Education at Work’s Post

The world of work is changing rapidly, offering more pathways to success than ever before. A university degree is no longer essential for employment, as evidenced by many Gen Z individuals finding diverse routes into the workforce. When hiring, I prioritise skills, work approach, and potential for growth over perfect role fit. Employers often create barriers with demanding requirements like extensive work histories and multiple interview stages, hindering young people from gaining necessary experience. It's essential to make it easier for young people to transition into the workforce, and it is our duty as employers to ensure this happens. #genz #employement #employers https://lnkd.in/dS-b7yMs

Now obviously, a degree sets you apart from any other hiring candidates. It proves you had the time commitment and initiative to do something hard. However, for a lot of positions, you would rather have someone with the portfolio than the one with a degree. The New York Times highlights a shift in hiring practices, with companies like IBM considering candidates without college degrees. Harvard Business School research indicates that between 2017-2019, 46% of middle-skill and 37% of high-skill jobs didn't require bachelor's degrees, emphasizing skills over credentials. Advocates stress the need for a shift in mindset among employers. 💼🎓🔍 #SkillOverDegree #FutureOfWork #JobTrends #CareerOpportunities #AlternativePathways #EmploymentTrends

🔍 As we embrace skills-based hiring, we are not just aligning candidate skills with employer needs — but also advocating for a more inclusive job market that drives economic mobility. As Steve Taylor, D.B.A. and Taylor McLemore share in Governing, numerous state governments and major corporations are joining this transformative move and dropping college degree requirements, favoring skills and aptitudes instead. However, our journey towards emphasizing skills over educational pedigree will require more than policy changes. It demands technological innovations and systemic support. Read the full op-ed more ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e32TXH_e #skills #skillsbasedhiring #futureofwork #skillsfirst #lers

"When it comes to education and workforce pathways, the solution to choice overload isn’t fewer choices...but more accurate and clear information...Improving how students navigate their career paths will require a collaborative effort between policymakers, education leaders, employers, and workforce systems." Read Maria Flynn's Jobs for the Future (JFF) latest Forbes article, "Gen Z Demands More Paths To Career Success. It's Time We Listened." https://lnkd.in/eGF9uqDE #GenZ #careerpaths #solutions

This past August, I had the pleasure of delivering 17 opening keynotes for school districts, and today I shared that same message with superintendents here in Alaska. The key takeaway is simple: we must work to understand both our own generational biases in the workplace and the students in our schools. Here's a hint: it has less to do with technology and more to do with societal and generational differences that continue to evolve. Recently, I came across two contrasting perspectives on Gen Z (those born between 1995 and 2012): 1. A Newsweek article reports that Gen Z employees are being fired at astonishing rates for "not being prepared for the workplace." However, we should ask: prepared for whose workplace? They weren't raised or educated for the workplace created by Baby Boomers and Gen X. Let's not label them as lazy, but rather acknowledge they're different. https://lnkd.in/grKzNaxd 2. Another article discusses Gen Z, also now being labeled "Tool Belt Generation," highlighting a trend where young people are choosing manual trades over traditional college paths. Nearly half of young tradespeople say social media inspired their career choice. https://lnkd.in/gxK8QHDR Two key observations: 1. The trades are recognizing the power of social media in attracting talent. 2. This generation isn't lazy; they can be highly motivated when they see a clear purpose to their work. As educators and leaders, our challenge is to bridge the generational gap and create environments that nurture the strengths of Gen Z. We need to adapt our workplaces and educational institutions to harness their unique perspectives and skills. By understanding and embracing these differences, we can foster a more inclusive and innovative future for all generations in both education and the workforce. What are your thoughts on adapting to the changing needs and aspirations of younger generations? How much work is your organization putting in to understand the generation that is in our schools and entering our workforce and why they are the way they are? #GenerationalDifferences #WorkplaceEvolution #Education #GenZ

As Gen-Z students graduate and enter the workforce, many employers have questions on how to properly engage and attract recent graduates. #RUSCI Assistant Professor of Communication Mark Beal spoke with Inc. to share the unique qualities Gen-Z brings to the table. Professor Beal says they are focused on working "smarter, not harder,' and looking to contribute to a "better world." Read further here: https://ow.ly/a69z50R8tSl.

Gone are the days of college degree requirements for top-paying jobs. Investing in this skills-based, "new-collar" hiring approach benefits companies and workers alike: ▶ Expensive degrees don't necessitate in-demand skills. ▶ Less restrictions on the applicant pool cast a wider net to attract diverse talent. "We're slowly creeping up on a post-degree era. Industries everywhere are realizing that for a lot of fields, colleges and universities aren't teaching what businesses actually need," said Don Gannon-Jones. Don shares more with Bryan Robinson, Ph.D for Forbes.

What we're reading: an interesting article in the Business Insider. The call to move towards skill-based hiring, in theory, creates pathways toward more equity in the workplace. Based on a recent study by Harvard Business School however, "we’re seeing that in practice, a college degree still plays a major role in recruitment." This is why our combined focus on workplace AND college success is invaluable to opening doors to young adults who aspire to break into professional sectors that offer higher-paying jobs. #workplaceequality #skillsdevelopment #workplaceculture https://lnkd.in/ezzWhMT9

The current #workplace is home for some 5 #generations and generational #differences exist in #expectations and #behaviors as well as in #individuals, as they develop with #age and #experience. Surveys and research only confirm that in #complexevolving #human #systems things move and #change, even if around the same human core... To attract and keep #talent, #organizations need to become more #agile and mirror the moving targets of #individual and #generational #motivations and deliver #appropriate #policies, #practices, #management, #training, #development & #learning, to meet more specific and #sophisticated #multi #generational #staff #requirements. And build such flexibility around the solid and stable foundation of #universal #humanneeds such as #respect, #appreciation, #recognition and #opportunity to unfold #potential, in order to deliver to each #individual and across all #generations, alike. #HR #careemanagement #talent #complexevolvingsystems #complexity #generations EMCC Romania EMCC Global Costel Negricea Vlad Dutescu Mirel Bran Future of Coaching Collaboration (FCC) Rebecca Rutschmann #coaching #mentoring

Understanding Gen Z and what motivates them will help employers seeking to attract and retain this emerging workforce. Gen Z'ers exhibit several distinct characteristics that influence their career choices: they are tech savvy, purpose driven, flexible and adaptable. Discover more: https://hubs.li/Q02BWQy_0