A presentation I did for my course Employment and Labor in the New Economy at Brown University in the fall of 2014.

1. Combating the Technical Skills Gap
Destin Sisemore, Gabrielle Gennaci, Grant Senne

2. Defining the Gap

3. “Despite an abundance of
workers, too many simply
aren’t qualified to fill the jobs
available.” (Philips)

4. By the Numbers
- 13 million Americans are unemployed
- 90 million+ undereducated/unprepared for current
workforce demands
- The U.S. Department of Labor predicts a shortage of
more than 35 million skilled and educated workers
over the next 30 years
- By 2020: ⅔ of all new jobs will require a postsecondary
education (APSCU)

7. of Chief Academic Officers
believe their college
graduates are ready for
the workforce
of business leaders
“strongly agree”
96%
%11
only

8. MOBILE DEVELOPMENT
EXCEL
RUBY
SQL
TROUBLESHOOTING
UI/UX
JAVA
WORD PROCESSING
QUALITY ASSURANCE
STATISTICS
WEB DESIGN
CYBERSECURITY
AV SETUP
MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING
DATABASE MANAGEMENT
WORDPRESS
“Our economy is making an
unprecedented transition into
high-skilled, information-based
industries. This has created a
disconnect between the jobs
that are being created and the
current skills of many
workers.”

9. Solutions from the Private Sector

10. For-Profit Education

11. For-Profit Education
- Similar to a post-baccalaureate degree for
technology careers
- Employment guarantees
- Pricing structures attempt to increase
access
- Regardless: Still expensive, difficult, highly
selective

12. “...engineering isn’t just for engineers.
Interior design. Medicine. Architecture.
Music. No matter what a girl dreams of
doing, learning how to code will help her
get there.”
[ Approach: Corporate Philanthropy ]

13. $50m

14. [ Approach: Policy Recommendations ]
Businesses
- Tell students and educators
which jobs will be in
demand
- Expand internship and
mentorship opportunities
- Invest in startups
- Invest in employee
development
Government
- Pool money, invest in
workforce development on
the regional level
- Provide tax incentives and
grants for adult skills
development
- Create “degree equivalent”
credentialing

15. Motive?
- Future workforce
- Investment in diversity

16. Solutions from the Public Sector

17. Talent developmentTalent
recognition
Nonprofit Solutions

18. Education Adjustments
Alternative Education
- Charter Schools
- Community Colleges
Brown’s Strategic Plan

19. References
Clerkin, Kris. "Three Ways to Fix the Workforce Readiness Gap Revealed by the Gallup/Lumina Survey of Employers." College for
America. N.p., n.d. Web.
Didem Tüzemen, Didem, and Jonathan Willis. The Vanishing Middle: Job Polarization and Workers’ Response to the Decline in
Middle-Skill Jobs(n.d.): n. pag. Www.kansascityfed.org. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Web.
Lowensohn, Josh. "Google Investing $50 Million to Get Girls to Code." The Verge. N.p., 19 June 2014. Web.
Microsoft. 2014. “Building a 21st-Century Workforce Working Together to Meet Today’s Skills Development Challenges.” Microsoft
Policy Brief.
Paxson, Christina. Building on Distinction: A New Plan for Brown. Rep. Providence: Brown U, 2013. Print.
Philips, Matthew. "It's Not a Skills Gap: U.S. Workers Are Overqualified, Undertrained." Www.businessweek.com. Bloomberg
Businessweek, 19 Aug. 2014. Web.
"Report on the American Workforce." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d. Web.
"Skills Gap." Www.career.org. Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, n.d. Web.
"The Big Data Skills Gap: Are Schools Preparing Students for a Data-Driven Workplace." BI Software Insight. N.p., n.d. Web.