By Craig Sprinkle
1/18/2024 – Fast Company Executive Board
For decades, employers in many industries have required a four-year degree in most of their job descriptions. Worsening workforce shortages across the U.S. economy are prompting employers to drop requirements that candidates must hold a four-year degree, particularly for middle-skill positions. This opens up the recruitment pool, allowing employers to recruit for soft skills and “train up” for desired competencies.
Dropping degree requirements drastically expands the talent pool—only about a third of Americans have a four-year college degree—and has the potential to drive gains in productivity, retention, and fit. Now that there are lots of online training options, employers have more tools than ever before to train new hires on the specific knowledge and hard skills needed to thrive in their workplace….Read the rest of Craig’s piece in Fast Company here.