{"id":688,"date":"2025-05-03T15:57:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T15:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sounmpinc.org\/?p=688"},"modified":"2025-05-03T15:57:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T15:57:37","slug":"the-skills-gap-real-crisis-or-convenient-excuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sounmpinc.org\/?p=688","title":{"rendered":"The Skills Gap: Real Crisis or Convenient Excuse?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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For years, we\u2019ve been told that a \u201cskills gap\u201d is holding back the economy \u2014 that there are millions of open jobs, but not enough qualified people to fill them. Employers, policymakers, and trade associations all echo the same story: we just can\u2019t find the talent<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what if that\u2019s not the whole truth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What if the real problem isn\u2019t a lack of skills, but a lack of commitment \u2014 by employers \u2014 to hire, train, and compensate people properly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Employers Say<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. could face over 2 million unfilled jobs in manufacturing by 2030<\/strong>. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also reports hiring difficulties across sectors, especially in the post-COVID recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It sounds like a crisis. But take a closer look, and it\u2019s not that simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Are the Higher Wages?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a functional labor market, when something is in short supply \u2014 like skilled labor \u2014 the price (wages) should rise. But that hasn\u2019t happened at the rate you\u2019d expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Economic Policy Institute, wages in many so-called “in-demand” jobs have stagnated or grown sluggishly<\/strong>, even when employers claim they can\u2019t find talent. If companies really needed those skills, you would expect to see employers offer a higher wage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Job Listings Are a Mess<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employers often ask for \u201centry-level\u201d candidates with 3\u20135 years of experience, advanced degrees, and specific technical certifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A report by Burning Glass Technologies found that many employers, through not knowing the exactly what it take to do that particular job or wishing for the candidate to do multiple jobs (wear many hats) without the proper compensation, inflate job requirements<\/strong> unnecessarily, making it harder to find or attract candidates \u2014 even those who could be trained quickly. Employers are not aware that by training a candidate they see as having less than the dream requirements they wish for, they are letting go of a possible loyal employee or even a person that has other skills that in the long run could help the business (still looking for the unicorn employee).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This creates the illusion of a skills shortage, when the real problem is unrealistic expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Machines Are Filtering People Out<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automated hiring systems (ATS software) are part of the issue too. A 2021 study by Harvard Business School and Accenture found that qualified candidates are being screened out<\/strong> by algorithms looking for perfect matches \u2014 not potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So while businesses say they can\u2019t find good candidates, their systems may be programmed to reject them. In a society where interactions with other people cannot be based on algorithms, employers are not growing a more solid customer base, all they are doing is transactional relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nobody Trains Anymore<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It used to be normal for companies to hire someone with potential and train them. That\u2019s no longer the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), investment in workforce training has declined<\/strong>, especially for roles at the mid- and entry-level. At this moment, I do not fully agree with the notion employers are not training any more or decreased their training, I pose the idea that they are not training correctly. Sitting someone on a classroom, or even worse a Teams training does not qualify as training if you have no way to follow up not only to see if the employee has captured the core training, but or evaluate the growth of that person\u2019s knowledge. A survey will not do anything, but appease your sense of inadequacy, not your goal for company growth. Yes, the topic of training is a bit of a third rail for me since we have all seen talent being thrown away because companies do not \u201cinvest\u201d in the employees.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, many companies expect workers to arrive \u201cfully formed.\u201d That\u2019s not only unrealistic \u2014 it\u2019s also a recipe for perpetual vacancy. (Again chasing the unicorn)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Other Countries Get Right<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Countries like Germany run large-scale apprenticeship programs that integrate education and industry. Employers there help build the workforce they need<\/strong>, rather than waiting for perfect candidates to show up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the U.S., there are growing efforts to revive apprenticeships, but adoption by the private sector remains low. It seems that long-term planning for companies is a wonderful fairy tale instead of a strategy to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So… Is Business Serious About Hiring?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If companies are serious about solving the skills gap, they should start by asking themselves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n