Maryland is expected to face shortages of workers to fill jobs requiring more than a high school diploma but less than a college degree - mid-skill jobs in Maryland that will make up the biggest share of openings over the next several years, according to a national study.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Maryland has a widening gap between work force credentials and the so-called “middle skills” needed for jobs that will account for 42 percent of all openings by 2016, reported the Washington-based National Skills Coalition, a worker training advocacy group.

The coalition projects more than 434,000 job openings in that category by then.

So what jobs classify as middle skill jobs? They are police officers, firefighters, medical technicians and therapists, electricians and mechanics. Nearly half of the jobs in Maryland are classified as “middle skill,” but just over one-third of Maryland workers likely have the minimum credentials to fill them, the report said.

The coalition has reported similar findings in each of the handful of states it has studied since 2007, when it released a national study that mirrored training versus job growth patterns.

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While a new liquefied natural gas facility could create new Maryland construction jobs, the idea of such a plant is already causing controversy throughout the state.

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently issued a conditional approval of an application for a liquefied natural gas facility and pipeline in Sparrow’s Point, Md. The move not only could create several Maryland construction jobs, but also some other permanent jobs at the plant. However, the state’s government feels the plant will only cause trouble.

Governor Martin O’Malley issued a press release stating that the construction of the plant could have catastrophic security and environmental implications for the entire state, including potentially severe impacts to the Chesepeake Bay area and the fishermen and boaters who use it.

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People in Maryland are focusing on green energy, something that could create many new Maryland construction jobs.

The largest solar manufacturing assembly plant, owned by BP Solar, is located in Frederick, Maryland. The plant provides plenty of skilled jobs for workers, and the further development of alternative energy could provide millions more jobs while at the same time increase the country’s independence on foreign energy.

According to an article by the Baltimore Sun, newly-elect President Barack Obama has promised to invest in alternative fuels. However, as the economy has made the cost of oil and natural gas lower as of late, that goal might be harder to reach.

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