Latest news with #skillsGap
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Graduating Into Uncertainty: Why Skills-Based Hiring Matters
As organizations continue to face growing skills gaps, HR teams are starting to rethink what a 'qualified' candidate looks like. By Lara Albert, Chief Marketing Officer, SAP SuccessFactors Graduation season is here, and for the Class of 2025, the usual mix of excitement and anticipation comes with an added layer of anxiety. These grads are entering one of the toughest job markets in recent memory, marked by economic uncertainty, hiring slowdowns, and rising competition for junior roles as AI displaces entry-level positions at an accelerated rate. But uncertainty is nothing new for the Class of 2025. These students applied to colleges during a global pandemic, spent formative years learning in hybrid or remote classrooms, and are now witnessing AI reshape the future of work in real time. According to research, of the 57% of seniors who entered college with a 'dream job,' fewer than half have that same goal today, and more than half report feeling pessimistic about starting their careers in the current economy. This wave of uncertainty presents an opportunity for both employers and graduates to adapt. For HR teams, it's a chance to rethink how early talent is identified and supported, shifting the focus from traditional credentials to skills and long-term potential. For graduates, it means continuing to build new skills post-graduation, especially those that AI can't easily replicate, and staying agile in a fast-changing job market. As organizations continue to face growing skills gaps, HR teams are starting to rethink what a 'qualified' candidate looks like. Traditional markers like degrees, GPA, or prior experience don't always reflect someone's true potential and can unintentionally screen out capable candidates, especially those who've followed nontraditional paths. That's why leading organizations today, like Capgemini, Grundfos, Frit Ravich, and SAP are investing to adopt skills-based hiring. By evaluating candidates based on their capabilities—what they can do, not just what they have done—organizations can uncover hidden potential, expand their talent pools, and open doors for candidates who may not follow a conventional path but offer tremendous value. In turn, skills-based hiring helps organizations build a workforce that's resilient and future-ready. In fact, two-thirds (64.8%) of employers surveyed by NACE reported that they already use skills-based hiring practices for new entry-level hires. By focusing less on resumes and more on real-world potential, grads gain a better shot at landing roles where they can grow and thrive, and organizations benefit from employees who can adapt and drive ongoing innovation and business success. A skills-first approach creates a more equitable and effective way to identify talent —highlighting ability over background, and uncovering value both externally and within your existing workforce. Here's how to get started: Rethink job requirements: Start by identifying the core skills needed for success in open roles. Many job listings include degree or experience requirements that may unintentionally exclude qualified candidates. Focus on must-have skills that will drive performance. Use skills-based assessments: Integrate practices like case study exercises or skills assessments into interviews rather than relying solely on candidates' resumes, educational background, or screener interviews. Increase skills visibility: Equip hiring managers with technology that makes it easy to see the skills a candidate has and where they align with organizational needs at scale. This allows for faster and more strategic hiring decisions. If you're graduating this year, don't let uncertainty hold you back. You may be entering a shifting job market, but your resilience, adaptability, and fresh perspectives are skills and qualities employers value. Here are a few ways to stand out: Lead with transferable skills: Communication, critical thinking, adaptability, and collaboration are among the most valued and transferable skills. These skills are in high demand and are often hard for AI to replicate. Show, don't tell: Use internships, job assignments, or volunteer work to demonstrate real world applicability of your skills. Portfolios, personal websites, or even social media content can bring your experience to life and give employers a tangible sense of what you can do. Embrace life-long learning: Learning doesn't stop when you graduate. Show prospective employers you're committed to growth by taking advantage of free or low-cost courses that help you build valuable new skills. Be flexible: Your first job is a steppingstone, but it doesn't define your career path. Stay open to opportunities that help you gain experience, even if they don't perfectly align with your dream job aspirations. This year's graduates are entering a job market in flux, but with the right tools and mindset, both HR teams and early talent can turn uncertainty into opportunity. Discover how SAP SuccessFactors helps organizations adopt skills-based hiring strategies.
Mail & Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Skills gap devours young people's dreams
Bias for academic qualifications over vocational training has led to an undersupply of skills in crucial areas such as equipping people to become artisans and entrepreneurs. Statistics South Africa didn't pull any punches in its The survey found that 46.1% of people in the 15 to 34 age group, and 62.4% of those aged 15 to 24, are out of work. The statistics agency said: 'For many young South Africans, landing a job is more than just a milestone — it is a crucial step towards economic independence and inclusion. Yet for millions, this first step remains out of reach.' The analysis looked at unemployment rates among young people with different types of education and said they illustrated 'the protective effect of higher education in a tight labour market'. Even so, 23.9% of university graduates and 37.3% of young people with vocational or technical training do not have jobs. While higher education clearly confers an advantage, these are alarming statistics and commentators speak with one voice about the reasons for the high youth unemployment. Factors they point to include: A mismatch between educational outcomes and market needs. The latest Under-investment in vocational training. The cultural bias for academic qualifications over vocational training has led to an undersupply of skills in crucial areas. The department list illustrates this, with screeds of positions for artisans at NQF level 4 (the equivalent of matric), such as welders, plumbers, tour guides and chefs. Lack of practical experience. Stats SA's analysis crystallises the issue: 'Without experience, youth struggle to get hired — yet without being hired, they cannot gain experience. This cycle of exclusion continues to fuel long-term unemployment and stalls skills development at a critical stage of life.' Deficiencies in foundational skills such as written and verbal communication; problem-solving and critical thinking; digital literacy and learning agility. Poor 'soft skills' such as teamwork, adaptability and emotional intelligence. Systemic challenge So much for the problem, which is about as serious an economic crisis as it's possible to imagine. What about solutions? It's clear that the education system faces a systemic challenge in its ability to adjust curricula in a way that prepares young people for the world of work, whether that means employment or entrepreneurialism. In response, the department of basic education is pursuing 'curriculum strengthening'. It's all about equipping learners with the competencies they will need to find jobs and emphasises the development of skills, values and character. The 'competency framework' covers curricula, teacher development, the learning environment, assessment and learning and teaching support materials. There's also a new focus on reading and language. According to The Fleisch says there's also a plan for three curriculum streams — academic, technical and occupational — in high schools, with learners choosing which one to follow exclusively from grade 10. Relevant education Learners from the technical and occupational streams will gravitate to vocational and technical training after matriculating, and in this sector, too, progress is being made. The department's deputy director general, Sam Zungu, said during a recent Vijayen Naidoo, chief executive of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations, said a big feature of the associated new qualifications is a greater emphasis on practical skills alongside theoretical and workplace modules. And technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges, not students, will be responsible for providing workplace experience. The shift is supported by investment in new TVET colleges, more online programmes and modules, lecturer training and a 'centres of specialisation' model that offers industry-led training and promotes entrepreneurism. Naidoo said TVET colleges would no longer 'produce learners for unemployment' by offering irrelevant courses. 'If we can develop enough qualifications that industry demands, we can guarantee a higher uptake of learners into industry,' he said. Importantly, only the 'appropriate level' of maths and science to practise a trade will be required, not necessarily a matric pass. 'We want to get people through from learning to earning as soon as possible,' said Naidoo. As a development agency with decades of experience in igniting human capacity through education, Kagiso Trust knows better than most about the difficulties of turning policy into practice — and the size of the investment required in teacher training and resources. These must become national priorities if we are to provide South Africa's young people with the launchpad they need and transform our economy. Dr Mankodi Moitse is the chief executive officer of Kagiso Trust and serves as co-chair at Kagiso Shanduka Trust.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jamie Dimon has a solution to the skills shortage
JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon said investing in schools can help close corporate America's skills gap. He told a room of business leaders that schools should work workplace skills into the curriculum. Dimon has talked about education before, all as the country's schools undergo potentially huge shifts. School might be out for summer, but Jamie Dimon thinks there's work to be done on America's education system. When asked how companies can address the labor shortage at the Business Roundtable's CEO Workforce Forum on Tuesday, the JPMorgan Chase CEO identified a different problem that can be at least partially solved in the classroom. "What you're really short is the skills you need," Dimon said. He said the business community needs cyber, coding, programming, financial management, and project management skills, among other things, and that investing in schools can help close the gap. "It's getting out and going directly into the schools," Dimon said to the room of business leaders. "I would guess most of us go to a lot more schools now." There are some "wonderful examples" of in-school programs that help kids get jobs after graduation, he added. Dimon, who is on the board of the New York Jobs CEO Council, which aims to shrink income and opportunity gaps, said curricula should change. High schools and colleges should continue teaching the typical topics — and, he said, "be proud of" American history courses — as well as more specialized, workplace-focused skills. Dimon's vision, as he laid it out on Tuesday, is that schools should offer classes that award credentials as part of a typical curriculum, not extra credit. He said that some schools are more open to working with the private sector than others. JPMorgan has various school and apprenticeship programs for skills like business management and technology, according to its website. Representatives for JPMorgan did not respond to BI's request for comment. Dimon has talked about education in the past, saying that there should be more workplace training and classes on financial education. "They all want jobs," the billionaire said on Tuesday. "Graduating, a lot of these kids end up doing — and it's not bad — but they end up doing retail or inventory or something like that, but there are jobs in coding, cyber, financial management." Dimon said businesses have a key role to play in solving these longstanding problems and can't rely on the government alone. The country's education system and universities are undergoing potentially seismic change under President Donald Trump's second administration. On the labor front, young people across the educational spectrum are struggling to find jobs, as AI gobbles up some entry level positions. Correction: June 17 — An earlier version of this story misstated the name of the conference. It is the Business Roundtable's CEO Workforce Forum. Read the original article on Business Insider
Mail & Guardian
13-06-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Cutting unemployment rate needs a national, coordinated effort
Universities and businesses need to close the gap between the skills being taught and those that employers need. As we head into the second half of the academic year, a year that has been marked by several student protests related to problems with accommodation and registration, it is also impossible to ignore the shadow cast by South Africa's persistently high unemployment rate — an issue that demands urgent attention from all sectors of society, including higher education institutions. In 2024, the country recorded the My fellow university vice-chancellors and I might be tempted to find solace in the lower unemployment rate for university graduates ( We must also play our part by constantly asking ourselves the same urgent question that should be keeping government and industry leaders awake at night: 'What can and should we be doing to help create employment and a better life for all South African and global citizens?' Feedback from industry leaders Around the world, there are growing calls for universities to close the gap between the skills being taught to graduates and those that employers need. Solutions must come from a collaborative effort involving higher education institutions, the private sector, professional bodies and the government. Based on my work with other university leaders and their teams, there is already widespread awareness of the need for our universities to continually enhance their graduate employability initiatives and the programmes that help students transition into workplaces. But the urgency of the situation demands that we constantly improve our efforts. We need to pay attention to feedback from the job market that the skills and graduates we are producing are not always aligned with industry requirements. To offer an example, South Africa produces a high number of lawyers across all universities. While the demand for legal eagles is unlikely to decline soon, to ensure sufficient opportunities for our graduates, curricula must by now include rapidly evolving areas such as data literacy, digital law, cyber law and global regulations. Most universities include private sector representatives and industry professionals on faculty advisory boards to ensure curricula align with real-world requirements. Still, we need regular interrogation of the feedback channels employed, the speed with which feedback received can be implemented, and a general commitment to 'always be doing better' by our graduates and our country. Micro-credentialing and online study One area where South African universities and other public institutions have been relatively quiet is micro-credentialing — courses which are generally much shorter than a bachelor's degree and which are aimed at teaching a particular skill. As universities continue to adjust to the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rapid upscaling of online education platforms, one beneficial side effect has been the proliferation of ways in which South Africans can gain access to education. Young people who didn't get into their institution of choice, people living far away from cities, older people juggling work and family commitments — all of them now have access to more online opportunities to learn. As the proliferation of micro-credentialing courses continues, the challenge for universities and their leaders will be to create offerings that help our students in the job market, and help employers meet their goals. It is also important for us to remember that our universities and graduates now face escalating competition from institutions worldwide. Adapting too slowly to a rapidly digitalising world will be to the detriment of the higher education sector, our graduates, and their employment prospects. Entrepreneurship, as we know, is a cornerstone of employment. Universities must promote entrepreneurial thinking and skills across all programmes to prepare greater numbers of graduates to start and grow their own businesses, or to use these skills in the organisations where they are employed. This 'think like an entrepreneur, everywhere' mindset has largely taken hold at most South African universities, which have over the past 20 years introduced programmes to provide our students with an introduction to the basics of entrepreneurship, regardless of their field of study. But universities can't do this alone. I must call on employers — whether you're a captain of a billion-rand industry, the owner of a small business that's growing and might just be able to provide a young person with a footing in your industry, or the director general in a government department — to join with higher education institutions to discuss internship opportunities to help more of our young graduates. Universities must also 'push our students out of the academic nest' by encouraging (or requiring) them to get out into the communities surrounding their campuses. Most universities already run community service modules that see our students applying what they're learning in classrooms to real-world problems. In turn they gain practical experience, and a more rounded understanding of what life is like for people of various economic and cultural backgrounds. Creating greater understanding and empathy while improving our students' practical skills is a win-win that will stand our country and world in good stead as the global scramble for resources intensifies, and the need to be gracious towards each other grows. South Africans have repeatedly shown that we are at our best when confronted with a big problem. Our university students and their passion for knowledge and commitment to creating positive change will hopefully inspire you as they continue to inspire me. In turn, we must not fail them. We must all do whatever we can within our sphere of influence to create employment for our future leaders. is the chairperson of the Universities South Africa (USAf) board and vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Pretoria.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Vocational training was one of my best decisions'
More women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds are being encouraged to consider careers in engineering and manufacturing. In-Comm Training, based in Aldridge and Telford, said it wanted to help eliminate obstacles faced by the communities as well as encourage firms to stick to their own inclusivity organisation provides apprenticeships and said it had targeted "hard-to-reach groups" in a bid to fill a skills shortfall in of those featured in a 90-second campaign video is Nteokan, a Wolverhampton Girls' High School pupil, who said she did not want to follow the same A-Level and university path as most of her friends. She started a Level 3 Machining Technician Apprenticeship in September 2023 and said choosing a work-based route had been "one of the best decisions" she had made."I've really enjoyed learning the technical elements and then immediately applying them to real-life engineering scenarios - all whilst earning a wage too," she hopes to complete HNC/HND courses next and is targeting an engineering design job. There is a skills gap in the sector and In-Comm said it was important not to exclude any group if the country was to fill jobs that the economy depends on. "There have been major strides made, but this is just the start," said In-Comm executive director Bekki Phillips."We want to accelerate the good work and help industry bridge the major skills gap we face by being even more inclusive." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
