FARGO N.D.
A study finds college students may not be prepared for the careers they want to pursue.
In North Dakota and Minnesota, the gaps are most apparent in the health care field, where fewer than 20 percent of students who want to pursue those careers are ready for college-level science.
The study is based on responses from students who graduated in 2007 and took the ACT college entrance exam. North Dakota and Minnesota may face labor shortfalls in fields where skilled workers are most needed, the report says.
Job projections show the highest growth will be in education careers in North Dakota and management careers in Minnesota.
Ed Colby, a spokesman for ACT, said educators should make students aware of what careers are available and what courses they need to prepare for those jobs.
ACT does not track how often students who say they’re interested in a certain career end up going into that field, Colby said.
