Recent graduates can’t land jobs, while employers complain that they can’t find people to hire. The facts just don’t add up, yet the troublesome gap is widening.
Educators, entrepreneurs and political pundits alike are weighing in on the so-called skills gap — the widening split between what educators are delivering and what today’s modern workforce needs. We live in a world in which half of the jobs today didn’t exist 25 years ago (think app developers, data scientists and social media managers), Dennis Yang writes on Forbes — so the gap is presenting an interesting hiring dilemma.
How can employers and educators anticipate and build skills for the future workplace that likely will change shape even faster in the coming years?
Accept and Adapt Practical Skills Courses
Students and experienced workers need to take education into their own hands, Yang says. There is already a healthy demand for online classes geared toward practical skills — the market hit $91 billion last year and is projected to top $256 billion in 2017, according to investment firm IBIS Capital.
Online platforms like Codeacademy and Dev Bootcamp offer classes in computer programming. Skillshare’s online, project-based courses focus on creative disciplines like photography, interior design and sound editing. With so many options to choose from, students don’t always know which ones will land them a good job. Yang says that companies will need to step in and apply the lessons of these programs in a more systemic way.
Make Job Requirements More Transparent
Employers also will need to alter the job descriptions they post, according to Yang. "Companies would define jobs not only by traditional job descriptions but also by a set of skill-based courses over which prospective jobs seekers can demonstrate mastery. Job descriptions could include a playlist of courses required to prepare for the job," he says. This strategy also applies to developing the skills of existing employees, who could benefit from individualized learning plans to help them reach the next level.
Rethink the Workplace Along 21st-century Lines
Many workforce training initiatives ignore new realities, Ira Wolfe writes on The Huffington Post. "Even when the skill training and education is on the right path, it doesn't consider how the definition of work, the description of a job, and the re-shaping of the workplace has changed," Wolfe says. Few jobs are permanent; more generations work side-by-side than ever before; and many employees work remotely. "Employers must rethink the concept of a workplace and the definition of work and jobs before they can expect communities and government to develop more skilled workers," Wolfe says.
Photo: Can Stock
Recursos relacionados
¿Quieres seguir aprendiendo? Explora nuestros productos, las historias de nuestros clientes y las actualidades del sector.
Publicación de blog
Las habilidades como moneda de cambio en la gestión del capital humano
Mientras nos enfrentamos a las complejidades e incertidumbres del siglo XXI, las organizaciones están abriendo los ojos ante una profunda realidad: el éxito duradero no se alcanza únicamente adquiriendo el mejor talento, sino alimentando y desarrollando las habilidades únicas que ya posee su personal. Adéntrese en la era de la ontología de habilidades — un cambio de paradigma que redefine la forma en que percibimos el capital humano e invertimos en el personal.
Informe oficial
Skills como hilo conductor en la Gestión del Talento
Según el Foro Económico Mundial en su informe de 2023, para 2027 el 44% de las habilidades necesarias para desarrollar el trabajo habrán cambiado. Además, se producirá una alta rotación en más de 150 millones de puestos de trabajos, lo que supondrá que 1 de cada 4 de los ya existentes desaparecerá.
Ficha técnica
Cornerstone Performance
Ya sea que realices evaluaciones del desempeño una vez al año o que cuentes con un proceso de gestión del desempeño sólido y continuo, con Cornerstone Performance, puedes establecer objetivos, capacitar a los empleados, recibir retroalimentación, guiar el desarrollo y brindar reconocimiento. Vincula de manera fluida los datos del desempeño y las habilidades con oportunidades de aprendizaje internas para favorecer el crecimiento impulsado por los empleados y respaldado por los responsables. La mejor manera de invertir en el crecimiento y los logros de la empresa es invertir en el crecimiento y los logros de tu personal con Cornerstone Performance.