Strategies to bridge the skills gap

1. Understand what skills your organization or country needs.

Ask yourself (or your team): What specific skills does your country or business need workers to possess? Answering this question can help you build a pipeline of workers suitably trained for the future labor market that requires both digital and relational skills, whether in regular employment, entrepreneurial ventures, or the gig economy. The best way to answer it is with national skills maps, or an overview of all the skills future employees will need not just technical and job-specific skills, but emotional, relational, and communicative ones as well. The maps should include standardized definitions and methods that measure whether or not a skill has been learned.

2. Leverage corporate training outside of corporations.

Many corporations have internal skills development platforms that help current employees acquire new skills. But what about their future employees?

By pairing elements from best-of-class corporate programs with a government-led national policy framework, stakeholders can jointly help establish a high-quality national skills development program that is germane to national and local populations, efficiently achieves scale, and doesn’t need to be built from the ground up.

3. Develop a regional and/or national skills forum to improve information sharing among all key stakeholders.

Sharing information about skills development across regions and even countries is an important part of solving the youth unemployment crisis. Why? Because the half-life of skills is short and getting shorter. We need a skills-in-demand forecasting engine that cuts across regions and industries. It takes employers, educators, government officials, and professional associations to work together to address trends in the job market, identify skills gaps, and support the programs that youth need to thrive.

4. Build a national digital skills verification trust.

Beyond interviews, aptitude tests, and online portfolios, employers lack a standardized, low-cost way to verify the skills new employees claim to have — regardless of their formal education level. Creating a global or national verification system enables employers to identify the most useful skills for their current employees and set up new hires for success by indicating what additional training they should consider. Although micro-credentials and digital badging are a start, a national system built on a technology platform such as a distributed ledger or Blockchain will help employees track and store their skill base and provide employers with a trusted and easily verifiable assessment method.

conclusion

The skills gap presents a significant challenge in today’s job market, impacting employers and job seekers alike. To bridge this gap, we must strengthen education and training systems, foster public-private partnerships, and embrace technology-driven solutions. By promoting continuous learning and identifying emerging skill requirements, we can build a stronger and more competent workforce prepared for the dynamic demands of the future. Addressing the skills gap is not just a necessity; it is a pathway to a more prosperous and thriving society.