The job market can be a tough place, particularly for recent graduates.

But according to faculty at Northeast Community College, there are certain booming industries that provide great career opportunities for students.

Specifically, John Blaylock, vice president of educational services, said he saw immense interest and opportunity in the fields of health and wellness, applied technology and agriculture.

People equipped to work in these fields are in high demand, he said.

For example, in the area of nursing, theres a projected growth of about 11 percent by 2020, said Karen Weidner, director of Northeasts nursing program. Other health care careers are equally desirable.

Its nursing, but its any health care field demanding people, said Michele Gill, dean of health and wellness. She and Weidner attributed this demand to multiple factors, including that people are living longer, advances in technology, changes in the political arena and health care, and aging baby boomers who will increasingly need medical attention.

The baby boomer generation is ready to hit the health care system, and its going to hit in a big way, Gill said. You know, were seeing demand in nursing, physical therapist assistants, in respiratory care, in (surgical) tech, radiology. I mean any of those medical fields are kind of growing. I dont think anyone really knows what the explosions going to be. So if youre looking for a career in health care, youre positioning yourself to have a job thats well-paying in a pretty good work environment.

Blaylock said the college sees about 60 new nursing students every year. But Gill said areas such as health information management systems (HIMS) and physical therapist assistants also have been popular.

So, students with any kind of interest in health care should be able to find their niche.

If you like direct patient contact, I think nursings a great profession to get into, Gill said. If youre not so good with direct patient contact, thats why we have a HIMS program, so you can work in the office in the medical records area.

Several degrees in the applied technology department provide excellent opportunities upon graduation, too, Lyle Kathol said.

As the dean of applied technology, Kathol said he saw growth and demand in the areas of electromechanical technology, diversified manufacturing technology, welding, plumbing and wind energy.

I guess the bottom line in all these careers is that theres a lot of gray hair out there, Kathol said. It slowed down in 2009 and 10, but now the retirements are starting to kick in and the job turnover is quickly accelerating, and that creates more pressure, more demand on these careers, especially in the careers I mentioned here because those are young people jobs physical, exciting. The skys the limit, let me tell you.

He said that if students work hard during college in one of these degrees, theyll be on track to secure a job they enjoy where they can make a great salary and have opportunity for advancement.

These are careers that if they live in California, there are plenty of job opportunities. If they live in Northeast Nebraska, there are plenty of job opportunities, he said. The job market is wide open.

Kathol said the college has a 99 percent success rate with students securing employment or continuing education after graduation.

This shows, he said, that a two-year degree or even a one-year degree like plumbing can launch a student into a good career. The college also has invested in credentialing, so that students can receive credentials in areas like precision measurement or heating and air conditioning in addition to their degree.

It guarantees that students can operate the high-tech equipment, he said, which increases their appeal to employers.

The beauty of the nursing program, Weidner said, is that at the end of the first year, students have a degree in practical nursing, which allows them to sit for their licensed practical nursing exam. Then by the end of the second year, theyre able to sit for the registered nursing exam. Students also may become nurses aides.

So they can become an LPN and then an RN one year later, she said. That is a perfect system, I think, for students because if life throws them a curveball, they can stop at the LPN. Some want to be an LPN. Thats their terminal degree.

For others who want to continue, its a very seamless pathway, and then if they want to continue on and get a bachelors degree, we have agreements with multiple schools for that.

And pass rates are high, she said. The colleges LPN pass rate has been between 96 percent and 100 percent for more than 10 years, and the RN pass rate last year was 96.4 percent for 2016 graduates. Thats all above the national average, Weidner said.

The physical therapist assistant program also has pass rates in the 90s, where its remained for the 20 years the program has existed, Gill said.

Agriculture is another popular program, one that Blaylock said he thinks gets overlooked. In fact, its the largest program on campus with about 350 students.

Our economy in Northeast Nebraska is agriculture, and these students go to work in ag-related businesses, whether it be in sales or banking in cooperative areas. But there are also a large number of them who go back to the family farm and ranch and begin to work with family to eventually become the lead operator on those operations, Kathol said. So agriculture continues to grow.

The area is expected to see even more growth as technology advances.

With the precision agriculture needed in farming, were trying to help students of the next generation of farm and ranch be able to produce more with less inputs also, Kathol said. We believe theres a huge need there. Plus, our students are seeing the interest there in doing that type of work.

But there are plenty of other areas of studies that can lead to good careers, too, Kathol said, if students dont find one in these areas of interest.

We always try to serve the student at their interest, he said. Not every student wants to go into those areas. So we have over 80 programs and concentrations for students to gain a skill set.

And with about 60 percent of students returning to their hometown area, students are bound to make a positive impact on Northeast Nebraska.

These students come to Northeast, they gain a skill and they take that skill and knowledge to be the leaders of those communities, to be the businesses, the small businesses, to be the support employees for the larger businesses, to maintain our rural communities in Northeast Nebraska, Kathol said. Its very rewarding to see that happen on a daily basis with our students.

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Applied technology, health, ag degrees boom at Northeast - Norfolk Daily News