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I'm actually going to start today with a story, and then I'll get into a little bit of the context of the problem that we're trying to solve and how we're going about doing that. The story I'm going to tell is about Joe. Joe is a caller in the oil and gas industry, an older gentleman who has been working in that field for quite a few years. As many of you may know, that industry is changing pretty rapidly in Colorado. Joe found himself without a job, knowing he had really strong skills but not quite sure how to apply those skills to a new job. He did know that he wanted to go into sales, but that was about all he knew.
As he was searching for jobs online, he discovered Skillful. The resources and information available to him were incredibly valuable. He started leveraging it, and we also provide career coaching. Joe realized he needed just one more step to help him make the transition. He signed up for a career coach who helped him translate the skills he already had into the skills needed for a new job in sales. Together, they crafted a resume and honed his interviewing skills. Remarkably, within just a couple of weeks, Joe found a new job with a Windows manufacturing company. He attributes his success to the tools he found on Skillful, as well as the career coaching he received.
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That's the story of Joe. The problem that the Markle Foundation and Skillful are trying to solve is that the labor market is failing to clearly express the supply and demand of skills. This makes it difficult for job seekers—and Americans in general—to find meaningful career pathways, as well as acquire the new skills needed for a more successful career. The result is that job seekers cannot find meaningful work, employers struggle to find the talent they need, and educators face challenges in adapting to market demands to better support both employers and job seekers.
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So how are we going about this? We are coupling both digital tools with in-person support for job seekers and employers in order to solve this skills challenge. Our aim is to create a common language in the marketplace around skills. The Markle Foundation started Skillful, which is a partnership with LinkedIn and Arizona State University at the national level, along with numerous Colorado-based partners, starting with the governor and working with state, county, and city organizations, as well as nonprofits and educators across the state.
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We have tools to support what we are calling the ecosystem of a skills-based labor market. We view this ecosystem as a triangle, with employers, job seekers, and educators at each point. The tools available for job seekers are many and can be found on Skillful.com. The first is a Hot Jobs tool where we analyze employment data in Colorado to identify growing job types that we list on the Hot Jobs tool. We also leverage LinkedIn for job search functionality. When users find a hot job they are interested in, they can navigate to LinkedIn to see available positions.
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LinkedIn has also created a tool called Training Finder, available only in Colorado and Phoenix. This tool outlines all the training courses available for individuals interested in upskilling themselves. A critical component for training providers to be included in the Training Finder is their transparency regarding employment outcomes and costs. If educators cannot provide this information, they cannot be a part of the tool. Additionally, we have linked out to EDX, which offers numerous free online courses to support individuals in their career search.
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As I mentioned, we are attempting to couple digital tools with in-person support. We offer events and career coaches who provide virtual or in-person coaching to help individuals create skills-based resumes and develop action plans so that they can own their own pathways to success. We also organize events that bring employers and job seekers together, allowing them to learn from each other. Job seekers gain insight into available opportunities, while employers have access to a broader array of candidates. This offers job seekers real networking opportunities, an essential component of finding a new job.
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On the educator side, we are focusing on informing program development and the employment outcomes of their graduates. Our relationship with LinkedIn is crucial, as they have access to vast amounts of data about alumni that they can provide through customized dashboards. These dashboards show where alumni are going over time and how they compare to graduates from other institutions with similar programs. This data also helps educators understand the skills required in the job market.
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On the employer side, we aim to blend technology and data with in-person support. We've introduced a data-driven support approach using tools like O*NET and Burning Glass. O*NET is a federal database of job information, while Burning Glass analyzes job postings across major job sites. We started with 20 occupations in two industries: IT and advanced manufacturing, collecting data on what skills and competencies are needed to succeed in those fields.
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We then held roundtable discussions with employers to validate our findings and ensure the data aligned with what they are observing in their workplaces. The updated dataset serves as a practical guide for these occupations to help employers understand the skill requirements necessary for success. Thus far, we have focused on IT and advanced manufacturing but plan to expand into healthcare and other cross-functional areas, starting with business operations. We provide job posting templates that employers can use to create listings incorporating skills-based descriptions.
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We have also discovered that employers commonly state they hire based on hard skills and fire based on soft skills. Therefore, we emphasize not just technical skills required for occupations but also foundational and soft skills. Companies see several benefits to this approach. First, it broadens their talent access significantly. By focusing on skills rather than degrees or other proxies, they can identify a larger pool of candidates and fill their roles faster. Understanding what it takes to be successful in a specific job leads to greater transparency for both the employer and the potential hire.
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Moreover, addressing the skills gap is a critical part of the national conversation, allowing employers to contribute solutions within their communities and lead in this important dialogue. I would like to close with a story about an employer. In Northern Colorado, there is a company that manufactures very precise lenses for rifles. Historically, they have only hired individuals who could demonstrate skills specific to manufacturing this type of glass.
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However, somewhat on a whim, they hired a sushi chef for a specific role. This sushi chef has become one of their top performers because the skills necessary in sushi preparation—detail-oriented and precise work—adequately transfer to producing these specialized lenses. Now, the company is changing its hiring practices, recognizing that the competencies required are more critical than the specific experience in that industry. This story exemplifies what Skillful stands for.
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You can visit skilful.com to access resources for both job seekers and employers. I'd be happy to take a couple of your questions.
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It's super interesting to think about utilizing LinkedIn data as a programmer, and all the possible approaches to analyze that data. For instance, one might examine hiring trends at companies for particular jobs. A major issue with relying solely on credentials is that they often serve as proxies for lacking actual skills.
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Regarding pushback from employers, while they generally understand the importance of skills-based hiring, challenges often arise when they express concerns about how to implement these strategies and their lack of time to do so. For many small- and medium-sized businesses that lack dedicated resources, creating a skills-based hiring program seems daunting. Our goal is to simplify these tools for them, especially in person. Still, the overall sentiment among employers is positive; the primary hurdle remains the time investment required.
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Another area of concern involves creating a business case for skills-based hiring. It is essential to illustrate how this approach can help them source skilled candidates quickly and cost-effectively while also fostering growth within their organizations. While advocating for this approach addresses significant socioeconomic challenges, it is crucial that it meets their bottom-line needs to gain buy-in from employers.
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Education providers, especially in higher education, are particularly challenging to work with. It can be tough to get them to engage actively in conversations about training outcomes and skills after graduation. Additionally, organizations in the training space have varying levels of willingness to share outcome data. Some are eager to analyze industry data and improve their own programs, while others are resistant or lack clarity on their outcomes.
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Overall, we are aware that transitioning military personnel into the civilian workforce may benefit from a skills-based approach, enabling them to articulate the skills they acquired during their service in ways that apply to various job roles. For example, I spoke with a training provider focused on cell phone tower repair who mentioned that many of their recruits come from backgrounds in military paratrooper training. They have the right skills for the job, demonstrating how essential it is to identify and communicate applicable skills. Thank you all for your attention.