Is the Skills Gap Actually a Communication Gap?
At a听recent听听featuring WGU School of Business leaders and T-Mobile executives,听Anne Clancy听challenged the听widely accepted idea of a skills gap.听
Clancy,听national executive听of听higher education strategy at T-Mobile, said,听鈥淭here鈥檚听a lot听of talk about the skills gap right now, and听I鈥檓听a big believer that听there鈥檚听really听not听a skills听gap.听I鈥檓听a believer that we have many students and graduates听that听have the skills听鈥斕齮hey鈥檙e听just not matching the same language that听we鈥檙e听looking for.鈥�
She continued, 鈥淗ow do we match what听student听output really is versus what听employers are听looking for in the right kinds of language, in the right context? Because I guarantee you that听there鈥檚听not听a gap. We have a听language听gap.听We have an听understanding听gap.听I think WGU does听a good job听of trying to close that, but we still have some work to do.鈥�
Bridging the Gap Between Students and Employers听听
By using a听competency-based education听model听from听day one, WGU has听consistently focused听on teaching real-world听skills that align with workforce needs.听Innovations听like the听WGU听Skills Library听and听WGU听Achievement Wallet听are听additional听tools that can听help听bridge the communication gap between employers and students.听
A听deeper look at the following three听areas听demonstrates听the university鈥檚听commitment to closing the听communication听gap听between employers and job seekers.
- Meeting employer听needs through听workforce-aligned听curriculum
- Creating skills libraries听for an agreed-upon labor market currency
- Offering the听WGU听Achievement Wallet, a Learning and Employment Record (LER)听to help degree earners better communicate with employers
Meeting Employer Needs Through Workforce-Aligned Curriculum听
91制片厂 was created听nearly 30听years ago听to听address听specific workforce听needs,听and听that focus听remains听true to this day.听It鈥檚听why the university听offers degrees in the in-demand fields of business, technology, health听care听and education. Every degree offered has been selected听to connect graduates听to jobs听that听provide听legitimate听economic听and societal听value to听both听employees听and employers.听
How does that look in practice? It starts by having a clear understanding of the skills and competencies employers听require听and then incorporating specific training into program curriculum.听听
For example,听Chris Lee,听president of WGU Academy,听notes听that WGU鈥檚听Front End Web Development听certificate program,听in partnership with听CodeSignal,听trains students for the assessment used by major tech employers to screen job applicants. He also points out that WGU partners with several large employers to provide tailored education solutions that听help听address听specific workforce needs.听听
"Employer validation is increasingly the key metric used by prospective students to choose educational programs,鈥� said听Lee. 鈥淎ligning educational programs with the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and mindsets expected by employers is paramount."听
Another听example is a recent collaboration between DaVita and WGU.听Amid the nursing shortage,听DaVita sought a way to train more nephrology nurses,听specialists听trained in kidney care.听听a听鈥渘ew course in听nephrology听available in the Registered Nurse-Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) and the bridge RN-Master of Science in Nursing (bridge RN-MSN) programs at WGU鈥檚 Michael O. Leavitt School of Health (LSH).听The nephrology curriculum听contains听seven modules and provides students with the necessary tools,听information听and practical experience to enter the nephrology nursing field specialty with听a strong foundation听in kidney care.鈥澨�
Creating Skills Libraries for an Agreed-Upon Labor Market听Language听Currency听
For students and employers to connect effectively, they must use the same language to describe skills. Too often, employers list skills one way while education documents list them another. Students are left to interpret and translate on their own.听
罢丑别听91制片厂 Skills Library听addresses this challenge by providing a shared, structured skills framework that both education and industry can reference. The library includes more than 15,500 detailed skill descriptors aligned to real roles and labor market demand.听
This shared framework helps employers more clearly define the skills they听seek听when creating job postings. It also helps students understand which skills matter for the roles they want and how their learning aligns with those expectations.听
When students can see the specific skills tied to jobs, they can make more informed choices about programs and credentials. When employers can reference a consistent skills language, they gain clearer insight into candidate readiness.听
Offering the Achievement Wallet, a Learning and Employment Record (LER) to听Help听Degree听Earners听Better听Communicate with听Employers听听
罢丑别听91制片厂 Achievement Wallet听is a Learning and Employment Record (LER) built on the听Skills听Library. Its purpose is to help learners clearly communicate what they know and听can do听using language employers understand.听听
础蝉听students听progress through their programs, the wallet documents and verifies the skills they have mastered. It shows how those skills align to real-world roles,听and highlights gaps that may limit access to certain opportunities.听
A skills wallet gives听learners听a clearer picture of where they stand and what steps to take next. Instead of relying on a听degree听title alone, they can explain their capabilities with specific, verified skill evidence.听
Employers benefit as well.听The wallet provides clearer signals of candidate ability and reduces听reliance听on听r茅sum茅s听as indirect proxies for skill. It supports听skills-based听hiring, especially as AI-driven screening tools increasingly prioritize structured skills data.听
More than 70,000 WGU students, graduates, and staff already use the Achievement Wallet. Designed to be learner-centered, it supports career planning from the start of the academic journey and continues to add value as careers evolve.听
鈥淏eyond the documentation of skills, the wallet acts as a鈥痗areer guide,鈥� said WGU Chief Academic Officer and Provost听Courtney Hills McBeth.鈥淯sers can see how their skills align with real-world roles, uncover gaps that may stand in the way of opportunities and explore pathways to close those gaps. For many users, this means transforming uncertainty into a clearer view of where they stand today and what steps will take them to their dream job tomorrow.鈥澨�
Together, the Skills Library and Achievement Wallet help close the communication gap between education and employment by making skills visible, portable, and understandable to all parties.听
A Needed Hiring Shift听
For these solutions to be most effective, awareness and support are听required.听WGU President听Scott Pulsipher testified听before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development on Dec. 10, urging lawmakers to support听Learning and Employment Records (LERs) that track and verify skills throughout a person鈥檚 life.听
鈥淭alent exists everywhere,鈥� Pulsipher told lawmakers. 鈥淏ut the systems meant to connect people with opportunity听鈥斕齟ducation, credentialing, and employment听鈥斕齛re misaligned and hard to navigate.鈥澨�
In addition听to an understanding of LERs, he听emphasized the growing need for听employers to lean more into听skills-based hiring, particularly as artificial intelligence transforms how employers screen candidates. He said LERs could help employers cut through r茅sum茅 noise by providing clearer evidence of a candidate鈥檚 capabilities, leading to broader and more听equitable听hiring.听
Next Steps听for Employers and Students听
听from听WGU听suggests that skills are听becoming听the new hiring currency.听Efforts like creating听robust skills libraries听and听LERs听allow job seekers to better package and communicate the听鈥渟kills currency鈥澨齮hey听bring to the table,听helping听job seekers and听employers听align听and do business together.听听
However, if听the goal is听to create听an equitable听and mutually beneficial system for both employers and听job seekers,听greater听awareness听and adoption听of these types of solutions, including a focus on skills-based hiring,听is听required听as part of a听broader participation听in a听future听that听benefits听everyone.听听
础蝉听听at the听recent听Human Potential Summit, 鈥淏uilding that future will require all of us to design jobs that empower growth, cultivate purpose, and strengthen connection.鈥澨�
罢补办别听础肠迟颈辞苍听
For employers interested in learning听how听their听organization can train a workforce equipped to thrive in specific roles, connect听here.听
For听students听looking to prepare for a specific job, check out WGU鈥檚听career guides听that show which degrees align with听certain jobs. Also, ask your听program听mentor about the WGU Achievement Wallet.听听
