How do we connect learning with jobs to meet the needs of citizens and businesses of the future?

Seven cities across the UK are taking the responsibility for addressing the skills needs city needs to succeed into their own hands. Taking a radically new approach to addressing skills gaps. One of the largest digital education and employment initiatives in the UK. 

Instead of looking up to the national government for a solution they are looking outwards towards their own communities of educators and businesses to develop their own solutions and embrace the latest digital badging and live labour market data technology.  

1. Mapping learning and identifying the skills needs.  Mapping happening across the city. Working with hundreds of educators and charities to map the learning that is happening across the city.  Identifying skills needs by speaking directly with employers and using the most sophisticated labour market data tools - diagnostics

2. Badging learning - using digital badges to recognise learning.  A global standard is used by businesses and universities globally. Used by the Open University and City and Guilds for qualifications and IBM for professional skills development. 

3. Quality assuring learning. This learning being recognised is quality assured using the National Standard for validating non-formal learning developed by the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA) over the past five years, originally developed in collaboration with City and Guilds and city and guilds group. 

4. A new platform connecting people with jobs based on their skills badges and interests. Connecting badges with jobs using a new platform Navigatr, developed in collaboration with cities.  A new platform that connects digital badges with routes to jobs has been developed and highlights skills gaps. The app is a step toward transforming labour market analytics into a powerful tool for employers to recruit, assess and engage the best talent. The launch of the app is timely as employers in the UK are increasingly struggling to hire the right talent for their businesses, for which they are now turning to the help of new technologies, specifically digital badges pathways to reach prospective employees who may not be yet aware of their on-the-job opportunities. 

5. Embracing a new global skills taxonomy.  When it comes to skills it's as if educators and businesses are speaking a different language. To address this the cities have embraced a new global skills taxonomy which is based on analysing 300 million career profiles, 10 Billion data points from dozens of government data sources, and more than a billion job postings to ensure.  Using these common skills makes the matching of skills with opportunities possible. An incredible two billion labour market data points are driving better connections between learning experiences and the jobs market to help people enhance their career potential and open the door to new job opportunities with the skills that employers are looking for.

This unified approach: 

• Maps learning across the city whilst mapping the skills needs of local businesses

• Collaborates with business and educational leaders and uses the latest labour marketing data tools to identify skills gaps 

• Combined with an established technology to capture learning has many advantages for individuals, educators, businesses and the wider community. 

Individuals get digital badges that help them stand out in the recruitment process.  The skills they are recognised with are mapped to the skills employers are looking for giving them more chances of connecting with an opportunity that enhances their career. Access credentials that are co-designed with employers that equip them with the skills employer are looking for. Time poor individuals micro-credentials without having to access a out of reach lengthy courses.  

People get digital badges that help them stand out in the recruitment process. 

Many people cannot afford long periods of work to get the skills they need.  Digital badging allows them to get recognition for the skills they need to help them quickly progress in their career.  Additional benefits include

• Recipients can be rewarded for their achievements outside of formal qualifications

• Enhanced reputation and credibility with accreditation which is endorsed by employer and RSA endorsement

• Can increase motivation and a sense of achievement

• Provide Improved visibility of skills and achievements that learners can easily showcase online

• Reduce time and cost associated with traditional qualifications

• Help see skills gaps through pathways

• Additional value by creating a direct connection to jobs

Employers, facing skills shortages and a tightening of the labour market where they are more vacancies than applications get access to a new local talent pool.  Jobseekers coming to them are sharing digital badges which are securely validated and communication skills in a language they understand because of the use of one global skills taxonomy. Employers can work collaboratively with education providers to quickly develop short courses and activities which develop the skills they are looking for.  Create pathways to their jobs, monitor how many people are engaging and feed this data back to providers and city skills leads. 

Easier to verify credentials than traditional paper credentials

Digital badges help employers recruit people by making it easier to identify ideal candidates and making skills-based hiring a more efficient process. Badges provide employers with metadata that goes beyond a logo, giving them extra information about the qualification and process that was required to earn it. This information is invaluable to employers when they are trying to decide which candidate is the best fit for a role. Digital badges can also act as a form of validation, giving employers the assurance that the candidate they are considering is qualified and knowledgeable.

Educators' existing courses and activities get promoted through the initiative and their programs are digital badges with skills that align with the skills employer are looking for.  Digital badging gives them a much more flexible form of accreditation which is flexible and can meet the demands of individuals and employees and develop new revenue streams where they act like a local awarding organisation. 

Cities that have previously struggled in the past to see an over view of learning and job opportunities in a region, as well as insights into how individuals are engaging with these opportunities and progressing towards their goals.

It will also provide you with critical data, allowing you to see which pathways and activities are effective for which groups, and which ones need more work to allow individuals to reach their full potential and benefit the community and your programme.

The Labour Market Trends Dashboard will provide you with the necessary data to identify trends and demands for skills, so you can create a successful skill strategy in your region.

Different requires local orchestration by local stakeholders

Moving from a passive acceptance of the way things are to activate participation in the solution. 

How can you get involved

• Get on a badge writing workshop - design badges quickly for employers or provider. Quick easy and subsidised

• Pledge to look for badges as part of the recruitment process. 

• Connecting platforms, check out the API to connect existing platforms. 

Our mission is to help unlock human potential, recognise millions for their skills and inspire them with routes to a better future. If you’d like to collaborate with us get in touch.  

References: 

https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/what-is-the-skills-gap

What is the skills gap? 

Stats on skills shortages from the British Chamber of Commerce 

Nearly three-quarters of firms experiencing a skills shortage say the issue is impacting on their existing workers’ wellbeing.