How to Use Education to Solve for Employee Skills Gaps

Widening skills gaps are causing major setbacks for businesses. For unprepared employers, this talent drought means a growing number of unfilled jobs and increasing revenue risks.

To overcome these skills gaps, employers must focus on developing talent from within their existing workforce. Workforce education and student loan support  programs can help solve this dilemma, but only if they are implemented and managed strategically.

 

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FAQs: What Companies ask about skills gaps

What are skills gaps in a workforce?

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Skills gaps occur when a company lacks employees or qualified candidates with the skills required to perform the jobs that enable the business to compete successfully. Skills gaps have increased in recent years with the rapid growth of knowledge work, which has caused skills to become outdated in as little as five years. 

How can employers address skills gaps in the workforce?

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Investments in the education and training of existing employees can help to create a dependable pipeline of talent. Using workforce education and student loan supports, employers can attract and retain talent while solving for business outcomes.

How to solve gaps in employee skills

  • Start with sound strategy. Many companies dive into education  programs without clearly articulating goals, defining core skills, or determining how a program can help to develop the workforce
  • Offer employee coaching. Successful programs require professional advisors who can guide workers through all their options, helping them to understand how the program can both benefit their needs and address the company’s skills gaps. Working with a professional advisor can make education more viable for your employees.
  • Partner with education providers. The most effective programs identify key educational institutions that can provide critical training in accelerated time frames to help make more students likely to succeed.

Close skills gaps with Bright Horizons EdAssist

With more than 30 years of experience, Bright Horizons leads the way in employee benefit trends and workforce development programs. We understand how to design high-impact programs that address skills gaps and reinforce your employer brand. Our EdAssist Solutions help employers develop the benefits programs that drive powerful results in recruitment, retention, and talent development. 

With our solutions, you can connect your employees to affordable and accelerated programs for degrees and certifications that will enhance their performance, job satisfaction, and loyalty. And by aligning their professional ambitions with your business goals, you can help them develop the knowledge and talent to address a variety of skills gaps.

Our expertise in education benefits

You can turn your education investment into a cornerstone of your talent management strategy. Our team helps to identify the critical competencies needed to fill your skills gaps and connects you to the educational providers who can best train your employees. Your program will be administered on our proven education benefit platform that is designed to maximize your return while simplifying the experience for your employees and HR teams.

Highlights of Bright Horizons’ educational assistance programs include:

  • Partnerships with over 220 educational institutions
  • Exclusive tuition discounts and other cost savings
  • Online and in-person options that accommodate varied learning styles
  • Expert tuition policy consultants who can benchmark your program against offerings by competitors
  • A powerful administrative platform with a convenient mobile app
  • Detailed analytics on participation, retention, and engagement
  • Expert advisors to help employees understand their options and get the most from your tuition assistance program

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Explore solutions for your employees

Family care benefits have never been more important. See how Bright Horizons can support your team.

Bright Horizons is a United States–based child-care provider and is the largest provider of employer-sponsored child care. Employees looking to become a child care teacher are offered the opportunity to earn an early education degree for free as part of their corporate benefits. Search by zip to find a child care center near you. Bright Horizons Global Headquarters are in Newton, Massachusetts, USA.