7.5 Million Answers to “The Labor Shortage”

7.5 Million Answers to “The Labor Shortage”

Job openings remain near historic highs, according to new BLS data released this week: “The gap between job openings and hires reached its widest point ever. … Employers are desperate,” said Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter

Despite the avalanche of news reports on the Great Resignation, the “labor shortage,” and the so-called skills gap, Opportunity@Work’s new Rise with the STARs report shows that almost 7.5 million STARs - workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes, like community college, partial college completion, military service, training programs, skills bootcamps, and on-the-job learning - have been displaced from Gateway and Destination jobs that historically offered the widest paths to career advancement and higher earnings. 

I recently discussed these findings with a panel of expert practitioners, employers, and STARs in a revealing and energetic LinkedIn livestream. Millions of STARs are performing in these jobs and doing them well - which means there are millions of proof points contrary to the biased fear of a “lack of talent.” Employers’ cognitive dissonance remains a barrier to success in today’s talent market, and an opportunity to win through inclusion. 

In the recent “Opportunity Wrap," Cheston McGuire gives an overview on how the pandemic and racial reckoning pushed employers to change the way they hire, how scalable apprenticeship models can be blueprints to opening up pathways to STARs, and how HR practitioners can use Rise with the STARs insights and data to source STARs more effectively. 

There are millions of people who have the skills needed to do the work employers need to succeed, or to learn to do it very quickly once given the chance. In fact, some of them may be in your own company today, and yet their valuable skills are overlooked for superficial reasons - like the lack of a bachelor's degree. 

Get smart, get skills, get going. #HireSTARs. 

 All the best,

Byron

Bryan Peña

Growing Your Bottom Line & Improving Client Outcomes in the Future of Work

2y

Byron, thanks for sharing!

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Aaron Burciaga, CAP, ACE

Co-Founder & CEO @ AlphaAI | Operations Research, Engineering

3y

This is quite appropriate! I believe that there are many people out there who possess the necessary talents that businesses need, but who are unable to obtain these jobs because they lack a bachelor's degree. Companies should start paying more attention to people who have the necessary abilities to complete the work, rather than who has or does not have a degree. Many organizations, such as Google, are already heading in the direction of employing employees based on their abilities rather than their degrees. This fantastic effort should be emulated by other businesses. In other words, people should be hired based on their abilities rather than their academic credentials. Thank you very much for sharing.

Manuj Aggarwal

Top Voice in AI | CIO at TetraNoodle | Proven & Personalized Business Growth With AI | AI keynote speaker | 4x patents in AI/ML | 2x author | Travel lover ✈️

3y

This is apt! I agree with you that a lot of people are out there that have the required skills employers are looking for but because they don't have a degree they are not offered these jobs. Companies should start being more concerned about those who have the needed skills to get the job done and not who has or who doesn't have a degree. Many companies like Google are already moving towards the path of hiring people based on their skills and not on one's degree. Other companies should emulate this great initiative. In essence, people should be hired based on their skills and not their degree. A million thanks for sharing!

Martin Hoffmitz

Select Business Development/Innovation and Sales Help With Investments in Specific Companies Needing Capital and Help with Growth Strategies and Implementation

3y

I have experienced this first hand.. I am SUCH a Gem...

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