If you're interested in knowing where the jobs will be and what the workplace will look like in the near future, then recent information from two respected sources, T & D Magazine (published by the American Society for Training and Development) and the e-newsletter, The Herman Trend Alert (published by The Herman Group) will give you a good picture of what to expect. This information can help us, as career development professionals, better prepare our clients for the opportunities - as well as the challenges - in the emerging global workplace.

In June, the Herman Trend Alert noted that job growth in the technical fields is likely to outpace jobs in the non-technical fields in the near future. This shift, which has been going on for a while now, underscores the value of training and education in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) areas, which an earlier Trend Alert (June 16, 2010) noted as being a good bet for college grads looking for more job possibilities and higher pay.

In addition to the trend emphasizing growth in technology, demographic trends including the aging boomers, and the growing emphasis on healthcare will likely lead to more jobs in health information technology, health law, geriatric healthcare, occupational health and safety, and the pharmaceutical industry. Reflect on this information for just a few minutes, and you can easily come up with a list of at least a dozen related occupations that are likely to be in demand.

Earlier this month, the Trend Alert described additional jobs in other sectors and industries that are likely to be in demand due to the exploding growth of the Web, including the need for graphic designers, videographers, casual game/application developers, and software engineers. Further, changing demographics and workplace needs will emphasize the importance of other occupations. For instance, the increased number of people in the US who speak Spanish will likely increase the need for Spanish/English translators. And the workplace expectation of a more educated and trained workforce will likely increase the number of adults who will need further education to find jobs - which means an increase in the need for teachers and trainers with a background and skills in adult learning.

The urgent need to address environmental issues will continue to translate into growth in jobs that have a "green" component, and those that highlight conservation and protection of the environment (for example, consider all the different types of workers who are needed to aid in the recovery following the recent Gulf oil spill). Workers with training as "marine toxicologists, conservation scientists, marine ecologists, fisheries scientists, and policy makers for the oceans will be hired in record numbers" in the near future, according to The Herman Trend Alert (July 7, 2010).