Episode: 661

Episode Title: A Gap in Our Awareness

The skills gap starts with a gap in our awareness. And it’s time we came together to bridge it with purpose-driven learning. Stay tuned for more, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 661 show:

Welcome to a new week on The Perna Syndicate! I’m your host, Mark Perna. 

I’m not breaking any news by saying that we have a big skills gap here in the U.S. In fact my book, Answering Why, highlights how the core issue is really an “Awareness Gap.” The younger generations aren’t always made aware of the lucrative and fulfilling career paths that exist outside of the standard college pathway. 

This Awareness Gap continues to loom as a threat to the growth of the economy. According to research by Gartner, the skills gap has grown to now include a severe shortage of young professionals with IT skills. In particular, recent grads lack an understanding of areas like AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity.  

All of this casts some doubt on the future of technology and its ability to improve our lives. Some experts even believe that we will hit a technological stopping point because young people in general just aren’t equipped to step into these roles.

In many cases, our curriculum has not yet caught up to our lofty future tech goals. Nor has the “college for all” mantra been updated to embrace the many new and diverse pathways young people can take to get the skills they need.   

Purpose-driven education, at all levels of learning and experience, can be the ticket to a bright future—if we’re deliberate about closing the skills gap so that young people can achieve it. 

On the next episode of The Perna Syndicate, we’ll look at the history of the skills gap and how we’ve reached the point where we are today. Take care and we’ll see you then!