|
Social services, except
child-care, ranks among the fastest growing industries. |
|
About 2 out of 3 jobs are
in professional, technical, and service occupations. |
|
Human service workers and
assistants— the ninth fastest growing occupation— are concentrated
in
social services.
|
|
Average earnings are low
because of the large number of part-time and low-paying service jobs. |
Opportunities
for human service workers and assistants are expected to be excellent,
particularly for applicants with appropriate postsecondary education. The number
of human service workers and assistants is projected to grow much faster than
the average for all occupations between 1998 and 2008—ranking among the most
rapidly growing occupations. The need to replace workers who move into new
positions due to advancement, retirement, or for other reasons will create many
additional job opportunities. This occupation, however, is not attractive to
everyone. It can be draining emotionally and the pay is relatively low.
Qualified applicants should have little difficulty finding employment.
Opportunities
are expected to be best in job training programs, residential care facilities,
and private social service agencies, which include such services as adult
daycare and meal delivery programs. Demand for these services will expand with
the growing number of elderly, who are more likely to need services. In
addition, social and human service workers and assistants will continue to be
needed to provide services to pregnant teenagers, the homeless, the mentally
disabled and developmentally challenged, and those with substance-abuse
problems.
Job
training programs are expected to require additional human service workers and
assistants. As social welfare policies shift focus from benefit-based programs
to work-based initiatives, there will be an increased demand for people to teach
job skills to the people who are new to or re-entering the workforce.
Additionally, streamlined and downsized businesses create increased demand for
persons with job retraining expertise. Human service workers and assistants will
help companies to cope with new modes of conducting business and employees to
master new job skills.
Residential
care establishments should face increased pressures to respond to the needs of
the chronically and mentally ill. Many of these patients have been
deinstitutionalized and lack the knowledge or the ability to care for himself or
herself. Also, more community-based programs, supported independent living
sites, and group residences are expected to be established to house and assist
the homeless, and the chronically, and mentally, ill. As a result, demand for
human service workers and assistants will increase.
Emphasis:
Public
assistance programs have been employing more human service workers and
assistants in an attempt to employ fewer social workers, who are more educated,
thus more highly paid.
State Specific Data:Massachusetts
