The Penn Foster Blog

The United States ended 2018 with some of the lowest unemployment rates seen in decades. This great news for the economy brings challenges for businesses trying to fill open positions or expand their workforce. Coupled with the low employment rate, the skills gap has also made hiring all the more difficult for employers. Tackling these challenges starts with exploring new strategies to help your business stay competitive in the 2019 hiring market.

If you walk into a public library today, you will likely encounter a very different environment than the libraries of your childhood.

The manufacturing industry is currently facing a workforce crisis that could potentially leave millions of lucrative jobs unfilled in years to come. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) reports, there are about 488,000 open manufacturing jobs in the United States. While the number of open jobs has decreased month over month, the number of unfilled manufacturing jobs is projected to continue to rise in the coming years. This trend could have a lasting effect on not only manufacturing in the United States, but also the overall economic growth in our country.

Make no mistake, the skills gap is real. Ask anyone trying to fill jobs in the manufacturing industry. The pace of technological change means that many people misunderstand the skills that are needed, and some who have them don't see manufacturing as a viable option.

Retail isn’t the only place where great customer service skills are essential. Businesses in almost every industry can benefit from helping employees build customer service skills.

When you select a training and education program for your staff, you're looking for more than ways to upskill employees. You're looking for a training partner who can help you realize a positive return on investment for your efforts.

Apprenticeships have almost reached the status of a buzzword in the discussion over how to close the skills gap. State Senators are introducing bills to make apprenticeships more accessible to high school students. Meanwhile, officials in Maryland are expanding a high school apprenticeship program that started in two counties out to the rest of the state.

Meeting the challenge of recruiting, developing and upskilling talent for today's most difficult to fill occupations takes strong partnerships and a willingness to share knowledge. By giving people more access to flexible educational opportunities, businesses and education partners help learners build better lives, improve career mobility, and empower them to follow their dreams. The end result is more graduates, increased skill attainment, higher enrollments, and some well deserved recognition for a job innovatively done.

An open job posting presents a real challenge for your business. Not only does hiring a new employee cost money, but the skills gap means that finding skilled and qualified employees is difficult. Some companies address this challenge by hiring from within. This strategy brings several benefits as long as your employees are ready for a promotion.