Episode: 399

Episode Title: Getting Technical

As the workforce continues to change, technical skills are coming to the forefront as a must-have for every younger worker. Here’s why, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 399 show:

Welcome to The Perna Syndicate today! This week, we’re talking about career exploration and what young people really need in order to thrive. Academic knowledge is still critical, of course, but kids are going to need more. Hard skills—or as I call them, technical competencies—are a must-have for young people entering the workforce today.  

Students can gain technical competency in a variety of ways, including career-focused programs, internships, apprenticeships, licensures, and more. Even part-time employment can develop technical abilities to some degree. 

As the workforce shifts, many employers are now looking at demonstrable skills and experience rather than the letters behind an applicant’s name. In general, they’re more interested in what the candidate can do than in the education that person has accumulated. 

No matter where they’re headed after high school—college, industry training, the workforce, or the military—every young person can benefit from mastering a technical ability. Marketable, real-world skills can help young people jump right into a rewarding career, where they can earn a living wage. Having a technical skill in their back pocket gives them more choices in their future education and career journey. 

Together, academic knowledge and technical competency are a one-two punch, but kids today still need the professional skills to tie it all together. 

On the next episode of The Perna Syndicate, we’ll talk about what professional skills are and why that term is so much better than “soft skills.” We’ll see you then!