BLS Shows 106 Sub-Baccalaureate Occupations. Use the List Carefully.

The number is useful, but it is not a launch list. BLS identifies 106 occupations that typically require postsecondary education below a bachelor's degree. Community colleges should treat that as the first screen in a portfolio audit, then test each occupation against regional demand, wages, employer evidence, and institutional capacity.

BLS published the 2024-2034 employment projections in August 2025. Its Career Outlook summary highlights occupations by typical entry education, including a group of occupations that usually require a postsecondary nondegree award, some college, or an associate degree rather than a bachelor's degree.

That matters because community colleges often argue for new programs with a mix of anecdotes, advisory board feedback, and broad labor-market headlines. The BLS table gives leaders a more disciplined starting point: which occupations normally require the kind of education community colleges are built to deliver?

What the Number Can and Cannot Tell You

The 106 occupations are not equal opportunities. Some have large national hiring volume but severe clinical, licensure, or faculty constraints. Others have high wages but small national employment bases. A few may be strong in one region and irrelevant in another.

The right question is not, "Which of the 106 do we lack?" The better question is, "Which occupations clear all four tests in our service area?"

• Demand: state projections, job postings, and employer interviews show sustained local need.
• Wages: regional wages justify the tuition, time, and opportunity cost for students.
• Feasibility: the college can secure faculty, equipment, clinical sites, internships, or apprenticeship partners.
• Fit: the program aligns with the institution's mission, geography, transfer pathways, and employer relationships.

A Better Portfolio Audit

Start by mapping each active program to the occupations it actually prepares students to enter. Use SOC codes where possible, not just program names or CIP codes. Then compare that map against BLS education requirements and regional demand data.

This process will usually reveal three different kinds of gaps. First, there are true opportunity gaps: occupations with strong demand, good wages, and no local training supply. Second, there are capacity gaps: occupations the college already serves, but where waitlists or employer demand justify expansion. Third, there are false positives: occupations that look attractive nationally but do not fit the region or cannot be launched responsibly.

Where Workforce Pell Fits

Workforce Pell raises the stakes for this kind of audit. The U.S. Department of Education announced a final rule implementing Workforce Pell on May 18, 2026, with eligible students able to receive Pell Grants for qualifying short-term workforce programs beginning July 1, 2026.

But Workforce Pell should not push colleges into launching every short program that can be packaged quickly. The better use is to identify short-term credentials that connect to occupations with verified demand and to longer pathways with real wage mobility.