One of the missions of a community college is addressing the occupational education needs of the workforce. Although many industries are suffering from a lack of qualified candidates, a few stand out for their urgent need for qualified candidates. Court reporting is essential to the function of the criminal justice system in the US criminal justice system.
Once trained, a court reporter can make an entry level salary of $50,000-$60,000 per year or more. Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a court reporter shortage of 5,000 people. In addition, the agency predicts that the demand for court reporters will grow by 6% per year between now and 2030.
This is just one more example of an excellent, long-term employment opportunity that Washtenaw Community College could offer, but does not. Currently, Macomb Community College has the only court reporting program in the State of Michigan. Such a program would fill a tremendous need, both locally and nationally. A trained court reporter could – in theory – go anywhere in the United States and find gainful employment.
People trained as court reporters can also work in closed captioning and other transcription-based jobs. In addition, court reporters often have the flexibility to choose their own schedules. That makes the job ideal for working parents and people who want to work less than full-time.
Typically, court reporting programs lead to a certificate and preparation for a professional licensing exam. I am not a huge fan of certificate programs in lieu of a degree, but there are exceptions, and this is one of them. If WCC is going to focus on certificate programs, court reporting is a no-brainer. It is one of those programs that can lead immediately to a living wage position in a high-demand field.
Court reporting is one of many high-wage, high-demand jobs
The WCC Board of Trustees has an obligation to ensure that the college’s educational programs prepare students for positions in which they can earn living wages. Currently in Washtenaw County, a “living wage job” is one that enables a single adult (with no children or other dependents) to earn at least $40,000 per year.
Many of the College’s current certificates and associate degrees do not clear this bar. Preparing students for low-wage work is not only bad for the students, it’s also bad for WCC and bad for the local economy. When Washtenaw Community College does not take seriously its mission to prepare residents to participate in the economy in a meaningful and productive way, we all lose.
Photo Credit: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights , via Flickr
