Thread by @william_r_kerr

Our @HarvardHBS MBA course on #ManagingTheFutureOfWork is underway!

I share a few key ideas from each class that sparked conversation.

Class 21 examined the middle skills gap & discussed ways employers can close it. @JosephBFuller's Bridge the Gap: hbs.edu/managing-the-f…

Bad middle skills pipelines are costly: attrition costs colleges $16bn & bad hiring costs employers $150bn. There are many reasons:
-The pipeline has leaks
-Signals w/in the system are weak
-Skills become obsolete faster today
-Education is expensive
-US public investment is low

Trends in employers' skills needs are complicating solutions. @Burning_Glass' report emphasizes the rapid growth of "hybrid jobs" that combine new skill requirements together not seen before. Foundational skills are changing - rapidly.
burning-glass.com/research-proje…

So what to do? Class identified two key steps:

1: Build a better education structure reaching beyond the 1st stage of life. Skill obsolescence & renewal are the new norm, and employers have a key role to play thru on-the-job training.

2: Skills deteriorating means educational institutions need to understand what to teach. Again, employers have a key role to play - they must communicate their needs to get the workforce they want. Class estimated 2/3 of core skills are stable - but the remaining 1/3 are critical