The conversation is beginning to go mainstream (again!) about the skills gap. Along with it, is a larger scale discussion about the general skills needed for a majority of jobs in the marketplace.
The Herman Trend Report mentioned this development recently in an article citing Author and Futurist, Ed Gordon. The piece focuses on Gordon’s thought that there’s a shift taking place from “The Information Age” to “The Cyber-Mental Age”. You can check out the full article here. Now, given that past “ages” have lasted several hundred (or thousand) years and The Information Age just ramped up a few short decades ago, I’m not sure we’re really shifting to something new just yet.
Regardless, in reading the article, these couple of sentences really struck me:
Prior to the Cyber-Mental Age (2010), we had a large percentage of jobs that required only minimal literacy and numeracy. Now, over 50% of jobs require high levels of literacy and numeracy, plus critical thinking, communications and computer skills. Only about 27% of the US workforce has these abilities.
Right after reading The Herman Trend Report, I see this headline from MSNBC.com: U.S. Workers Behind in Science and Math along with a quote that innovation in any economy depends upon math and science.
So, if we buy into Gordon’s idea that we’re leaving The Information Age and shifting to this supposed Cyber-Mental Age, then the resulting implication becomes that we are transitioning from automation to an era of innovation. An era where it doesn’t appear we have the necessary talent in place.
As I mentioned, I haven’t decided if I agree with the concept of leaving The Information Age. But I can definitely see where work is changing and skills aren’t keeping pace. If you’re interested in learning more, I found an in-depth article from T&D Magazine about Gordon’s ideas – you can download it here.
I don’t know that we have all the answers. But there are some heavy questions being considered. The solutions currently being tossed around about businesses investing in education and a complete revamp of the education system are IMHO spot on. But I can’t help but wonder: Will the conversation have to reach crisis proportions? When might that happen? And, at what point will we do something?
Image courtesy of Simutis [Nancy Newell]
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RMSmithJr says
As always, spot-in, timely and thought stimulating.
My first thought was a memory – have you read Daniel H. Pink’s book , A Whole New Mind? http://mainehrcafe.com/2009/08/08/a-whole-new-mind/
“Left brain thinking got us here as we went through Pink’s the first three of four stages of societal development.
1. Agricultural – farmer
2. Industrial – factory
3. Information – Knowledge
4. Conceptual – creaters and empathizers”
You have given me some good background reading for some upcoming opportunities – community college program advisory group this week. By the end of the month, a presentation at the local career center – aka un/employment office, and ending the month with another community college program meeting.
RMSmithJr says
Reading through the resources. STEM as generally understood stands for Science, Technology, Engineering & Math.
The MSNBC article restates them as science, engineering, computing, and statistics, or SECS. Just another symptom of the problem.
Ed Dodds says
Conversely,The Empowered Employee is Coming; Is The World Ready? forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2012/02/09/the-empowered-employee-is-coming-is-the-world-ready/
My biggest beef is that employers say they lack STEM candidates (and leaving aside the rampant ageism in STEM that hardly ever gets media play, or the H-1B visa fraud which results as they attempt to bring YOUNG [cheaper healthcare insurance] international workers) is that they cannot get beyond this geolocking of jobs (in order to appease taxing authorities?) when the great global grid continues to provide more and more broadband access. Middle management has got to learn to digitize their project management, deliverables and dashboards and stop their “walking around” and demanding commutes of employees who have better compute power in their home offices than in corporate cubevilles. #Results-Only Work Environments
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks so much for the comments. You’ve given me some food for thought as well.
The skills gap issue has many facets – not just defining the skills themselves but the wide net companies can cast to get the skills they need. It’s a complex problem that will need everyone’s attention to be resolved.