Is the Skills Gap Actually a Communication Gap?
At aĚýrecentĚýĚýfeaturing WGU School of Business leaders and T-Mobile executives,ĚýAnne ClancyĚýchallenged theĚýwidely accepted idea of a skills gap.Ěý
Clancy,Ěýnational executiveĚýofĚýhigher education strategy at T-Mobile, said,Ěý“There’sĚýa lotĚýof talk about the skills gap right now, andĚýI’mĚýa big believer thatĚýthere’sĚýreallyĚýnotĚýa skillsĚýgap.ĚýI’mĚýa believer that we have many students and graduatesĚýthatĚýhave the skillsĚý—Ěýthey’reĚýjust not matching the same language thatĚýwe’reĚýlooking for.”
She continued, “How do we match whatĚýstudentĚýoutput really is versus whatĚýemployers areĚýlooking for in the right kinds of language, in the right context? Because I guarantee you thatĚýthere’sĚýnotĚýa gap. We have aĚýlanguageĚýgap.ĚýWe have anĚýunderstandingĚýgap.ĚýI think WGU doesĚýa good jobĚýof trying to close that, but we still have some work to do.”
Bridging the Gap Between Students and EmployersĚýĚý
By using aĚýcompetency-based educationĚýmodelĚýfromĚýday one, WGU hasĚýconsistently focusedĚýon teaching real-worldĚýskills that align with workforce needs.ĚýInnovationsĚýlike theĚýWGUĚýSkills LibraryĚýandĚýWGUĚýAchievement WalletĚýareĚýadditionalĚýtools that canĚýhelpĚýbridge the communication gap between employers and students.Ěý
AĚýdeeper look at the following threeĚýareasĚýdemonstratesĚýthe university’sĚýcommitment to closing theĚýcommunicationĚýgapĚýbetween employers and job seekers.
- Meeting employerĚýneeds throughĚýworkforce-alignedĚýcurriculum
- Creating skills librariesĚýfor an agreed-upon labor market currency
- Offering theĚýWGUĚýAchievement Wallet, a Learning and Employment Record (LER)Ěýto help degree earners better communicate with employers
Meeting Employer Needs Through Workforce-Aligned CurriculumĚý
91ÖĆƬł§ was createdĚýnearly 30Ěýyears agoĚýtoĚýaddressĚýspecific workforceĚýneeds,ĚýandĚýthat focusĚýremainsĚýtrue to this day.ĚýIt’sĚýwhy the universityĚýoffers degrees in the in-demand fields of business, technology, healthĚýcareĚýand education. Every degree offered has been selectedĚýto connect graduatesĚýto jobsĚýthatĚýprovideĚýlegitimateĚýeconomicĚýand societalĚývalue toĚýbothĚýemployeesĚýand employers.Ěý
How does that look in practice? It starts by having a clear understanding of the skills and competencies employersĚýrequireĚýand then incorporating specific training into program curriculum.ĚýĚý
For example,ĚýChris Lee,Ěýpresident of WGU Academy,ĚýnotesĚýthat WGU’sĚýFront End Web DevelopmentĚýcertificate program,Ěýin partnership withĚýCodeSignal,Ěýtrains 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 thatĚýhelpĚýaddressĚýspecific workforce needs.ĚýĚý
"Employer validation is increasingly the key metric used by prospective students to choose educational programs,” saidĚýLee. “Aligning educational programs with the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and mindsets expected by employers is paramount."Ěý
AnotherĚýexample is a recent collaboration between DaVita and WGU.ĚýAmid the nursing shortage,ĚýDaVita sought a way to train more nephrology nurses,ĚýspecialistsĚýtrained in kidney care.ĚýĚýaĚý“new course inĚýnephrologyĚýavailable 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’s Michael O. Leavitt School of Health (LSH).ĚýThe nephrology curriculumĚýcontainsĚýseven modules and provides students with the necessary tools,ĚýinformationĚýand practical experience to enter the nephrology nursing field specialty withĚýa strong foundationĚýin kidney care.”Ěý
Creating Skills Libraries for an Agreed-Upon Labor MarketĚýLanguageĚýCurrencyĚý
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.Ěý
°Őłó±đĚý91ÖĆƬł§ Skills LibraryĚýaddresses 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.Ěý
This shared framework helps employers more clearly define the skills theyĚýseekĚýwhen creating job postings. It also helps students understand which skills matter for the roles they want and how their learning aligns with those expectations.Ěý
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.Ěý
Offering the Achievement Wallet, a Learning and Employment Record (LER) toĚýHelpĚýDegreeĚýEarnersĚýBetterĚýCommunicate withĚýEmployersĚýĚý
°Őłó±đĚý91ÖĆƬł§ Achievement WalletĚýis a Learning and Employment Record (LER) built on theĚýSkillsĚýLibrary. Its purpose is to help learners clearly communicate what they know andĚýcan doĚýusing language employers understand.ĚýĚý
´ˇ˛őĚýstudentsĚýprogress through their programs, the wallet documents and verifies the skills they have mastered. It shows how those skills align to real-world roles,Ěýand highlights gaps that may limit access to certain opportunities.Ěý
A skills wallet givesĚýlearnersĚýa clearer picture of where they stand and what steps to take next. Instead of relying on aĚýdegreeĚýtitle alone, they can explain their capabilities with specific, verified skill evidence.Ěý
Employers benefit as well.ĚýThe wallet provides clearer signals of candidate ability and reducesĚýrelianceĚýonĚýrĂ©sumĂ©sĚýas indirect proxies for skill. It supportsĚýskills-basedĚýhiring, especially as AI-driven screening tools increasingly prioritize structured skills data.Ěý
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.Ěý
“Beyond the documentation of skills, the wallet acts as a career guide,” said WGU Chief Academic Officer and ProvostĚýCourtney Hills McBeth.“Users 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.”Ěý
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.Ěý
A Needed Hiring ShiftĚý
For these solutions to be most effective, awareness and support areĚýrequired.ĚýWGU PresidentĚýScott Pulsipher testifiedĚýbefore the U.S. House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development on Dec. 10, urging lawmakers to supportĚýLearning and Employment Records (LERs) that track and verify skills throughout a person’s life.Ěý
“Talent exists everywhere,” Pulsipher told lawmakers. “But the systems meant to connect people with opportunityĚý—Ěýeducation, credentialing, and employmentĚý—Ěýare misaligned and hard to navigate.”Ěý
In additionĚýto an understanding of LERs, heĚýemphasized the growing need forĚýemployers to lean more intoĚýskills-based hiring, particularly as artificial intelligence transforms how employers screen candidates. He said LERs could help employers cut through rĂ©sumĂ© noise by providing clearer evidence of a candidate’s capabilities, leading to broader and moreĚýequitableĚýhiring.Ěý
Next StepsĚýfor Employers and StudentsĚý
ĚýfromĚýWGUĚýsuggests that skills areĚýbecomingĚýthe new hiring currency.ĚýEfforts like creatingĚýrobust skills librariesĚýandĚýLERsĚýallow job seekers to better package and communicate theĚý“skills currency”ĚýtheyĚýbring to the table,ĚýhelpingĚýjob seekers andĚýemployersĚýalignĚýand do business together.ĚýĚý
However, ifĚýthe goal isĚýto createĚýan equitableĚýand mutually beneficial system for both employers andĚýjob seekers,ĚýgreaterĚýawarenessĚýand adoptionĚýof these types of solutions, including a focus on skills-based hiring,ĚýisĚýrequiredĚýas part of aĚýbroader participationĚýin aĚýfutureĚýthatĚýbenefitsĚýeveryone.ĚýĚý
´ˇ˛őĚýĚýat theĚýrecentĚýHuman Potential Summit, “Building that future will require all of us to design jobs that empower growth, cultivate purpose, and strengthen connection.”Ěý
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For employers interested in learningĚýhowĚýtheirĚýorganization can train a workforce equipped to thrive in specific roles, connectĚýhere.Ěý
ForĚýstudentsĚýlooking to prepare for a specific job, check out WGU’sĚýcareer guidesĚýthat show which degrees align withĚýcertain jobs. Also, ask yourĚýprogramĚýmentor about the WGU Achievement Wallet.ĚýĚý
