State and federal labor data is showing a greater demand for registered nurses growing through 2018 and possibly beyond as the U.S. population grows older and the necessity for health care services increases, reveals the Fond du Lac Reporter. Careers such as occupational therapists, personal care assistants and certified nursing assistants also are expected as booming occupations.

According to Denis Winters, chief labor economist with the Department of Workforce Development, health care jobs have remained one of the soundest careers during the recession. "From an occupational point of view, the projections show they will continue to be strong here on out and certainly over the next 10 years," Winters added.

Labor shortages and the influx of skilled workers is an increasing worry among many business industries particularly in the health care field because more baby boomers are retiring and there are less qualified workers available to substitute those individuals.

Winters reveals that there were 80 million boomers born between 1946 and 1965, so there will be a surge in retirements in the next 10 to 20 years. "What it boils down to is the aging boomers and retirements are going to affect health care in two areas," he said. "On the demand side, as people get older, that will place more demand on health care services. And as boomers retire, you're taking a significant number of people out of the workforce," Winters also admitted.

In a way, second-career pursuers are helping meet today's staffing needs among healthcare providers. According to Kristin Matthias, an employment career specialist with ThedaCare in Appleton, Wisconsin, "We've seen a lot of people who have decided to go back to school for one reason or another." She revealed that "Some came in from manufacturing or some had a two-year degree who went back to complete a four-year degree for a more advanced job."

Matthias is responsible for finding qualified people to take on positions that are hard to fill, particularly pharmacy specialists, therapists, information technology professionals, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and administrators. "On the tough-to-fill positions, it may take up to a year to find the right person." She also admitted that said that national searches have become more necessary to fill some of these jobs.