A study released Thursday shows that many Chicago area Latinos are facing a “blue-collar ceiling” and are likely to be stuck in low-paying jobs for the rest of their lives due to persistent educational gaps, the Huffington Post reports. The report, by the New Journalism on Latino Children project through DePaul University, was based on 2010 census data and claims that though the Chicago area has seen a boom in its Latino population over the past decade, that population could face dwindling job prospects unless they receive better education and more job skills than their parents’ generation, the Chicago Tribune reports.
“These kids need special attention,” said John Koval, the author of the report and a senior research fellow at DePaul University, according to the Tribune. “They’re coming from communities where going on to college, even graduating from high school, is not commonplace. … We’re not talking about social justice, social work. We’re talking about a pragmatic need in our country. These kids need to be educated and well-trained because this economy needs them so badly.”