Job Skills vs. Higher Education

As reluctant as I am to compare the two, as a result of a recently signed Executive Order its becoming increasingly necessary to consider the differences of job skills vs. high education in today's workforce.

Whether an employee or entrepreneur, you can and will likely be affected by this decision, as it will undoubtedly change the social and professional tone of businesses, large and small. The Executive order recently signed by Trump, essentially revamps the typical hiring practices of federal job requirements to prioritize jobs skills of applicants over education level. The move is intended to balance the playing field, allowing the most talented and skilled individuals to be considered despite having a degree, making the process more “equitable” as noted by Ivanka Trump. Ivanka is the Co-chair of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board. The order apparently does not eliminate the degree requirement completely but will stress skills in jobs where a degree isn’t as important. The order does however, direct federal agencies to vet candidates based on assessments that determine their level of job skill rather than educational credits and written questionnaires. 

So, what exactly is the difference? 

Job skills are abilities typically obtained through on hand experience that allow you to excel in the workplace. 

A degree is proof of your knowledge from an accredited institution that likely taught you about these skills needed in a field but may not have given you an opportunity to use them. Not to mention it cost thousands of dollars!

To be completely honest, the main differences between job skills vs. education is critical thinking, cost and barriers to entry.

Students with a degree from an accredited institution essentially can walk into a job with all the knowledge of how to do it, with a need to  gain experience of when and how to apply their knowledge in real world situations. Being trained in a skill more so gives you the ability to complete specific tasks that others may not be knowledgeable about, but often creates a need to fully understand typical business practices and why they exist.

Think of it this way, higher education may teach finance but it won’t make you a skilled CPA. A trained and certified CPA can do taxes but they may not be fully knowledgeable about budgeting, macro/micro economics, risk and insurance; things associated with running and maintaining the full finances of a company. 

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or employee, or maybe even a student I’m sure you’re wondering what exactly this Executive order means for you? 

Given everyone may not be as directly affected as federal workers, I’m sure we can expect a trickle down effect of the importance of these skills to the middle working class. Employers tend to adapt similar standards to streamline the typical requirements for a job based on the duties and job description attached to that role. It could be expected that private sector companies will also prioritize job skills over education. If you’re an entrepreneur, you may not work as much with a resume but you are likely still vetted in some way by clients or even other entrepreneurs. Regardless of your industry or role in the workforce, the need to show and prove your job skills is crucial. 

So...its time to BEEF it up! Your resume, your portfolio, your skill level.

Now is the time to upgrade them all. That means you should be researching the skills required in your market and in the roles you're looking to play and making sure you can show hands on, real world examples of your ability to use that skill. Your experience with those skills needs to be heavily highlighted in your resumes and portfolios. If you are lacking in any necessary skills now is the time to register for some online courses or even teach yourself some new skills. There are courses available at your local community college and even job training made available through your local government agency. If your access to those resources is limited, you would be surprised at the types of skills you can learn on YouTube.com; especially if you’re a creative. Whether customer service or forklift training, this is the perfect time to get educated and equipped with all the skills you can muster. Don’t count anything out; speaking, writing, correspondence, organization...are all skills! Anything that you can show you have done and created positive results needs to be readily available. 

Whether you’re highly skilled or highly educated, this move will affect the entire workforce...whether or not it affects you positively or negatively is highly determined by you!