Middle Skills, Major Impact: Unlocking Opportunity in a Shifting Economy

Amid economic uncertainty and growing concerns around the rising cost of education, one category of jobs offers a powerful, yet often overlooked path to stability and upward mobility: middle-skill roles. These positions aren’t new, but they deserve broader awareness as viable, rewarding and important career pathways.  

What Are Middle-Skill Jobs?  

Middle-skill roles typically require technical or specialized skills and demand more education than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree—think associate degrees, certifications or technical training.  

These roles span numerous fields but are often found in manufacturing, healthcare and cybersecurity. Positions like electrical technicians, surgical technologists, IT support technicians and pharmacy technicians all fall into the middle-skill category. In most cases, these are well-compensated roles that are accessible and affordable to pursue because they do not require a traditional four-year degree.  

These careers are especially unique because educational requirements vary across states, making them more accessible in some regions than others. For instance, a radiation technologist might need a two-year associate degree in one state, while a certificate program may be enough elsewhere. 

Why Middle-Skill Roles Are Often Overlooked  

Middle-skill jobs do more than provide economic mobility for Americans; they are essential to the infrastructure of high-demand sectors like healthcare, manufacturing and others. Despite the demand, compelling financial upside and accessibility of these roles, they remain stubbornly difficult to fill.   

Why? Awareness. 

While most people have likely heard about middle-skills positions, few can actually describe, for example, the role of a sterile processing technician or a cardiovascular technologist. These crucial positions operate behind the scenes, away from the “spotlight” of traditional career suggestions and far removed from dinner table talks or career days. Middle-skill roles have yet to be “validated,” accepted and celebrated as traditional career paths, and that must change to close talent gaps in critical sectors like healthcare and manufacturing.  

Additional Barriers to Access  

In addition to limited awareness, several other obstacles keep individuals from pursuing middle-skill careers:  

• Lack of funding for training: Recent Ready to Hire research found 98% of Gen Z jobseekers say they would be more likely to pursue an entry-level career in skilled trades —where many middle-skill roles exist— if training was funded, and nearly 1 in 4 (23%) cite financial resource barriers as a primary obstacle.  

• Uncertainty on employment outcomes: The report also found nearly 3 in 4 (70%) indicated they’re “extremely likely” to pursue programs offering paid training in skilled trades that lead directly to employment.  

• Existing skills gaps: Less than half (45%) in skilled trades roles felt that their training fully prepared them for their responsibilities and 20% of those who were looking for jobs in the skilled trades reported a lack of qualifications to move forward with applications.  

That’s where train-to-hire programs come in. These employer-connected pipelines help bridge the gap between curiosity and career, providing direct, paid training linked to real job openings that often come with a guaranteed offer of employment. More than an educational opportunity, these programs are transformational, delivering quick, measurable return on investment (ROI) for both learners and employers.  

Why Now Is the Time  

Historically, economic downturns spark a rise in college and training enrollment, as people seek to improve their professional prospects. But today’s learners are increasingly ROI-conscious. They want education that leads to a job—quickly.   

And this is why middle-skill roles are gaining attention now: they offer a clear pathway to employment without the time or cost of a four-year degree.  

Recent policy shifts, such as the expansion of short-term Pell Grants, could also open doors. These grants help cover tuition for programs that run between eight and 14 weeks, enabling more learners to access training without taking on debt. When paired with employer-backed initiatives, the result is a new model for career advancement—one that’s fast, flexible and financially viable.  

  

Middle-skill jobs are more than a labor market category—they're a lifeline in an uncertain economy. They offer stability for workers and a solution to talent shortages for employers. But to unlock their full potential, we must raise awareness, invest in scalable training programs and provide the support learners need to succeed.  

Now, more than ever, it's time to rethink what career readiness looks like—and to recognize that the middle may just be the smartest path forward. Cengage Work helps to create new skilled talent in critical fields through providing flexible, affordable online courses and programs that deliver outcomes for businesses and for students, learn more here.