US survey of 750 HR leaders indicates shift towards skills- and competency-based hiring

by Pisana Ferrari – cApStAn Ambassador to the Global Village

In a recent interview for “EdSurge” Sean Gallagher, Ed.D. (1) discusses the rapidly changing field of graduate education. The offer is booming and increasingly diversified, he says. Degrees now come in all shapes and sizes. There has been a lot of innovation in credentialing, with new forms, e.g. microcredentialing, as well as in work based learning and online education. Some universities are scaling down and lower cost solutions are available. The demand for degrees is there “but it doesn’t always have to be a Master’s”. Alternatives may include certificates, bootcamps, or even, in future, some form of apprenticeship, not necessarily offered by universities but also by other providers. 40% of all graduate education in the US in terms of enrollment is already hybrid or online, he says. At the same time, a survey of 750 HR leaders across all industries/company sizes conducted by Northeastern University indicates that over half of the responders are looking at prioritizing skills over degrees. Something Gallagher is following closely. Could it be that, as skills that workers need to be trained in are of a higher order than ever, and education needs to become more practical and work-oriented, the once clear lines between education and training are blurring? 

Sean Gallagher is Executive Director & Executive Professor of Educational Policy at Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 

Source: https://bit.ly/2Xtw4i6
Photo credit: Photo: Tim Gouw @ Unsplash