Students, before you take out that loan …

Student loan debt exceeds $1.5 trillion, with much of the money spent on careers that have very few openings. About 60 percent of these loans are now in default.

Many school counselors and parents encouraged students to continue education beyond high school, which is certainly a noteworthy goal. They failed, however, to advise these young people that they needed to select careers where there was a demand for their services.

There is still a real need for employees with advanced degrees. Here are a few where the demand is greater:

- Health Care: administrators; doctors; nurses; technicians

- Computer Science: designers; programmers; cyber security; repair

- Robotics: designers; programmers; maintenance

- Logistics: planners; packagers; delivery

- Local Government: planners; administrators

- Teachers: science; mathematics

These are careers where you can start at the bottom with good wages, year-round employment, and the chance for advancement.

- Research and Development: chemical engineers; biotech engineers; professional engineers. If you are financially capable to pursue these and other engineering fields, they are in demand nationwide.

Many technical fields are expanding so fast that the need for various services changes every 15 years. Learning is a lifetime project and if you fail to flow with the changes, you may find yourself unemployed in later years.

Each family should discuss their finances and the student’s drive to succeed. Some students would be better advised to pursue careers learned in technical schools, but choose carefully. Plumbers and HVAC technicians usually have year-round employment, as do local welders (nationwide, demand will decrease as robotics advances). Carpenters and equipment operators are in demand when the economy is expanding, but these careers are limited during our winter months.

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Leonard Brant is a Post Falls resident.