The findings of this study probably apply to Albuquerque and Bernalillo County as well.
University of Wisconsin Center for Economic Development
The Skills Gap and Unemployment in Wisconsin: Separating Fact From Fiction, February 2013, by Marc V. Levine
Executive Summary
The ‘skills mismatch,’ it is argued, is the central reason why unemployment remains high, even as job vacancies remain unfilled.
This widely held view, however, is incorrect.
The consensus among top economists is that the skills gap is a myth. High unemployment is mainly the result of a deficiency in aggregate demand and slow economic growth, not because workers lack the right education or skills
This conclusion, rejecting the skills gap/structural unemployment theory, has been confirmed in numerous recent studies
Even if every unemployed person were perfectly matched to existing jobs, over 2/3 of all jobless would still be out of work. And this calculation understates the jobs shortage, as it does not include discouraged workers or those involuntarily working part-time.
Beyond the anecdotes of local employers, the Wisconsin and Milwaukee labor markets show no statistical evidence of a skills shortage:
Wages: Wisconsin wage “growth” lags the national rate, another sign that there is no labor shortage here.
Hours: Average weekly hours worked in Wisconsin are down 4.3 percent compared to 2000.
Occupational Projections:Occupational projections for the state reveal that 70 percent of projected openings through 2020 will be in jobs requiring a high school diploma or less.
Underemployment and Workforce Over-qualification is the inverse of the one commonly put forward: it is a mismatch of too many highly educated workers chasing too few “good jobs.”
The study concludes with a brief analysis of: 1) why the “fake” skills gap, as The New York Times‘ Adam Davidson has called it, holds so much sway over policymakers in Wisconsin; 2) how the skills gap meme deleteriously diverts attention from other, more salient factors explaining joblessness here; and 3) why new workforce development policies, responding to an imaginary skills gap, will do little to improve the jobs situation in Wisconsin and in Milwaukee.
Anthony Carnevale of Georgetown, whose research is often cited
by skills gap proponents, put it this way: “Training doesn’t create jobs. Jobs
create training. And people get that backwards all the time. In the real world,
down at the ground level, if there’s no demand for magic, there’s no demand
for magicians.”
The complete report (1.7mb) is available in Adobe’s Acrobat format. Acrobat Reader is required to view the file. Use Adobe’s web site to download a free copy of Acrobat Reader.
A recent Associated Press article by Paul Wiseman says that top employers want college graduates with skills that don’t show up on school transcripts. I am hearing the same thing from local small and medium businesses about high school and community college graduates. So it’s across the board national and local.
Good potential employees have acquired the necessary knowledge and/or technical skills; exceptional potential employees also have ‘soft skills.’
So, just what are these ‘soft skills?’
works well in a team environment – gets along with co-workers
can write and speak with clarity and be understood – articulates ideas
adapts quickly to changes in technology and business conditions – solves problems on the fly – thinks on their feet
can interact with colleagues from different cultures and countries
And that’s the disconnect between what can be taught in a classroom and tested for to show progress for students, teachers, principles, school systems to state agencies and legislators – and what can’t be easily classroom taught or tested that employers are looking and needing to hire.
Solution: above my pay grade, but I can see and appreciate the problem.
“I had plenty of great resources and educators,” said Zak Malamed of his Long Island high school. “My dissatisfaction came from the lack of ability to be an individual.”
Zak noticed how #EdChat had quickly become a community that gave teachers a voice. He thought students needed the same and launched #StuVoice Twitter chats last May. During Teacher Appreciation Week, the first chat was “What makes a great teacher?”
His #StuVoice Twitter chats (Mondays, 8:30 EDT) grew quickly, “A few months after launching I was connecting with renowned educators.” He knew he was onto something and has started the process for Student Voice(Check it out!) to become a nonprofit.
During his freshman year at the University of Maryland, Zak said he probably spent more time on Student Voice than his school work but he “learned more from that than anything.” Zak said, “I learned how to work with and manage people, formed relationships, and had an incredible experience.”
Student Voice has expanded beyond Twitter to bimonthly Google hangouts. “We recognized the value of face-to-face interaction–it’s often less about the topics and more about the relationships formed.”
Lisa Nielsen (The Innovative Educator) introduced us to Zak. She noted that “He recently put together their first conference (sponsored by Dell) which was a terrific success.”
An added benefit of promoting student voice is that it “helps develop entrepreneurial mindset,” said Zak. He was frustrated with the limitation of his political science major
so he created his own major in social engagements–a study of social, media, business, civic engagement.
The young organization is supported by dozens of volunteer students like Zak. Like Zak, they are convinced that the “idea of student voice, as individual and organizational level, needs to be promoted.” He noted that “plenty of teachers inspired me, but I recognize how much work needs to be done.”
This thought provoking question and the comments that follow are almost an education in themselves. You certainly don’t have to be a rising high school senior to enjoy the real-life insights, appreciation. and wisdom from these sharings.
