruiting firms and other types of hiring agencies, you can get a feel for what kind of training or education, you or your children may need for a specific career.