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Archives for December 2025

Massive Skills Gap Ahead: US Needs More College-Educated Workers in Management and Nursing by 2032

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The US economy is on the verge of a skills shortage in critical occupations including management and nursing, according to a new report. 

Research from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) predicts that from 2024 through 2032, 18.4 million workers with postsecondary education will retire, far outpacing the 13.8 million younger workers who will enter the labor market with equivalent postsecondary educational qualifications. Over the same period, an estimated 685,000 new jobs are expected to be added, all of which require higher education and training. These two events will result in a major skills gap – posing a significant challenge to the nation’s workforce.

Key Occupations at Risk

The largest projected shortage through 2032 will be in management positions (2.9 million), a broad category that includes CEOs, and managers across functions such as construction, facilities, financial, general and operations, and sales. 

Managers cut across all industries and help organizations effectively navigate challenges, implement strategies, and achieve goals. While no single path or credential leads to management jobs, a majority (56%) of workers currently in management positions hold a bachelor’s degree or higher and 82% have education beyond a high school diploma, according to the report.

Healthcare will also be affected by the shortage. CEW projects a shortfall of 362,000 nurse practitioners and registered nurses, plus 42,000 licensed practical nurses, through 2032. 

“High turnover rates due to burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic and declining college enrollments in related preparation programs have exacerbated these shortages,” the report states. “Further complicating the nursing shortage is a related shortage of teaching faculty in nursing preparation programs, which may be due to faculty salaries that are lower than nurses can make in the field.”

In Wisconsin specifically, an aging workforce population could especially affect areas like manufacturing. For example, manufacturing in the state employs 131,000 workers who are 55 or older, according to Wisconsin Watch. Additionally, Wisconsin’s healthcare sector will soon be affected by professionals retiring. About 99,000 of employees in healthcare are 55 or older. The large number of working professionals on the verge of retirement will only compound the challenges of a skills shortage.

Why The Skills Shortage Matters

If the shortage isn’t addressed, there will be severe deficits in leadership and management, and in healthcare delivery. Without a steady supply of qualified managers, organizations may struggle to grow and innovate. Fewer nurses mean fewer people will be able to access patient care, which directly impacts public health. The skills gap “could hobble the American economy for years to come,” the report says. 

What The Skills Gap Could Mean For You

If you’re trying to decide on a career – or looking to pivot to a new career path – pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business or nursing will set you up to fill some of these important jobs.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) through UW Flexible Option helps you build a solid foundation of business skills. A BSBA is a versatile degree that can open many doors throughout your career.  Learn how to apply financial techniques and tools, address ethical issues in business, effectively understand and manage global business challenges and more. The UW Flexible Option BSBA degree offers two concentrations (General Business, Business Analytics and Agile Project Management) in addition to a stand alone Agile Project Management Certificate or Business Analytics Certificate that you can pursue while in the degree program or in lieu of a degree.

UW-Milwaukee’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) program through UW Flexible Option is a great way for registered nurses to advance their careers with a four-year degree. Work full-time while completing courses at your own pace, including a capstone course that will help you design, execute and implement a quality improvement project in your workplace. You’ll study an evidence-based curriculum that focuses on how you can improve patient outcomes – like Jordan, who worked with her clinic to offer healthcare brochures in different languages to remove communication barriers as part of her capstone project.

Are you ready to help close the skills gap? We can help. To find out more, contact an enrollment adviser at 1-608-800-6762 or learn@uwex.wisconsin.edu. For a full list of degree and certificate programs offered through UW Flexible Option, please see the programs page.

Thinking of Starting Your Own Business? Here are the Key Skills Owners Need – and How a Business Degree Can Help

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A solid foundation in business is important especially for small business owners, yet just over half – 52% – have at least a bachelor’s degree. If you’re a small business owner or have considered starting a business and want to cultivate your project management or strategic planning expertise, now is a great time to invest in your education.

Many business owners are tasked with taking on multiple roles within their organization, especially in the beginning stages when budgets are tight and don’t allow them to hire a full staff. While a business degree in itself can’t guarantee a small business’s success, it can help a business owner by giving them critical skills to navigate the many challenges of running a business. Statistics also show that workers with bachelor’s degrees tend to earn more than those without. Weekly median earnings for those with a bachelor’s degree are $322 higher compared with workers overall, and 40% of individuals with some college but no degree report that their lack of education has been an employment barrier.

Fundamental Skills Small Business Owners Need

Here are just some of the many skills small business owners need to compete in today’s challenging business environment:

  1. Financial literacy and money management. You’ll need to understand where your cash is going, how much profit you’re making, budgeting, forecasting and much more. To build your financial literacy skills, consider courses in financial accounting, managerial accounting, business algebra, statistics and sales.
  2. Leadership. When you hire staff, you’ll need solid communication skills to motivate your employees and resolve conflict. Courses in organizational behavior and leadership, business communication, and human resource management can help you better understand the needs of your employees and how to address them.
  3. Project management. A business owner usually wears many hats, so you must know how to prioritize your time while delegating tasks and keeping your business running. You’ll also need to understand how to keep projects on track, within budget, and on time.
  4. Strategic planning. You need to understand where your business is going – not just next year but five years from now. Writing a business plan and developing a roadmap is a great first step when building your business, but you’ll need to continue thinking strategically as you get your business off the ground and plan for the future. Business and consumer landscapes change quickly, so you’ll also need to be adaptable.
  5. Marketing. Because everyone sees ads, shops online, and spends time on social media where there are tons of product promotions, a lot of people assume marketing is something they can do even if they’ve never received formal training. However, thinking like a marketer and actually executing successful marketing campaigns are two different things. As a business owner, you’ll need to understand your target audience, develop a brand strategy, and analyze and interpret results.  

How the UW Flexible Option BSBA Can Help

The comprehensive Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) curriculum through UW Flexible Option gives you a chance to learn skills while applying them in a business setting. You’ll complete courses in accounting, project management, marketing, sales, supply chain, and much more. And because the BSBA is competency-based, you’ll progress based on what you already know instead of how many hours you spend in the classroom. 

If you already own a small business or are in the process of getting it off the ground, you can apply all of the skills you have already learned to your program and take control of your own education. Work full-time while completing courses as time allows like other business students have done in the past.

Are you ready to find out if a competency-based business administration degree is the right choice for you? Check out the AACSB accredited UW-Parkside Bachelor of Business Administration curriculum or contact a helpful enrollment adviser at 608-800-6762 or flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu.

Why a Professional Certificate Might Be the Best Fit for You

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Many professionals know that continued education can open doors—but when you’re balancing a full-time job and life’s responsibilities, how do you fit it in?

Increasingly, the answer is a professional certificate. Once a small segment in the world of continuing education, in recent years certificates have emerged as respected and sought-after credentials in the professional market. 

Enrollment in undergraduate certificate programs grew 6.6% this fall, the largest increase among all undergraduate credential types, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

The report also noted that enrollment in other credential programs is growing, including a 3.1% increase for associate-level certificates and 1.2% for bachelor’s degrees.

The Benefits of Earning a Certificate
Many certificate recipients are working professionals who have identified a skills gap that is preventing them from elevating their career to the next level. A certificate represents an expedited path to building more value in your current workplace. In as little as three months, you can gain knowledge in areas like project management, business, or healthcare that will benefit your employer and your career.

Because a certificate holds value on its own as a credential, you can pursue one to learn specific skills or gain knowledge in a single subject area. You will be able to apply the skills you learn in the certificate program almost immediately, making you more attractive to future employers. Adding these certificates to your resume and LinkedIn profile also shows employers that you’re committed to lifelong learning, professional development, and keeping up with industry trends.

How to Choose the Right Certificate
Here are some factors to consider when choosing the best certificate for you:

  • Consider the source. While there are seemingly endless options in online continuing education; the Brand Perceptions in Higher Education survey–commissioned by Ipsos OTX–revealed that hiring managers vastly prefer public university degrees.
  • Pick a format. You can find reputable certificate programs in both face-to-face and online formats. Choose the option that will best work with your lifestyle, and you’ll be more likely to succeed.
  • Understand the cost. The cost of a certificate program can vary greatly, depending on the format. Some certificates range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand or more. Instead of paying by course or by credit, UW Flexible Option lets you pay a flat rate for a subscription period. If you are highly motivated, you may be able to accelerate your progress and shorten your time to graduation. This structure saves you time and money.
  • Recognize the scope of the program. Programs that are too broad might not provide enough in-depth knowledge to be valuable, but with too niche a focus, you may have a hard time finding a job that would benefit from those specific skills. Ensure the certificate’s outcomes align with your career goals. 

Develop New Skills with UW Flexible Option Certificates
Here are several certificates available through UW Flexible Option that were created specifically with the working professional in mind:

  • The Project Management Certificate, offered in partnership with UW-Parkside, is ideally suited for employees with mid-level business experience whose careers would benefit from an increase in project management skills, or entrepreneurs who would like to improve their ability to lead projects within their own organization.
  • The Business Analytics Certificate, offered through the UW Flexible Option, gives you the analytical skills to lead change and solve the issues facing your organization by transforming data. You will learn how to use the right tools to distill data and communicate the results into actionable plans. Successful business analysts have strong communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
  • The Healthcare Informatics Certificate, offered in partnership with UW-Milwaukee, will expand your skills in informatics or data analysis. Whether you are an existing IT professional seeking a position in healthcare, or an existing healthcare practitioner interested in expanding your role to IT, this credential will signal to your employer your increased value in the workplace, and can lead to expanded job opportunities. The certificate may also give you a solid foundation to pursue a graduate program in the field.
  • UW-Madison’s Substance Use Disorders Counselor Certificate is the only state-approved online program in Wisconsin that fulfills the educational requirements for becoming a certified substance abuse counselor in the state of Wisconsin. Even if you don’t seek licensure, this program is a great way to build your knowledge about substance use disorders and better prepare yourself to help others in counseling, criminal justice, or other roles.

These certificates, like all the program offerings through the UW Flexible Option, are designed specifically with busy, working adults in mind. They’re competency-based programs—they allow students to leverage knowledge they’ve already mastered to move more quickly through the program. There are no rigid semester or course schedules; you can advance through the material at your own pace, mastering competencies in as little or as much time as you need.

Want to Learn More?
If you think a certificate might be the right answer for your educational needs and want to learn more about UW Flexible Option programs, call 1-877-895-3276 or email flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu to speak with an enrollment adviser today!