Shifting gears to find a job in 2012

WINTERVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)- If you're looking for a job in 2012 you might need to shift gears in your search.  A Federal Reserve economist tells us eastern Carolina’s typical mainstay industries like government and construction aren't hiring this year.

So we set out to find what it will take to get you employed.

Richard Kaglic says businesses are hiring.  But more than ever, employers are having trouble finding workers with the right skills to fill their open positions.

So we found which industries are growing and how you can become a desirable candidate for the job. 

Need a job?

"What we do is we talk to them and find out ok, this is what the employer wants,” said Karen Sabo, with PCC’s Healthcare Management Technology.  “You bring what you've got to the table and we'll help you."

Pitt Community College professors say you can find one in healthcare management technology and healthcare business informatics.

"We want to keep our students local and want to employ them,” said Denise Whitfield, with PCC’s Healthcare Business Informatics.

PCC works closely with local employers, adjusting curriculum to meet their needs.

"It's far beyond just simple gaming and entertainment,” said Charmaine Smith, with PCC’s Simulation and Game Development.

PCC's feeding graduates into the state's Research Triangle where the gaming industry is booming.

A Simulation and Game Development student can do a lot with a degree from creating games, to testing them, and using game technology to evolve existing industries.  "Even like process in construction or for a manufacturing firm, you can create some simulation to show people how to do a process,” said Smith.  “You're learning all those different concepts in the program."

In his 2012 economic forecast, Richard Kaglic says North Carolina's shedding residential construction jobs.

"But we're seeing a boom in other programs related to advanced manufacturing, welding,” said Van Madray, Dean of Construction and Industrial Technologies at PCC.

Instead of cutting manufacturing programs, Madray's adjusting them to meet the demand.

"We listen to the voice of the employer,” he said.  "It's all computerized.  So you have to have really good computer schools, you have to have very good communication skills, and you have to be able to work in a team."

Professors say catering to the employer leads to one thing, "It just means success,” said Sabo.  “I mean for me and for the student.”