Throughout the country colleges are graduating hundreds of thousands of people with varying degrees. With a bleak economic outlook, some graduates are experiencing hard times finding jobs. But in Albert Lea and Freeborn County how do graduates fare?

“It’s probably a mixed bag depending on what your degree is in,” said Dan Dorman, executive director of Albert Lea Economic Development Agency.

For engineers and technical jobs, he said, the market is wide open.

Albert Lea has an unemployment rate that is slightly higher than average, but there are many technical jobs that go unfilled every day, according to Dorman.

Tricia Whalen, director of Placement and Graduate Services at Riverland Community College, said the job outlook is great for students with a career in the technical field.

“Many, many students have jobs lined up already,” she said.

The diesel technology program at Riverland has for the past five years had a 100 percent placement rate for its students, Whalen said.

Agriculturally related and medical jobs are also in high demand in the area — Albert Lea Medical Center is the No. 1 employer in Albert Lea, Dorman said. Laboratory jobs — food related or medical — are also in high demand.

Students in health sciences, nursing and radiography have a high placement rate after graduation, Whalen said. Radiography is at 100 percent. Nursing placement is starting to level off, but graduates are still finding a rate of 98 to 100 percent.

And even though the area keeps hearing about cutbacks in the total number of teachers, there are still many retirements happening and coming in the future so, Dorman said, there is always a demand for new teachers.

Overall, students coming out of Riverland have a placement rate in the low 90 percent range, Whalen said. She said she hasn’t heard of many programs having placement problems.

However, Dorman said there are certain jobs that would be tough to find in Freeborn County. For example, there isn’t much of a need for graphic arts or TV production. Graduates could find jobs in those areas — and there’s always entrepreneurial opportunities — it is just difficult to find a mass of job openings.

Another job that is rare to find in Albert Lea is that of computer or software designer. Whalen said in southern Minnesota — outside of Mankato or Rochester — computer professions can’t be found easily.

Liberal arts degrees will serve graduates well no matter what they do, but it would be difficult for someone with a political science degree to find a job in the field.

In a small area, Dorman said, it isn’t realistic that there is a wide variety of jobs to be filled.

But in this day and age, furthering education after high school has almost become a necessity, no matter what form that education comes in, Dorman said. Gone are the days when a high school graduate can walk into a middle-income job.

“I think that’s a hard thing for people to understand,” he said. “It isn’t coming back.”

The job market isn’t too bleak, Dorman said, for a recent graduate or someone who has learned a skill.

“They’re going to be, now and in the future, in demand,” he said.

Essentially, attaining a job goes back to the student and the way he presents himself, Whalen said. If a student is having a hard time getting an interview, she suggests looking closer at the resume. If a student is getting interviews but not hired the problem could be with how he interviews.

Recent graduates can always take advantage of college and local workforce center resources.