Should you need a college degree to get a good job? Increasingly, employers don’t think so.
For years there’s been a movement among businesses to remove educational requirements for open positions. Companies say it’s working for them.
According to a survey of 1,000 hiring managers reported on by Higher Ed Dive, “84% of companies that recently removed degree requirements said it has been a successful move.” Those companies also reported getting more applications from more diverse populations.
And it looks like the movement to emphasize skills over degrees will only continue growing: 25% of employers surveyed said they will be removing “having a bachelor’s degree” from at least some of their job postings by the end of the year.
Businesses are increasingly desperate to find qualified candidates – and the move away from prioritizing degrees is a sign employers recognize they have to think differently about filling their labor needs. A recent survey by Workday showed that 51% of business leaders are worried about a shortage of qualified employees, and only 32% believe their organizations currently have the skills they need for long-term success. Many industry leaders believe that American businesses are facing a job training crisis.
The need for qualified employees isn’t changing – what’s changing is where and how companies are looking to find them. The new survey showed that 70% of companies consider relevant experience and skills to be more important than a bachelor’s degree. Education is good, but skills and experience are what companies increasingly want.
“Forty-two percent of hiring managers said Generation Z should prioritize gaining job experience over a degree. Hiring managers also said practical skills related to artificial intelligence tools and soft skills, such as strong interpersonal and communication skills, are important,” Higher Ed Dive noted.
Having the right skills – and showing you know how to use them – is only getting more important in a job search, whatever your education level.
That’s why certificates are becoming more important to companies and job seekers alike. Certificates demonstrate that you can do specific tasks on day one of a job, show employers that you can learn and think, ask questions and communicate effectively.
In response, innovative higher education providers like Calbright are reimagining college to meet these needs for job seekers and employers alike.
Calbight offers working-ageCalifornians free, industry-valued, certificates in fields that are actively looking for more qualified applicants, like IT Support, Cybersecurity, Data Analysis, Project Management, Network Technology, and Human Resources. These certificates are all designed to be completed in less than a year, sometimes much less, so that students can look for a new job fast. The programs connect students to real-world opportunities, like apprenticeships and internships, that help them demonstrate what they can do – and offer the experience employers are looking for. And Calbright provides help with networking and job searches.
It’s a whole new approach to higher education – one that fits the skills-based training students want now and meets the skilled labor force needs companies say works for them.
