Five hot fields for the future

We want our children to go to college for many reasons-from the life lessons they learn to the friends they make. But the biggest reason of all may be one simple, word: J-O-B. Yes, at the end of this journey, you just want your kid to be employed-and with any luck, he has his eye on the same prize.

But right now, it might be hard to imagine how the job market will look five or ten years down the road. In fact, futurists and employment agencies predict that young people will change careers between five and seven times in his working life-and the majority of those jobs don’t even exist yet.

So how do you help your child prepare for the unknown? You can start by sharing this list of hot fields with her. Twenty years from now, she’ll thank you.

A Healthy Market: If any field is recession-proof, it’s health care. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects to see more than 4 million new health-related jobs by 2018-more than in any other field. Physical and occupational therapists will be in demand, as will home-health aides, registered nurses and physician assistants.

But the top spot goes to biomedical engineering, which the BLS identifies as the fastest-growing occupation in the U.S. As the Baby Boomers age and the demand for new medical technology booms, the nation will need these brainiacs who create the products that keep us healthy. (Bear in mind, however, that because this group is relatively small, its fast growth rate will only produce about 11,600 jobs.)

Let’s Get Digital: Computers might not take over the world, but their role is only going to expand as your child becomes a full-fledged adult. The BLS predicts that the U.S. economy will need 2 million more techies by 2018, so if your student is interested in computers-beyond updating his Facebook account-encourage him to pursue tech-related courses.

Particularly hot jobs involve data security-not just to keep consumers safe, but also to protect governments in an increasingly connected world-and network systems analysts, who can keep tech-reliant companies on the cutting edge. Degrees in computer science and information management are likely to make your child very marketable come graduation.

See Green: Not surprisingly, experts predict a surge in jobs related to green technology-and colleges are responding. Students who understand alternative energy systems, such as solar and wind technology, and those who can design and engineer new systems will have the best prospects. Many community colleges and technical schools also offer certification programs in such programs as green building, wind energy field training and green data management-all well worth the investment.

Back to School: Thanks to more kids enrolling in school, the U.S. economy will see 1.7 million new education jobs by 2018. If your student is interested in becoming a teacher, encourage her to look into special-ed certification: the BLS predicts that the country will see a 20-percent jump in our need for teachers who are uniquely trained to help children with learning disabilities.

Show Me the Money: A degree in finance is one of the three most attractive to employers, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. (Engineering and computer science are the other two.) The BLS reports that employment in business and finance will grow by 1.2 million jobs, thanks in part to ever-changing regulations and the push for greater accountability. College grads who can demonstrate strong analytic and quantitative skills will have good prospects.

One final tip: Encourage your student to take courses in several of these areas, if possible, to boost his employability even more. Nurses who understand data management will likely have plenty of job security, as will finance majors who have working knowledge of green technology. And though he might not realize it now, one day, “job security” will be your child’s favorite two words-well, right after “happy hour.”