Better Alignment Needed Between Education and Workforce

Two in five employers believe schools aren’t sufficiently preparing students for careers in their respective industries, according to new data from YouScience.

The findings highlight a growing gap between traditional educational models and workforce demands, which is leaving students underprepared to fill available roles in the job market.

YouScience’s “2024 Workforce Report: Fixing America’s Broken Talent Pipeline” highlights employers’ hiring needs, perceptions of student readiness for the workforce and preferences for educational qualifications versus practical, on-the-job training.

Preparing the workforce: Across industries, employers are struggling to recruit qualified candidates; 38 percent of respondents said their biggest concern was finding candidates with the right skills or that there was insufficient alignment between educational outcomes and industry needs.

Forty percent of respondents said schools—both K-12 and postsecondary—aren’t sufficiently preparing students for careers in their industry, and a similar number (37 percent) said the preparedness of entry-level talent has not improved—or declined—in the past five years.

Employers say they’re the ones helping bring students up to speed; 86 percent say entry-level talent requires at least “a moderate amount” of additional training to be successful. Over one-quarter of respondents said talent requires “a lot” of extra training to be successful in their roles.

The survey affirmed a trend toward skills-based hiring, as well. When hiring entry-level talent, 31 percent of employers said on-the-job experience is more important to them than academic credentials. Employers in finance and insurance, health care and social assistance were more likely to prefer hands-on experience. Fifty-eight percent of respondents reported that educational background and practical experience are equally important.

When asked what kind of skills they value (soft versus technical), 47 percent said both skills are equally important, while 31 percent ranked soft skills higher and 22 percent ranked technical skills.

Building pathways: A majority of respondents (90 percent) said stronger partnerships between K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions could help improve their long-term talent pipelines, and 78 percent believe work-based learning and industry certifications are important in preparing new talent.

According to employers, the best ways schools can better prepare students for the workforce are through:

• Expanding hands-on learning,
• Improving soft skills training,
• Increasing focus on industry-specific skills/aligning skills and market needs, and
• Personalizing career counseling and guidance.

Additionally, businesses should be interacting with potential talent earlier, before they graduate from high school or college, according to the report: “Engaging students early can enhance recruitment efforts and develop sustainable talent pipelines, which is especially crucial in fields facing talent shortages, such as manufacturing, healthcare and information technology.”

Just under two-thirds (63 percent) of employers wait to engage with students after they complete high school, during college or after college, with only one-quarter connecting with learners during high school. Previous research by YouScience shows K-12 is the ideal time to begin career exploration, because it makes students more confident in their ability to make informed decisions.

More employers also said they were considering recruiting talent from alternative pathways, including apprenticeships, vocational schools and trade schools, but most high school students remain unaware of career and technical education programs or similar opportunities.

Do you have a career prep tip that might help others encourage student success? Tell us about it.