By now most corporations recognize that the United States is facing a skills gap. Yet there are still some people who refuse to believe the skills gap exists. While it’s tempting to claim that these skills gap deniers have some political agenda that can only succeed if the skills gap is proven false, the reality is that most people who don’t believe in the skills gap are looking at the problem too narrowly. 

The disagreement is understandable. Read a dozen articles on the skills gap and you’ll come away with at least six definitions of what the skills gap is. Some don’t even bother to define it, assuming a clear, shared understanding that simply doesn’t exist. 

To avoid that stumbling block, here is a definition to work from: the term skills gap defines the mismatch between the skills employers want employees to have and what applicants are actually able to do.

While libraries have significantly evolved over the last decade to become more technologically advanced, they have also progressed considerably when it comes to providing educational services to their patrons. This is especially important in a time when 73% of American adults consider themselves lifelong learners.¹ Nick Buron, Chief Librarian at a location that serves nearly 2.3 million patrons, takes it one step further and insists that lifelong learning is “no longer a luxury – it is a necessity.”

High-profile business leaders know the value of employee training. PwC Chairman Tim Ryan told the Wall Street Journal, “In the next three years, upskilling will be a required employee benefit just like a 401(k) or health care.” The promise of training helps you attract great employees when included as part of your benefits package. But employees aren’t the only ones to benefit. Your business can realize a positive return on investment by offering learning and development opportunities for your employees.

Alternative energy, especially solar energy, has become an increasingly in-demand resource over the last decade. There have been several reasons that have driven this demand, including environmental motivations as more and more people are looking for renewable energy resources. Additionally, the cost of installing solar panels has decreased dramatically. Since 2010, PV panel cost estimates have declined by almost 56% for residential installations, and over 70% for both non-residential/commercial and utility-scale installations.¹ The falling costs have increased the accessibility and demand, ultimately making solar installation skills more valuable in today’s job market.

You might already be convinced that giving your employees access to training and educational opportunities is good for them and good for your business. Now you have to decide what kind of learning opportunities to offer them. Should you hire an in-house trainer? Partner with a local community college? Provide tuition assistance for a traditional four-year institution? Online learning is becoming more and more popular. Is that an avenue worth exploring? 

The culmination of months or years of focus, rearranged schedules, and late night studying is a noteworthy achievement for any graduate, but is often even more so for those learners who pursue their goals outside of a traditional school setting. Whether through employer-sponsored upskilling and workforce development initiatives or personal efforts to start a new career path or advance within their current company, these learners are working toward a tangible outcome: improving their lives through education. And though that outcome alone is acknowledgement of success, there’s nothing that feels quite the same as walking across a stage with fellow graduates, family and friends: a cheering cacophony in the background. In fact, commencement ceremonies have become so ingrained in the culture of education that, without it, the dedication and work that lead a student to successfully complete their course almost feels like a cliffhanger ending in a movie with no sequel.