-- Healthcare employment will generate 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs by 2018, more than any other industry, largely in response to rapid growth in the elderly population.
-- Pay in the healthcare sector is expected to increase 22 percent through 2018, compared with 11 percent for all industries combined.
-- Forty healthcare occupations are identified, each of which is more fully described in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Useful resources follow, such as the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs at caahep.org.
DEAR JOYCE: How would I get a job captioning TV programs? Does it pay well? -- G.V.
Broadcast captioners are trained in court-reporting schools, often for as long as four years, with tuition costs of $12,000 or more per year, not including equipment. You can study online. Captioning is a niche in the profession of court reporter. Certification and licensure may be required.
Pay depends on the type of reporting job, the reporter's experience and level of certification, and region of the country. Although a captioner in California can earn six figures annually, court reporters in general have median annual wages of about $50,000.
Get lots more info from the Occupational Outlook Handbook, www.bls.gov/oco. search for court reporter. Also check out: National Court Reporters Association, ncraonline.org, and National Verbatim Reporters Association, nvra.org.
A friend, Sharon Lemke, is a captioner -- she loves the job!