Combatting the Skills Gap: The Rise of Non-Traditional Education & Career Paths

By Stephanie Hein, ChangeMaker and past MakerGirl CEO

The United States has long been focused on preparing students for four-year universities. Students cram their schedules with AP classes, parents spend large sums of money on SAT/ACT tutors, and educators’ creativity is stifled by standardized test preparation. All the time, effort, and resources that students, their families, and schools spend on the university preparation process is completely worth it when a student receives an acceptance letter from their dream university. But what if our emphasis on four-year universities is misguided?

Our K-12 education system does an excellent job preparing students for four-year universities. According to a 2019 survey conducted by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 84% of high school students feel they have the skills necessary to succeed in college. In reality though, only 44% of high school graduates immediately enroll in a four-year university and almost a third of them will drop out before their sophomore year. Since the majority of high school graduates do not complete a four-year university degree, does our K-12 education system also do an excellent job preparing those students for success in the real world?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Our K-12 education system fails to adequately prepare students for success in the real world, and students, parents, and employers alike are sounding the alarm. According to the aforementioned 2019 survey, 75% of adults believe high school degrees should focus on providing students with the skills they need to succeed in the real world, but less than two-thirds of high school students feel they possess these skills. And the higher education system isn’t any better. According to a Harvard Business Review article, over half of college graduates have not applied to an entry-level position in their field because they feel unqualified. In terms of employers, a recent McKinsey Global Survey on future workforce needs found that 87% of business executives and managers say they are currently experiencing a skills gap or are expecting to experience a skills gap in the next several years. 

The skills gap, combined with the lingering effects of the pandemic and the increasing cost of four-year universities, has job seekers and employers increasingly turning to “non-traditional” education and career paths to gain skills, find jobs, and hire skilled employees. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Certification Programs

Certification programs involve completing coursework and tests to show mastery of a particular set of technical skills. One well-known certification program is Google. Google offers certifications in high-growth fields including data analytics, IT support, IT automation with Python, project management, UX design, and Android development. Google’s certification program benefits itself and job seekers. Google benefits as a company because the program creates a pool of qualified and skilled job candidates. Job seekers benefit because they gain in-demand technical skills at a tiny fraction of the cost of a four-year university degree. They have the added flexibility of completing the program online and they have a direct path to employment through a large consortium of employers, which includes companies like Google, Salesforce, Deloitte, Ford, Target, and more.

Another example is the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3). NC3 is a nonprofit organization that partners with industry to provide technical certifications to high school and college students. They offer brand- and equipment-specific certifications like Festo’s Introduction to Mechatronics, Tormach’s xsTECH Desktop CNC Router, and Snap-On’s Building Performance Instruments. Each certification verifies that the student knows how to safely and effectively operate the equipment, which is valuable to students as they apply for related jobs or education programs. The industry partners also benefit because the program creates a pool of certified and skilled job candidates. The increasing popularity of NC3 shows how some schools are beginning to recognize and adapt to the increased demand for technically-skilled students.

Shifting Hiring Requirements

Traditionally, many employers have relied on four-year university degrees to identify qualified and competent job candidates. Several factors, including the labor shortage, increased demand for technical skills, and the pandemic, have caused companies to move away from this strategy. Many notable companies have already adopted this strategy, including Google, Apple, IBM, Bank of America, and more. By eliminating the four-year degree requirement, companies are able to access a larger and more diverse pool of talent. Companies are also using pre-hire assessments and projects in order to identify applicants who possess the desired skill sets. This strategy also benefits job seekers because it opens up more job opportunities and doesn’t limit candidates with “non-traditional” education backgrounds.

Business-School Partnerships

Instead of waiting for the school system to shift their focus away from four-year university preparation, some companies are taking initiative and partnering directly with high schools and higher education institutions to prepare students for the workforce. One example is IBM’s Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program, which allows high school students to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree at no cost. The program focuses on preparing students for the workplace and students gain access to unique experiences such as paid internships, mentoring, and other hands-on experiences.

Another example is Lowe’s partnership with the Charlotte Talent Initiative in North Carolina, which aims to improve economic mobility for students in North Carolina.. Through this partnership, Lowe’s is supporting Queens University of Charlotte and North Carolina Central University through financial investment, full-ride scholarships, and academic programs to support career readiness. Students in the program will take courses developed by Lowe’s in management, business, and leadership. They will also receive mentorship and internship opportunities from Lowe’s. The program will benefit both Lowe’s and the participating students in terms of hiring talent and finding jobs post-graduation.

Certification programs, shifting hiring requirements, and business-school partnerships are just a few examples of education and career paths that are considered “non-traditional.” There are so many other options out there, including accelerator & incubator programs, apprenticeship programs, technical colleges & trade schools, co-op programs, and reskilling & upskilling programs. These options will hopefully continue to increase in popularity and become more mainstream as the demand for technical skills continues.

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