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You can work and stay in Pittsburgh A number of occupations are projected to grow sharply in the region in coming years Tuesday, February 20, 2001 By Jim McKay, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Want a job that will keep you in Pittsburgh in coming years? You may want to consider the computer, services or health-care industries.
Occupations in those fields are expected to grow the fastest in the region through 2008. They range from computer engineers, computer support specialists, database administrators and systems analysts in the computer fields; flight attendants, financial services and telemarketers in services; and health aides to help an aging population cope with the physical problems of growing old.
Following is a rundown of what are expected to be the 14 fastest-growing occupations in Allegheny County the next eight years, based on projections by the state Department of Labor and Industry and job descriptions by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Computer Specialists
Demand for computer systems analysts, engineers, scientists, support specialists and instructors is expected to increase much faster than average job growth as technology becomes more sophisticated and pervasive in the workplace and at home.
Abetting this growth will be falling prices for hardware and software, which should further boost the use of computer data processing and networking by the private sector.
The title computer scientist can be applied to a wide range of computer professionals who work as theorists, researchers or inventors. They may design computers and the software that runs them and develop new technologies and applications.
Systems analysts solve computer problems and typically help organizations get the most out of their investment in equipment and people. This may include planning or developing new systems or expanding existing systems.
Computer engineers work with the hardware and software aspects of system design and development. Hardware engineers usually need a bachelor's degree in computer engineering or electrical engineering, while software engineers are more likely to hold degrees in computer science or in software engineering.
Systems analysts, programmer analysts and database administrators are generally required to have at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, information science or management information systems.
Continuous study is necessary to keep skills up to date because technological advances come so rapidly in the computer field.
Those with advanced degrees in those disciplines or an MBA with a concentration in information systems should enjoy very favorable employment prospects. Even graduates without a computer science degree who have taken courses in the field should find jobs since employers often look for people who can combine technical skills with interpersonal and business skills.
While a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for many jobs, some positions require only a two-year degree available through community colleges or technical institutes. Relevant work experience is also important.
Technical writers
The continuing expansion of scientific and technical information and the need to communicate that information to others is expected to drive demand for more technical writers.
Technical writers put scientific and technical information into easily understandable language. They prepare operating and maintenance manuals, catalogs, parts lists, assembly instructions, sales promotion and training materials.
A college degree is generally required for a position as a writer or an editor. Technical writing requires a degree in, or some knowledge about, a specialized field such as engineering, business or one of the sciences.
People with writing skills can learn specialized knowledge on the job in some cases. Some may transfer from jobs such as technicians, scientists or engineers. Others begin as research assistants or trainees. The work generally requires people who can keep pace with changing technologies.
Despite projections of employment growth and high turnover , the outlook for most writing and editing jobs is competitive. Technical writers should have among the best opportunities because of the growth in high technology and the electronics industries.
Paralegals and legal assistants
Paralegals are expected to be among the fastest growing occupations because they increasingly perform tasks once left to more expensive lawyers.
Although they may perform some of the same tasks as a lawyer, paralegals are prohibited from duties considered to be the practice of law, such as giving legal advice, presenting cases in court and setting legal fees.
Paralegals are found in all types of organizations but most are employed by law firms, corporate legal departments or government. They may work in all areas of the law but often specialize. Computer literacy is considered vital.
Paralegals who work for corporations may assist attorneys with employee contracts, shareholder agreements, stock option plans and employee benefit plans. They may help prepare and file reports, maintain corporate records and review government regulations.
In the public sector, paralegals generally analyze legal material for internal use, maintain reference files, conduct research for attorneys, and collect and analyze evidence for agency hearings.
Paralegals employed in community legal service projects help the poor, the aged and others in need of assistance. They may file forms, conduct research, prepare documents and, when authorized, represent clients at administrative hearings.
There are several ways to become a paralegal. Formal training is available through two-year associate degree programs, four-year bachelor's degree programs and certification programs that take a few months to complete.
Employers, however, increasingly prefer four-year programs or college graduates who have completed certificate programs. Some employers prefer to train on the job or promote experienced legal secretaries.
The expected growth in the occupation can be attributed to law firms and other employers with legal staffs seeking to lower costs and increase efficiency of legal services. Private law firms will be the largest employers.
Although paralegals are expected to be among the fastest growing occupations, stiff competition for jobs should exist if graduates of training programs continue to outpace that growth.
Human service assistants
Human service worker is a generic term for a wide variety of jobs, including also social service assistant, case management aide, outreach or community support worker, alcohol or drug abuse counselors, mental health aide, life skills counselor and gerontology aide.
They provide direct and indirect client services and usually work under the direction of professionals from a variety of fields such as nursing, psychiatry, psychology, rehabilitative or physical therapy, or social work.
Working conditions and pay vary. Job settings include offices, clinics, hospitals, group homes, shelters, workshops and day programs.
The work, while satisfying, can be draining. Chronic understaffing and low pay may add to the pressure. Turnover is generally high, especially among workers without an academic background in the field.
About half of human service workers are employed by private social or human service agencies. Many supervise residents of group homes and halfway houses or work for clinics, community health centers, hospitals, day treatment programs and workshops. About a third are employed by state and local governments.
Although a bachelor's degree is not always required, employers often seek applicants with work experience or education beyond high school. Certificate or associate degrees in related fields are often acceptable.
The number of human service workers is expected to grow faster than the average of all occupations. Opportunities are expected to be best in job training programs, residential care facilities and social service agencies.
Demand is expected to grow as the population ages, although human service workers will continue to provide services to pregnant teen-agers, the homeless, the mentally disabled and developmentally challenged, and those with substance abuse problems.
Flight attendants
Major airlines are required by law to provide flight attendants for passenger safety. Although their primary job is to ensure that safety regulations are met, they also are expected to try to make flights comfortable for passengers.
Commercial airlines employ the vast majority of flight attendants, although some work for companies that operate business aircraft. The employer generally provides formal training.
Most flight attendants in Pittsburgh work for US Airways, which has announced its intention to merge with United Airlines. United has promised to maintain and expand the airline's service in Pittsburgh.
According to the Labor Department, flight attendants usually fly 75 to 85 hours a month and may spend another 75 to 85 hours a month on the ground preparing or waiting for flights and writing reports.
Opportunities to travel and discount fares are a draw to many. But that same attraction may be a drawback since the job often requires working nights, weekends and holidays, and being away from home for extended periods.
Flight attendants often stand during much of the flight and are expected to remain pleasant and efficient regardless of how tired they are and how demanding the passengers might be. Occasionally passengers can be disruptive.
Safety related responsibilities can range from reassuring passengers during turbulence to directing the evacuation of a plane after an emergency landing and administering of first aid.
Flight attendants serve beverages and other refreshments on flights, distribute reading materials and blankets, and help small children or other passengers who may need assistance.
Applicants must be high school graduates, although those with several years of college or experience in dealing with the public are preferred. Some airlines prefer candidates who speak foreign languages for international flights.
Respiratory therapists
Because older people suffer most from respiratory ailments and cardiopulmonary diseases, demand for respiratory therapists to evaluate, treat and care for patients with breathing disorders is expected to grow as the population ages.
Respiratory therapists, however, treat all types of patients, from premature infants whose lungs are not fully developed to elderly people whose lungs are diseased. They also may provide temporary relief to patients with chronic asthma or emphysema and emergency care for heart attack or stroke patients or victims of drowning or shock.
Nine of 10 respiratory therapists are employed by hospitals. Home health agencies, respiratory therapy clinics and nursing homes also provide employment.
Because hospitals work around the clock, therapists may work evenings, nights or weekends. They do a lot of standing and walking between patients rooms and can work under a great deal of stress during emergency situations.
Respiratory therapists must be able, for example, to compute medication dosages and calculate gas concentrations. For that reason, high school students interested in the field should study health, biology, mathematics, chemistry and physics.
Formal training is necessary, but the programs can vary in length or credential or degree awarded. There are two-year programs that can lead to an associate's degree, four-year bachelor's degree programs and post-graduate programs.
Most employers require applicants for entry-level or generalist positions to hold a Certified Respiratory Therapist credential or be eligible to take the certification exam. Supervisory positions and those in intensive care specialties usually are certified as a registered respiratory therapist.
Cardiology technologists/ technicians
Cardiovascular technologists and technicians assist physicians in diagnosing and treating ailments of the heart and blood vessels. Although employment growth is expected to be fast, the field is a relatively small one.
They operate sophisticated equipment that helps physicians and other health practitioners diagnose and treat patients. Most work in hospital cardiology departments. Some work in rehabilitation centers or ambulatory surgery centers.
They may assist in treatments including catheterization, balloon angioplasty and pacemaker installations. They monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate using electrocardiogram equipment.
Although some may be trained on the job, an increasing number complete two or four-year training programs. Specialized instruction is available for those already qualified in allied health professions.
Employment of cardiology technologists is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations in part because of an aging population. EKG technicians, however, may decline as hospitals train nursing aides and others to do basic EKG procedures.
Medical assistants
Medical assistants perform routine administrative and clinical tasks to keep offices and clinics of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors and optometrists running smoothly.
Don't confuse them with physician's assistants, who examine, diagnose and treat patients under the direct supervision of a physician.
Medical assistants typically answer telephones, greet patients, update and file medical records, fill out insurance forms, handle correspondence, schedule appointments, arrange for hospital admission and laboratory services, and handle billing and bookkeeping.
Some are trained on the job, but most employers prefer to hire graduates of formal programs in medical assisting. Those programs are often offered in vocational schools, community colleges and in four-year colleges and universities.
It is one of the fastest growing occupations. A majority of the job opportunities are in physicians offices or in the offices of other health practitioners. Some are hired by hospitals, nursing homes and health-care facilities.
Physician assistants
Physician assistants are formally trained to provide health-care services with supervision by physicians.
Working as members of a health-care team, physician assistants may take medical histories, examine patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and X-rays, and make diagnoses.
They also may treat minor injuries and in many states are permitted to prescribe medications.
Some have managerial duties, such as supervising technicians and assistants, and ordering medical and laboratory supplies.
The occupation often attracts former emergency medical technicians, nurses or other health professionals.
A majority of physicians assistants work in the offices and clinics of physicians, dentists or other health practitioners. Others work in hospitals, public health clinics, nursing homes, prisons and through home health-care agencies.
All states require that new physician assistants complete an accredited, formal education program.
Most graduates have at least a bachelor's degree, although some programs offer certifications, an associate's degree or a master's degree.
Job growth is expected to be above average, particularly in rural or inner city clinics where a physician may not always be available.
According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, about one third of the estimated 68,000 physician assistants who were practicing in 1998 worked in communities of fewer than 50,000 residents, where physicians may be in short supply.
Schedules vary depending on the hours kept by the supervising physician. The work routine may include weekends, night hours, early-morning hospital rounds. They also may be on call.
Telemarketers, sales workers
Pittsburgh is enjoying growth in telephone and computer-based customer service operations generically known as call centers.
Many consumer product companies operate call centers, and some of the biggest are run by telephone and media companies, health insurers, banks and other financial institutions. Others represent multiple clients.
Customer service representatives who man telephones and computer stations represent the bulk of hires. There is work, too, for supervisors and professionals in computer hardware and software, and telecommunication equipment.
The work and office environment depend on the center, but one constant is the use of computer technologies to distribute incoming calls and other work to employees and to manage information about customers and products.
Some centers are adding e-mail and the Internet to traditional telephone services.
Outbound centers, those that make unsolicited calls trying to sell credit cards, insurance and cemetery plots, are rated by most observers as less attractive places to work than inbound centers, which typically handle customer queries or sales orders.
Education requirements vary. Development agencies are targeting call centers in the financial services and information technology industries, which often require a college degree and pay better than other less sophisticated centers.
Dental assistants, hygienists
People are living longer and keeping their natural teeth. Those trends should provide better than average job growth for both dental assistants and dental hygienists.
Hygienists clean teeth and provide other preventative care. They examine teeth and gums, recording abnormalities, remove stains and plaque from teeth, and teach patients how to practice good oral hygiene. Opportunities for part-time work and flexible schedules are common.
Hygienists must be licensed by the state. A candidate must graduate from an accredited dental hygiene school and pass written and clinical examinations. Most educational programs grant associate degrees. Some offer bachelor's and master's degrees, which usually are required for research and teaching.
Employment is expected to grow much faster than most occupations, although the market could be competitive if schools turn out more graduates in response to the demand.
Dental assistants often work side-by-side with dentists, handing them instruments and materials while they work. They keep patients' mouths dry and clear, and sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment.
Some dental assistants prepare materials for making impressions and restorations and process X-ray film. Some work in laboratories. Others schedule appointments and do other office duties.
Training is available through community colleges, trade schools and technical institutes, and the military. Dentists look for people who are reliable, can work well with others and have manual dexterity.
The U.S. Labor Department expects dentists to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks so they may devote time to more profitable procedures.
Home health aides
A large number of job openings are projected for home health and personal care aides, fueled by both substantial growth and high turnover. Education required for entry-level jobs is minimal, but earnings are low.
Home aides help elderly, disabled and ill people live in their own homes instead of in a nursing home or other health-care facility. Most work with clients who need more care than family or friends can provide.
There can be substantial variation in duties and home settings. Some do household duties such as shopping, laundry and planning meals in addition to helping clients with their daily needs, including bathing and grooming. Some act as companions outside the home.
Employers include home health and personal care agencies, visiting nurse associations, residential care facilities with home health departments, public health and welfare departments, community agencies, nursing homes, temporary help firms and private families. Some aides are self employed with no agency affiliation or supervision, and accept clients, set fees and arrange work schedules on their own.
Occupational therapy assistants
Occupational therapy assistant is another one of the health-related careers that is expected to grow rapidly as the population ages.
Assistants work under the direction of occupational therapists to assist patients with exercises and other rehabilitative activities that help improve their quality of life.
They may, for example, assist injured workers in re-entering the job market by helping to improve motor skills. They may teach the proper method of moving from a bed to a wheelchair or they may help people with learning disabilities learn to prepare meals or use public transportation.
Good physical condition is a requirement -- occupational therapy assistants are on their feet for long periods of time and may be asked to help lift and move patients or equipment.
The field is relatively small. Applicants must usually complete an associate's degree or certificate program from an accredited community college or technical school to qualify for a job as an occupational therapy assistant.
There also is a job category called occupational therapy aide, which is expected to grow as well. Aides are not licensed and are not allowed to perform as wide a range of tasks as occupational therapy assistants do. Aides can be trained on the job and must usually have high school diplomas and interpersonal skills.
Physical therapy assistants
Physical therapy assistants assist physical therapists in providing services that help patients improve mobility, relieve pain and prevent or limit disabilities related to injury or disease.
The work occurs under the direction of a physical therapist and can involve exercises, massages, electrical stimulation, hot and cold packs, traction and ultrasound.
Patients normally include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as lower back pain, arthritis, heart disease, bone fractures, head injuries and cerebral palsy.
Physical therapy assistants should be strong enough for the physical exertion required. They may be expected to help lift patients. Kneeling, stooping and standing for long periods is part of the job.
Typically, physical therapy assistants earn an associate's degree from an accredited training program. Many programs require study of anatomy, physiology and CPR certifications.
Another related occupation expected to grow is occupational therapy aides. These jobs may require only on-the-job training. Aides are typically expected to keep the treatment area clean and organized, and prepare for each patient's treatment. They may push patients with a wheelchair or provide a shoulder to lean on.
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