Complement, Don’t Compete, in Addressing the Skills Gap

Educators, businesses and policymakers share responsibility for educating the workforce and addressing the skills gap. In 2018, I expect that the push toward apprenticeships will be a large driver of further collaboration between these stakeholders. The fact that Americans identify institutions across the board, as well as a lapse in personal responsibility, as reasons contributing to the skills gap indicates that this is a broad-based failure, and no one benefits from trying to single out one scapegoat. 

Ultimately, I think the greatest success will be found not in each sector competing to outdo the others in accomplishing the same goal, but rather continuing to explore how we can further complement each other’s strengths. At University of Phoenix, we’ve seen the success of this model in our partnerships with industry leaders and advisory councils. Keeping a constant finger on the pulse of the industry is the only way that institutions—and individuals—can ensure the work they do remains as relevant as possible. 

One other crucial area worth reflecting on in this ever-evolving skills gap discussion—overlooked pools of talented individuals. This doesn’t get nearly as much consideration as some other solutions, but the fact that remains that groups like our nation’s veterans have extremely valuable and diverse skillsets that translate to a wide array of careers, and employers would do well to keep this in mind as they explore all the options for addressing their skills needs.