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Changing the Paradigm Through a Focus on Skills-Based Education and Job Opportunities
Take these examples : A mid-career individual who dreams of a career shift but doesn ’ t even know where to start – they are seeking to re-skill .
A family breadwinner , whose “ steady and safe ” career trajectory is suddenly cut short by widespread layoffs , needs to find a promising new field of work that fits their skills and interests – they need to up-skill , and quick .
A graduating high school senior who is unsure about pursuing the traditional four-year college path to a career that may or may not be in demand by the time they graduate , if they graduate and if they even know for sure what career they want at 17 years old – they are looking at building new skills .
They are just a few of the millions of Americans in these exact same positions . Based on data from the U . S . Labor Department , between 10-20 million citizens were collecting unemployment assistance in February 2021 . Finding a job amidst so many unemployed competitors is difficult enough , but finding a career in a high-demand field that doesn ’ t require years of education and training is daunting .
Yet we know the demand is out there . As recently as a few years ago , according to SkillPointe . com founder and former NASCAR CFO Todd Wilson , “ there was already a talent
Todd Wilson shortage across several skills-based industries that are essential to keeping communities around the country moving forward .” That shortage deepened with the impacts of COVID-19 on jobs and industries nationwide . “ The job market is changing before our eyes ,” Wilson points out . “ There are more than 2.6
MARCH 2021 | 13 |