Equip students with the soft skills they need. LEARN MORE ›
Nationally, the technical skills gap is growing because there aren’t enough qualified workers to fill open jobs created by an aging workforce and expanding industries. Burning Glass Technologies found that the demand for workers across 12 career areas surpassed the supply by a total of 4.4 million jobs – with gaps differing by industry based upon the skills required.¹
Generally, those jobs that required a higher level of training, like computer scientists, information systems managers, select trades and healthcare practitioners have more openings than low-skill occupations like Food Service Workers.2
Demand Exceeds Supply2
Demand Exceeds Supply2
Demand Exceeds Supply2
Give your students access to skill-building simulations that build the real-world skills hiring employers want.
Students are often taught that a secure financial future begins with a 4-year degree, which contributes to the growing skills gap in the 2-year trades schools.4 Even in areas where students are seeking 4-year degrees, like Management Information Systems, enrollment is behind job demand according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.5
The integration of software and hardware into manufactured products, plus the growing need for a digitized workplace to improve business systems and data security contribute to the skills gap. Businesses require an increased level of data security for their customers’ accounts, most home HVAC units can be controlled by your smart phone and the service engine light on your vehicle is often fixed by a software update, requiring a more technically skilled workforce. There simply aren’t enough trained people in the pipeline to keep up with technology enhancements or market demand.
Pave the path to employability by empowering students with job-essential computer skills.
An annual survey by the Career Advisory Board indicates that 69% of hiring managers agreed an applied technology skillset was a competitive differentiator amongst candidates, but applied technology skills still remain uncommon in today’s candidate pool.6
The most relevant applied technology skills include:7
Also known as foundational or baseline skills, Soft Skills are key to job success, but a recent report7 by Bloomberg NEXT says “new hires are not well-prepared to perform at a high level in a professional environment, primarily because of insufficient soft skills.”8
Incorporating soft skills training into your curriculum is easier than ever thanks to our partnership with S/P2.
# of Jobs: 2016: 749,900
Job Outlook: 2016 - 26:
6% growth (average pace)
Employment Change: 45,900
# of Jobs: 2016: 4,300,000
Job Outlook: 2016 - 26:
13% growth (> than average)
Employment Change: 557,100
# of Jobs: 2016: 1,449,400
Job Outlook: 2016 - 26:
12% growth (> than average)
Employment Change: 180,500
# of Jobs: 2016: 666,900
Job Outlook: 2016 - 26:
9% growth (> than average)
Employment Change: 59,600
# of Jobs: 2016: 332,900
Job Outlook: 2016 - 26:
15% growth (> than average)
Employment Change: 48,800
# of Jobs: 2016: 367,600
Job Outlook: 2016 - 26:
12% growth (> than average)
Employment Change: 44,200
# of Jobs: 2016: 404,800
Job Outlook: 2016 - 26:
6% growth (average pace)
Employment Change: 22,500
Learn how Cengage and key HVAC/R companies are preparing to fill the technician gap through recruiting, training and certification measures.
Discover content for your course that aligns to industry standards and helps meet students’ certification and exam prep needs.
A better way for students to learn the skills they’ll need for the job they’re working towards.
1. https://www.burning-glass.com/
2. Dan Restuccia, Bledi Taska and Scott Bittle "Different Skills, Different Gaps Measuring & Closing Skills Gap," Burning Class Technologies, March 2018
3. The Manufacturing Institute, Pew Social Trends
4. National Center for Education Statistics
5. Occupation Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 2018
6. https://www.careeradvisoryboard.org/
7. Anne Unger, "Annual Survey Reveals Importance of Applied Technology Skills to Employers," Career Advisory Board, March 2018
8. https://www.bna.com/uploadedFiles/BNA_V2/Micro_Sites/2018/Future_of_Work/Workday%20Bloomberg%20Build-Tomorrow-Talent_FINAL.pdf
9. https://www.bls.gov
