1 D Thursday, June 30, :45 a.m. Developing Skills Sought by Employers Nancy A. Woolever, MAIS, SHRM-SCP Bhavna Dave, PHR Director of Talent SHRM member since 2005 ©SHRM

Gearing up for College…Then Career Complete your education Leverage experiential learning Connect with professional association in your chosen field Connect with the student community in your field Connect with the professional community in your field Investigate competencies required for success in your field Learn new skills and apply them Gain experience Network 25

Is there a skills shortage? SHRM research shows: –>50% of employers report some level of basic skills/knowledge deficits among job applicants –84% report applied skills shortages in job applicants in the last year –Training existing employees is considered the most effective approach to fill the hard-to-fill roles

Skills sought by employers: developing basic skill sets Top basic skill shortages identified: –Writing in English –Basic computer skills –Spoken English language –Reading comprehension –Mathematics

Applying what you know to do your job: What applied skills do employers seek? Employers reported these are the applied skills that are lacking in job applicants: –Critical thinking –Problem-solving –Professionalism/work ethic –Leadership –Written communications –Teamwork/collaboration

Applied skills (continued) Oral communication Application of information and communication technology Self-direction/life-long learning Diversity Creativity/innovation Ethics/social responsibility

What does this mean for future job seekers? Current state shows a highly competitive market for talent Competition is likely to continue—becoming increasingly difficult to recruit the right candidates –Low number of candidates –Candidates lack relevant experience –Competition from other employers is fierce –Lack of technical skills among candidates –Local talent markets not building the pipeline of needed talent Increasing community efforts to build necessary pipeline –Problem spans multiple industries and in organization of all sizes

Future job seekers (continued) Baby Boomers will begin retiring at higher rates than previously –But companies that retain older workers will have an advantage –BLS: Overall labor force is decreasing –BLS: Replacement needs will exceed new job growth vacancies in 80% of occupations Apprenticeship programs available at larger organizations Having an education and career development plan means you can position yourself better for a good start to your career

Mastering your subject matter and other needed skills Investigate if your chosen field has curriculum standards –Attend a university that teaches those topics in the degree program Choose a major early in college—don’t wait until junior year Work with a counselor to select meaningful electives to round out your education Take advantage of experiential learning opportunities –Become involved in applied research studies –Take at least one course that requires consultancy work for a real company –Investigate and take as many internships as possible –Work-study, direct research, service learning, etc. –Student club? Join it. Lead it as an officer.

Connecting with Community Investigate professional groups in your community Join these groups or find out if students can attend the meetings Volunteer to help with projects or events for the organization –If there is something you’re particularly good at, offer to help –If you have developed one of the skills that employers are missing (see list above) offer to help. Ask about internships, part-time or summer work opportunities. Seek a mentor/Ask a professional in your chosen field to mentor you

Gaining experience Think in terms of building your résumé: –Gain work experience directly related to field of study –What types of work can you do or what types of activities can you become involved in? –Are there competitions in which you can compete? –Look for opportunities to build experience in basic and applied skills sought by employers. E.g., case solving competitions, essay writing competitions, etc. –Leverage volunteerism experience – volunteer for leadership roles to develop leadership skills

Your turn! Form a small group Take 5 minutes to discuss ideas for how to make the most of your experiences (education and experience) between now and the time you graduate from college. Report out

Questions? Contact me: Nancy Woolever Society for Human Resource Management LinkedIn: woolever-shrm-scp-8a6288https:// woolever-shrm-scp-8a6288