Alternative Learning, Talent Pipeline Strategies and Career Pathways Extend and Branch to Reveal New Opportunities
Burning Glass Technologies is one of many organizations pointing to the power of adjacencies to multiply the paths in a career map. With data about what skills exist in the workforce and what is needed, shortcuts to new roles start to reveal themselves. They found that “in all but two of [the emerging disruptive skills], there are at least 200 occupations that represent strong candidates for upskilling.” 20 Employers do have some practical steps available to create more on-ramps and to retain employees for hard- to-fill roles. For example, employers can be less subjective and more specific about what they’re looking for by clearly outlining the knowledge, skills, attributes and behaviors that are needed using a shared lexicon.
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Employers in our survey continue to seek more on-ramps for new employees and for more effective ways to upskill and reskill current employees. Of these, 57% of senior leaders expect a continued trend toward de-prioritizing the four-year degree. However, another 24% support the trend but have questions given the challenges of countering inertia. Asked what could influence this trend, culture change was cited as one of the biggest contributing factors: 44% say it will happen if organizations are more agile in general, and the same percentage say a significant obstacle is organizational resistance to change. The trend toward retaining and advancing incumbent employees to fill critical roles may be clearer, with 50% of people from large organizations saying they plan new efforts to reskill or upskill technology staff in response to the pandemic.
Second, training has to be connected to real roles. “CompTIA certifications are a requirement for us, but it absolutely benefits our employees by giving them real on-the-job skills,” says Muse. If you simply push skills without application, true learning is less likely to take place.
Factors driving employers to further relax or eliminate 4-year degree requirement for candidates
Factors inhibiting employers from further relaxing or eliminating 4-year degree requirement for candidates
General trend toward workplace agility and focus on skills/performance rather than degrees
44%
43%
General organizational resistance to change
Pool of 4-year degree job candidates, so even if requirement is relaxed most candidates will still have a degree
Sufficient evidence that candidates of all types can be successful
43%
42%
Employer mindset of not wanting to take a chance and belief that 4-year degree candidates are the “safer choice”
42%
40%
Greater commitment internally to on-the-job training
Students/parents having been told for so long that a 4-year degree is necessary
COVID forcing employers and workers to rethink all facets of employment
35%
40%
Lack of support or understanding of credentials and certifications
High cost of 4-year college degrees and more students/parents seeking alternatives
33%
40%
Cycle of hiring managers hiring candidates “like them” with a degree
Employer desire to expand candidate pool (especially in hard-to-fill positions)
33%
38%
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