Fatima el Idrissi currently works in a laboratory at a hospital in New York City, responsible for cleaning and disinfecting surgical instruments, earning an impressive $34 per hour, about NT$1,000. This is twice the income she made as a childcare assistant. "I had never heard of this job before," said the 38-year-old Idrissi, who discovered the opportunity to switch careers after watching a video in a Facebook group that highlighted the widespread shortage of surgical instrument disinfectors in U.S. hospitals. She was fortunate to find LaGuardia Community College, which offers vocational training and certification programs in collaboration with local healthcare providers. After completing her training, she has become a formal employee of Northwell Health, one of New York's largest healthcare systems. "I've taken my first step in the hospital and am looking forward to progressing to other medical fields in the future," she adds.

The Wall Street Journal notes that Idrissi’s career transition reflects challenges in the current U.S. labor market—finding effective ways to match job seekers with high-paying vacancies that employers struggle to fill. Many job seekers lack awareness of such roles, or worry that investing in training might not yield a return, resulting in a labor shortage in related industries. Despite Trump's push for tariffs to revitalize the manufacturing sector, truly fast-growing and promising job opportunities are primarily concentrated in healthcare, information technology, and energy sectors, which do not always require a college degree; professional skills can lead to salaries of up to $100,000.

According to the Burning Glass Institute, there will be 6.2 million jobs in the U.S. by 2024 that do not require a college or associate degree. More than 70% of these positions are critically understaffed, including high-paying specialized roles such as radiation therapists, nuclear medicine technologists, and air traffic controllers. Robert Espinoza, executive director of the National Skills Coalition, points out, "Many people spend large sums on training only to receive useless certificates, leaving them stuck in low-wage jobs. The U.S. needs a more integrated and coordinated career planning system."

In an effort to bridge the gap between education and industry, LaGuardia Community College began collaborating with employers in 2015 to develop practical training programs for surgical instrument disinfectors. President Kenneth Adams states, "As long as we maintain our partnership with employers, students will continue to enroll." Every weekend, students learn to use acidic and alkaline solutions to treat medical instruments and report on the chemical properties of disinfectants. Most students come from low-wage industries such as food and hospitality, hoping to transition into the growing medical industry. The course costs about $1,500, with most students able to receive financial aid through scholarships. Despite limited resources, these learners remain hopeful about finding life-changing opportunities. "We just want to find better jobs," says 38-year-old supermarket employee Albermis De Los Angeles.
34-year-old former restaurant manager Shyann Lynch, who was laid off during the pandemic, discovered the radiologic technology training program at LaGuardia via a Google search for "high-paying jobs with short training periods," later enrolling in the shorter disinfection course for a career switch. The real-life challenges students face can also hinder their transitions. Arlene Chico-Lugo, a case manager, actively engages with students, noticing many cases of domestic violence or homelessness. She assists with missed classes, rent pressures, and childcare issues, helping students apply for small relief funds provided by LaGuardia Cares. After completing the course, students must pass an entry-level certification exam and undertake a 400-hour unpaid internship at a hospital, while also juggling part-time work to make ends meet. Although the challenges are significant, the graduation rate exceeds 80%, and most students successfully transition into formal employment from their internship sites. LaGuardia's program creates a recruitment channel for employers. Alyssa Cugini, who oversees quality and improvement for Northwell's disinfection initiatives, remarks, "It had been difficult to recruit for these roles because there are too few people with clinical experience."