GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C.–A new jobs report released on Friday showed that the national unemployment rate has dropped to 7.7%.
North Carolina’s unemployment rate remains steady at 9.4%, however many of jobs in the state that remain open because, there are simply not enough qualified workers to fill them.
Many employers are looking for a specialized skill set, something many applicants do not have.
Economist believe the days of getting a high school education and finding a manufacturing job with minimal skills are gone.
Employers are now shifting to the high-tech field, which include careers in solar technology.
Vincent Taylor who works with Strata Solar says he’s having a hard time filling 30 jobs needed to build a solar farm in Northern Rockingham County.
“There is a different between skilled labor and general labor. What we are finding is that a lot of people just don’t have those skill sets,” Taylor said.
Taylor hopes specialized training programs in many community colleges will bridge the gap.
“I think what we have to do as a community of employers and educators is push our young people and displaced workers toward those new horizons,” Taylor said.
For more information on the solar farm jobs you visit www.ycc.org
