ATD Bridging the Skills Gap-2015

INTRODUCTION | i
Workforce Development
Is Everyone’s Business®
Bridging the
Skills Gap

BRIDGING THE
SKILLS GAP
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS®

© 2015 by ASTD DBA The Association for Talent Development.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written
permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain
other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to ATD Public Policy,
1640 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
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ATD Product Code: 791512-WP
ISBN-10: 1-60728-136-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-60728-136-8
e-ISBN: 978-1-60728-135-1
Publication Date: October 2015
ATD EDITORIAL STAFF
Director: Kristine Luecker
Manager: Christian Green
Cover and Interior Design: Tony Julien
Production Manager: Dara Friel

CONTENTS | 01
Welcome 02
ATD Public Policy Council 03
Introduction 04
What Contributes to the Skills Gap? 06
The Impact of the Skills Gap 11
The Path Forward: Bridging the Skills Gap 16

Action Plan 24

A Vision for the Workforce 26
Case Studies 27
Methodology 34
References 36
CONTENTS

02 | WELCOME
WELCOME
Talent development professionals, business leaders, managers, and educators,
There is ample evidence that across the United States there are jobs not being filled. Yet, we have an
adequate supply of new entrants into the workforce as well as existing workers looking for new jobs
who do not have the requisite skills for these openings. It is hard to imagine a more important workforce
development issue affecting society than “closing the skills gap.” Thank you for reaching out for information
on this topic and examining the research in this ATD whitepaper. I hope that you find it informative and
useful in your efforts to identify and address any skills gap with which your organization may be dealing.
The new ATD research in this whitepaper and the corroborating research cited attempt to help today’s talent
development professionals succeed in their critical roles by illustrating where critical gaps are and providing
a road map for how you can add value to organizations and help them close those gaps. You will hear from
practitioners who share the challenges they face in their organizations and the insights they are gaining as
they work to close skills gaps. The perspectives offered point to the need for greater partnerships among
business, educational institutions, the public workforce system, and government agencies to determine the
critical skills gaps in specific regions or industries, and develop steps to close those gaps.
As with any worthwhile endeavor, this whitepaper was the product of a broad group of workforce
development professionals brought together by ATD and its public policy council. I have the privilege of
serving as the current chair of this council. It was their hard work, with assistance from ATD staff members,
that produced this report. I greatly appreciate the team’s work.
Our hope is that this whitepaper is a useful resource for you. Thank you for diving into this important topic
and please share any comments or insights you have. We can be contacted at publicpolicy@td.org.
Best of luck in your workforce journey,
Bill Docalovich
Chair, ATD Public Policy Council

ATD PUBLIC POLICY COUNCIL | 03
2015 Chair
Bill Docalovich
Director, Trades Services
Huntington Ingalls Industries—Newport
News Shipbuilding
Jacqueline (Jacque) Burandt
Senior Director, Center for Learning
Excellence
University Health System
Dana Alan Koch
Learning Strategist
Accenture
Cristina Masucci, CPLP
Senior Training Specialist
Delaware North Companies
Nadine Rothermel
Director, Management Development
Keysight Technologies
Norm Seavers
Associate Vice President
Institute for Economic Development
Broward College
Sal Venegas
Senior Director, Learning and
Talent Management
Walgreens
Public Policy Advisor
C. Michael Ferraro
President and CEO
TRAINING SOLUTIONS, Inc.
ATD Staff Liaison
Kristen Fyfe-Mills
Senior Manager, Communications
Association for Talent Development
The council is grateful to Patty Gaul,
writer and editor at ATD, for her
assistance in writing this report, as well
as Capella University, IBM, Newport
News Shipbuilding, Shady Springs Bank,
University Health System, and Valspar for
their case study contributions.
ATD PUBLIC POLICY COUNCIL

04 | INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
ATD defines a skills gap as a significant gap between an organization’s current capabilities and the skills it
needs to achieve its goals and meet customer demand. It is the point at which an organization may not be
able to grow or remain competitive because it cannot fill critical jobs with employees who have the right
knowledge, skills, and abilities.
“We have a significant skills gap in IT knowledge. . . . Our
equipment is becoming more high tech and requires more
than ‘break/fix’ skills. Skilling up a workforce with limited IT
knowledge can be a major challenge.”
This is just one comment from a respondent to the 2015
ATD Skills Gap Survey regarding the challenges that
are contributing to the skills gap and how it is affecting
their organizations. (Respondent quotes are called out
throughout the whitepaper.) The 2015 ATD Skills Gap
Survey was fielded in May 2015 and comprised a total of
17 questions. ATD received 786 responses of which 486
were analyzed. The input came from talent development
professionals with titles of manager and above, who serve in
organizations of various sizes and industries.
This is the fifth whitepaper researched and written by the Association for Talent Development (formerly
the American Society for Training Development) about bridging the skills gap; the first whitepaper was
published in 2003, and the most recent in 2012. This whitepaper discusses the changing nature of work and
reasons behind the skills gap, and provides recommendations for talent development professionals on steps
they can take to identify and close skills gaps in their organizations.
The skills gap in the United States and globally has gained significant attention during recent years. A range
of studies from nonprofits and businesses cite the skills gap, and while science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) are certainly part of the challenge—reflected by a recent post on eWeek titled “IT Skills Gap
Negatively Impacting Businesses”—it is by no means the only challenge. The middle-skills gap—those jobs
that require more than a high school degree but less than a four-year college degree—is being talked about
more and more. For example, recent articles titled “Working Here: Middle-Skills Gap Widens” and “Where
Are All the Middle-Skill Workers?” further bear this out (Louden 2015; Weber 2014).
We have turned down
or not even pursued
certain projects because
we do not have the
qualified people to
lead the projects.

INTRODUCTION | 05
Around the United States, JPMorgan Chase has
conducted studies analyzing the skills gap in urban areas
including Cleveland, Chicago, and Los Angeles. But the
skills gap extends beyond America’s borders. A recent
study found that three-quarters of 1,322 CEOs in 77
countries say the skills shortage is the biggest threat
to their business. A recent blog sums it up: “Employers
Aren’t Just Whining—the ‘Skills Gap’ Is Real”
(PwC 2015; Bessen 2014).
In the United States, the concern about the skills gap has
the attention of the executive branch of the government.
In 2014, President Barack Obama authorized Vice
President Joe Biden to spearhead a study on actions that could be taken to close the skills gap and help
more people return to work. The results of that report were released when the president signed into law
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, reauthorizing the 1998 Workforce Investment Act, which
authorized the release of federal monies to be spent on workforce development (Biden 2014).
Communities, states, regions, and entire nations—now more than ever given the globalization of
business—pay a heavy price when they cannot find
or equip workers with the right skills for critical jobs.
They fail to flourish and they also falter in meeting the
demands of the customer.
In the ATD Study, 84 percent of respondents said there
is currently a skills gap in their organization. Participants
came from a broad spectrum of industries, including
healthcare, finance, higher education, management
consulting, manufacturing, and retail trade.
The results of the ATD Study are echoed elsewhere. A CareerBuilder study conducted in late 2014 indicated
that 81 percent of respondents found it at least somewhat difficult to find candidates to fill jobs.
We will have a large number
of employees retiring in
the near future. Our main
concern is the transfer
of knowledge.
Product development
is lagging behind the
latest technologies.

06 | WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE SKILLS GAP?
WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE
SKILLS GAP?
Despite signs of economic recovery following the global
economic downturn, the skills gap remains seemingly
intractable. Why do we have such a significant skills gap
in so many industries and across so many skill sets? Why
aren’t individuals learning the right skills for the high-
demand jobs in their region?
The CareerBuilder study asked about contributors to the
skills gap problem. Respondents said the skills gap is the
result of education gaps in certain areas (55 percent),
followed by gaps in on-the-job training (53 percent), new or
shifting technologies (48 percent), and outsourcing of jobs
to other countries (48 percent).
Some respondents to the ATD Study offered other reasons
that the skills gap exists, such as not enough emphasis on
training, organizations don’t spend enough time looking
for the best candidates for the job, and rapid market
changes that require reskilling or upskilling. And the future
does not look bright: In response to the question of what
their organization was doing to close the skills gap, many
respondents answered, “nothing.”
There are many contributing factors to why and how the skills gap manifests. The changing nature of work,
technology, and our knowledge economy have converged in a powerful way. Innovation, the pace of change,
and the presence of multiple generations in the workforce are other significant contributors.
We are a highly specialized
service-based technology
company. Technology is
constantly changing so
we are frequently training
our current employees
and always looking for
additional people who
have the specialized skill
sets that we need.

WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE SKILLS GAP? | 07
According to the ATD Study,
talent development professionals say:
48%When promoting internal candidates for certain
types of jobs, there is a lack of requisite skills.
43%Insufficient bench strength in the
company’s leadership ranks.
43%Lack of skilled talent in one or more
of the company’s business lines.
35%
Respondents believe investments have been cut or
senior leaders lack commitment to talent development.
45%When hiring for certain
types of jobs, there are too
few qualified candidates.
56%Skills of the current workforce
do not match changes in company
strategy, goals, markets,
or business models.
Why Does the
Skills Gap Exist?

THE CHANGING NATURE OF WORK AND THE
KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
It is clear that the current work environment is not the same as what was experienced by previous
generations. Whereas members of the Silent Generation and some older Baby Boomers often started and
ended their careers not only in the same industry but also with the same employer, according to the U.S.
Department of Labor, younger Baby Boomers—those born between 1957 and 1964—have held more than 11
jobs between the ages of 18 and 48.
During the economic downturn of 2008-2009, many manufacturing plants closed in the United States,
which resulted in jobs being moved out of the country and roles being automated to eliminate or reduce
the need for manpower. This resulted in a new kind of manufacturing being born in the United States, which
required engineering and skilled trades capability. According to a 2015 Deloitte and The Manufacturing
Institute study, “Creating a supply of workers with manufacturing skills—engineering, skilled trades, and
production—will be critical to the future competitiveness of companies and the industry as a whole.”
A recent article asserting that a skills gap does exist explains this about the changing nature of work for a
graphic designer: “Until recently, almost all graphic designers designed for print. . . . Then came smartphones
and demand grew for mobile designers. . . . New specialties emerged such as user-interaction specialists
and information architects. At the same time, business
models in publishing have changed rapidly”
(Weber 2014).
Our knowledge economy requires a greater percentage
of workers to have STEM skills, especially in IT and math.
From manufacturing to service industries, workers today
are working with computers; for example, healthcare
workers are very likely to make their rounds inputting data
into laptops or other portable electronic devices.
According to a 2014 Business Roundtable and Change
the Equation study, 97 percent of CEOs said that the
U.S. STEM skills gap is an issue. Further, 28 percent
said that at least half of their new entry-level hires lack
basic STEM literacy, and 62 percent stated that they
have a difficult time finding qualified applicants for jobs
requiring advanced computer and information technology
knowledge. This is critical for the United States as a whole,
because over the next five years employers will need to
hire nearly 1 million employees with basic STEM literacy
and more than 600,000 employees with advanced STEM
knowledge, according to the study.
The products we sell
are changing quickly;
it’s hard to find engineers
and product managers to
support the development,
as well as experienced
sales and marketing
people to be effective
and efficient in selling
the products.

WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE SKILLS GAP? | 09
A Capital One/Burning Glass Technologies 2015 report echoed the importance of digital skills: “Effectively,
entire segments of the U.S. economy are off-limits to people who don’t have basic digital skills. Even for
middle-skill production jobs, such as machinists, eight in 10 job postings require these skills at some level.”
To meet the business needs of today and the future, individuals and their employers need to ensure that
skills are continually being upgraded.
Innovation and the Pace of Change
Why is it difficult to find candidates outside the organization or the bench strength within the company?
Part of the reason can be tied directly to the rate of change that makes it a challenge for individuals and
organizations to keep pace with the necessary skills to address today’s needs. In Change Agents: The Role
of Organizational Learning in Change Management, 58 percent of those surveyed said that, when compared
with the past five years, change is either much faster and increasingly unpredictable or extremely fast and
impossible to predict (ATD 2014a).
The Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network is an organization dedicated to identifying, exploring,
and sharing emerging trends and transformational ideas and practices that are reshaping world markets
and competitive landscapes. The organization’s 2015 study Innovation: The New Competitive Equation
reports that, “In a world experiencing massive technology transformation and rapid shifts in customer
markets and expectation, innovation has become a management imperative no business can afford to
ignore.” It is a management imperative because it requires skilled talent in the right roles at the right time
to keep companies competitive. This is reflected in the experiences of several respondents to the 2015
ATD Skills Gap Survey.
A Changing Generational Workforce
Because Baby Boomers aren’t retiring as readily as expected, having multiple generations in the workforce
may not currently have much of an impact on the skills gap; 51 percent of respondents to ATD’s Survey
said it has a small or minimal impact. But it will in the future. As research from the University of North
Carolina notes, currently 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 each day in the United States. And “62 percent of
employers at Fortune 1000 companies believe that future retirements will result in skills labor shortages
over the next five years” (Lindegren 2015).
Our organization needs to stay ahead of
marketplace trends, keep pace on innovation,
and better understand consumer needs.

There is concern that when Boomers do retire, a great
deal of knowledge and skills will leave with them.
What will happen to the organizational knowledge
these employees possess? For many employers,
when it comes to the skills gap, they are concerned
that the knowledge has not been documented and
transmitted to the incoming generation of employees,
especially leaders. “One organization reported that
the next anticipated wave of almost 700 retirements
would mean the loss of over 27,000 years of
experience” (Leonard, Swap, and Barton 2014).
How do you transfer knowledge and experience
through the generations when communication and
learning styles are notably different? It is imperative
to recognize the differences across generations. In the
ATD Infoline “Managing the Virtual Workforce” the
author explains the following about each generation
(Tedesco 2013):
Generation Favorite Communication Tool Biggest Challenge to Relationships
Veterans
1928–1945
Telephone
Adoption of new technology within remote or virtual
work environments
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
Email Think they know more than other generations
Generation X
1965–1979
Email, text Don’t have enough clout to influence change
Millennials
1980–1994
Social media
Can be too independent; don’t want to use the expertise
of others
Net
1995–Present
You probably haven’t heard of it Ability to articulate their vision
Creating collaborative environments that factor in generational preferences, strengths, and challenges will be
paramount in preventing possible crippling effects of the Boomer brain drain.
As the Baby Boomers
retire, much of their
intellectual capital will
leave with them. What
our new hires lack is
understanding the culture,
decision-making process,
and history. The learning
curves may be longer.

THE IMPACT OF THE SKILLS GAP | 11
THE IMPACT OF THE SKILLS GAP
While recognizing key drivers behind the skills gap is important, it is also critical to understand what impact
the skills gap is having and will have on organizations and countries. According to a report from Accenture,
“without change, the shrinking workforce and unreliable productivity growth rate could lead to a 9 percent
decline in the standard of living in the United States by 2030” (Accenture 2014).
A U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation report states that “U.S. employers are increasingly reporting
problems finding qualified workers, despite stubbornly high unemployment rates. A recent survey found
that 92 percent of executives believe there is a serious gap in workforce skills, and nearly 50 percent are
struggling to fill jobs. In manufacturing alone, more than 75 percent of manufacturers report a moderate-to-
severe shortage of skilled workers, and the problem is expected to grow. If left unaddressed, the skills gap
could cause more than 5 million positions to go unfilled by 2020. This problem will be further compounded
by an increase in retirements and a shrinking workforce” (Tyszko, Sheets, and Fuller 2014).
The ATD Study found of those respondents indicating that there was indeed a skills gap, 87 percent reported
that the skills gap was affecting their performance, especially in customer service, growth, and service
delivery.
Corroboration is also found in the Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute study, which reported that the
average U.S. manufacturer could lose as much as 11 percent of its annual earnings due to talent shortage.
And there is an expected shortfall of 2 million workers over the next decade (Giffi et al. 2015).
WHERE ARE THE BIGGEST GAPS?
According to the National Federation of Independent Business, an advocacy group for small business, “The
proportion of business owners reporting that they can’t find qualified applicants has been trending steeply
upward since the end of the recession.” Further, “the most commonly cited shortages are in technical trades
such as welding and industrial machinery maintenance, as well as in supervisory and management positions”
(Danaher 2014).
Directors at the McKinsey Global Institute explained: “Nearly two-thirds of companies report having
positions for which they cannot find qualified applicants. The problem is especially acute in technology and
healthcare” (Dobbs, Manyika, and Woetzel 2015).

12 | THE IMPACT OF THE SKILLS GAP
The variety of industries that are affected by the
skills gap is indeed broad—and global. For example,
the Manpower Group 2015 Talent Shortage Survey
reports that, internationally, the hardest jobs to
fill are:
• skilled trade workers
• sales representatives
• engineers
• technicians
• drivers
• management and executives
• accounting and finance professionals.
The skills required for these jobs points to where
the real work of closing the gap needs to happen. In
addition to gaps in science, technology, engineering,
and math that have already been addressed, business
leaders say there are also gaps in communication and
other soft skills.
Indeed, the ATD Study found the following gaps:
62%communication and interpersonal skills
managerial and supervisory skills
critical thinking and problem-solving skills
leadership and executive-level skills
process improvement and project management skills
technical skills
50%
8%
58%
51%
58%
Middle-Skills Gap
Technological advancements have eliminated many low-skill jobs, which has caused such industries as
manufacturing to evolve. Individuals who, 20 years ago, could have obtained a job at a plant with a high
school degree are not able to do so now. In one of its series of reports on the skills gaps both in the United
States and Europe, the JPMorgan Chase Company reported that nearly 28,000 new middle-skill jobs
with a living wage will be created in the Chicago area each year through 2019 and “as more middle-skill
jobs become available, the report finds that many job seekers in the region do not have the necessary skills,
training, or education to fill these well-paying, available jobs.”
The manufacturing
group has trouble finding
and keeping skilled
welders and fitters. . . .
We are cautious about
the new projects we
pursue, and struggle
to keep the tenured
employees we have.

A 2014 Accenture report stated that the hard-hit sectors facing middle-skills gaps included finance and
insurance (68 percent), information and telecommunication (55 percent), healthcare and social assistance
(54 percent), retail (51 percent), and manufacturing (49 percent) (Chanmugam, Smith, and Worrell 2014).
Training and education is what is needed to close the middle-skills gap. According to Economic Modeling
Specialists International (EMSI), the unemployment rate is clearly aligned with educational levels. For
individuals without a high school diploma, unemployment stands at 11.5 percent; that number falls to 7.4
percent for those who have a high school diploma, 6.6 percent for those who have some college yet no
degree, drops substantially to 4.8 percent for those who have a two-year academic degree, and is 4 percent
for those who have an occupational two-year degree.
Management and Leadership Gap
In addition to the middle-skills gap, there is a dearth of expertise and skills closer to the top, at the
management and leadership level. A 2015 report by Deloitte revealed a meaningful increase in magnitude
in both the management and leadership capability gap: Between 2014 and 2015 the capability gap widened
two points, from 34 to 36 (Schatsky and Schwartz 2015).
Echoing this finding, in its 2015 Skills Gap Survey, ATD posed the question: “Where are the most pronounced
gaps in your organization?” The gaps are found to the greatest extent at the supervisor level (manages a
group) followed by the manager, and then team leader. The data show that organizations are struggling with
skills gap issues—at least to a moderate extent—at the very top of the organization chart too.
In the 2015 survey, respondents were asked: “To what extent are the skills gaps most pronounced at each of
the following levels within your organization?”
12%Not at all
To a low extent
To a moderate extent
To a high extent
To a very high extent 8%
35%
20%
26%
EXECUTIVE
Not at all
To a low extent
To a high extent
39%
24%
8%
21%
DIRECTOR

14 | THE IMPACT OF THE SKILLS GAP
3%Not at all
To a low extent
To a high extent
35%
11%
43%
MANAGER
2%Not at all
To a low extent
To a high extent
To a very high extent
35%
8%
43%
12%
SUPERVISOR
2%Not at all
To a low extent
To a high extent
9%
36%
41%
12%
TEAM LEADER
2%Not at all
To a low extent
To a high extent
37%
15%
INDIVIDUAL
CONTRIBUTOR
36%
11%
Communication and Service Skills
Rivaling the STEM skills gap as one of the most critical areas is communication and interpersonal skills. In
today’s connected economy, the ability to communicate clearly across multiple platforms is imperative.
But what works on Twitter doesn’t translate well in business communication. Stories about inappropriate
employee behavior or responses on Twitter and other social media go viral, which can have an adverse effect
on brand equity and reputation.

The pervasiveness of technology and its impact on the way we communicate and do business have, in part,
created a customer-centered economy. Customers can easily do the research needed to make changes in
their buying patterns, and they are far less loyal to brand. Chip Bell, senior partner with the Chip Bell Group,
explained, “Some research says that brand loyalty may be down as much as 15 percent, and part of the
reason is that our definition of loyalty is not just related to the image of the organization (like ads), but the
experiences we have.
“If it’s not an emotional connection that is positive, we are likely to leave. We don’t tolerate indifference.
We don’t even tolerate ho-hum average service. We want to be entertained. I think all of that causes the
customer’s loyalty to be fickle today” (Gaul 2015).
Several respondents to the ATD Study cited an inability of employees to respond in a timely fashion to
customer needs and to empathize with them. One noted how the lack of empathy affected business:
“Overall, general lack of compassion and appreciation for our customers results in poor customer service.”
According to the ATD report Leadership Development for Millennials, “Millennials are highly qualified in
technical skills, but they need to work on other competencies, particularly diplomacy, communication,
listening, patience, and relationship building.” This type of training for the Millennial generation requires
special attention: “Well over one-half of the survey respondents indicated that they believe the Millennial
generation requires specialized leadership development programs” (ASTD 2013).
According to a 2013 Adecco report, the
communication skills gap was noted to be of critical
importance, “For all the traditional talk about a skills
gap in technical skills, 44 percent of respondents cited
soft skills, such as communication, critical thinking,
creativity, and collaboration, as the area with the
largest gap.” And this type of training needs to be
taught alongside industry-specific and STEM skills:
“Leaving college knowing how to do a specific job but
not having developed stronger critical thinking and
communication skills is a real disservice to students—
universities need to ensure they offer a balanced
education, regardless of an individual’s major or field
of study.”
Leaving the skills gap issue untended would be costly.
But to close it, it’s important to know where to start.
In the younger, entry-
level hires, we see a
huge communication
gap and a lack of
knowledge regarding
grammar, spelling, and
pronunciation.

16 | THE PATH FORWARD
THE PATH FORWARD:
BRIDGING THE SKILLS GAP
The skills gap is a national issue in the United States and bridging it cannot be done by any one entity. It
requires a holistic approach and recognition that preparing people to go to work with relevant skills and
knowledge for jobs that exist now and in the future means that everyone has a role to play. From education to
employers to government and the public workforce system, new thinking and collaboration are necessary.
Critical to all of this is the talent development professional. With deep expertise in adult learning and
understanding of the need to have a knowledgeable and skilled workforce, talent development professionals
will likely be the ones who will implement training strategies to bridge skill gaps that exist in organizations.
ROLE OF THE EDUCATION-WORK PIPELINE
In 2015, The Conference Board emphasized the importance to businesses of further educational attainment
by employees. “Employer-provided tuition assistance programs allow companies to hire better-quality, more-
educated and more-productive employees whose increased productivity offsets most of the cost of tuition
benefits.” The educational attainment not only benefits employers, but society as a whole, noted the study.
Increasingly, though, there’s a call for education and training for long-term future employment to begin much
earlier than after high school. According to Pathways to Prosperity, “The most effective work-based learning
takes the form of a continuum of activities. Students begin with career awareness and exploration through
activities such as guest speakers and field trips. They then transition to career preparation activities . . . and
finally, the career training phase of the continuum prepares students for work in specific occupations.”
The president’s 2016 fiscal year budget echoes the need for career readiness to start early. It emphasizes
that, “Early exposure to a range of career and higher education information and opportunities is associated
with better post-secondary education outcomes” (OMB Communications 2015).
During an UpSkill America White House summit in April 2015, participants discussed how to increase the
number of apprenticeships to meet the administration’s goal of doubling their number in five years. One of
the major ideas proposed was that of increasing the exposure of apprenticeships to young people while they
are in high school. The intent would be to help youth—and their parents—understand the importance of
developing the skills necessary for success in the future.

THE PATH FORWARD | 17
Reaching out to teens and their parents was one
facet of a summer 2015 conference sponsored by the
Brookings Institution, Preparing the Next Generation of
Manufacturers Through Community Colleges. Speakers
emphasized the need to change the narrative around
apprenticeships as well as what it means to “go
to college.”
Employers are getting in on the act, too. One example
is Newport News Shipbuilding, which engages local
elementary and secondary school students with
education opportunities. Others, like Microsoft,
Google, and the Smithsonian Institution have
internships for high school students.
Counseling students in high school about what
they want to do, and providing information about their many options—including community college,
apprenticeships, and credentialing—is important. Michigan’s Career Jump Start gives students information,
offered through career liaisons, about high-demand jobs and training programs. The program focuses
on shorter-term credentialing rather than four-year bachelor’s programs; it also reaches out to parents
and educators.
Obtaining a two-year degree and becoming credentialed, rather than obtaining a four-year degree, can be
a critical step in providing the training needed for a successful career. Employers often look for graduates of
industry certification courses offered at community colleges. According to a 2012 Georgetown University
Center on Education and the Workforce study, “Certificates with economic value are cost-effective, partly
because they are the quickest education and job training awards offered by American higher education.” In
“Community Colleges and the Skills Gap,” Tom Snyder noted that, “Community colleges are now America’s
best hope for both lower and middle class Americans looking for an affordable education that leads to a well-
paying job.”
As Forbes contributor Dan Schawbel wrote, difficulty finding skilled candidates will “progress until the college
curriculum aligns with the current job marketplace. . . . Companies need to start working with colleges so
that students get the necessary skills to fill the gap” (Schawbel 2014).
Earning while learning through apprenticeships, lower-cost community colleges, and credentialing are all
means to open doors for disadvantaged students. During a July 2015 forum at the Brookings Institution in
Washington, D.C., Montgomery College president DeRionne Pollard spoke about a West Virginia coal miner
who learned about HVAC training at Montgomery College. He moved his family to Maryland, and after he
went through training, he changed the narrative for his family by securing a job and a brighter future.
Companies need to start
working with colleges
so that students get the
necessary skills to fill
the gap.
~ Dan Schawbel

Third-generation owner and operator of Cranston,
Rhode Island-based Taco, Inc.—manufacturer of
pumps, valves, tanks, electronic controls, and other
components for heating and cooling applications—
John Hazen White Jr. spoke about his commitment
to the company’s employees and the community
during a July 8, 2015, event at the Brookings
Institution in Washington, D.C. This commitment is
exemplified in ensuring employees are trained, which
is done by outside professors and teachers.
White praised the colleges in Rhode Island for being
very responsive to doing their part in keeping jobs in
the state by partnering with employers and offering
curricula to train workers. As a businessman, when
you need talent, he explained, you have two options:
replacing people or training them. “People are never
obsolete,” he said. White agrees there is a skills gap,
and believes workplace and educational training is
an employer’s responsibility. “We just need to train
them,” he stated.
White’s family business has established the Taco
Learning Center, which provides needed education
for many of its foreign-born employees who benefit
from learning English, for example. Because he feels
socially responsible, White’s company offers those
types of courses free of charge to employee families
as well. The classes range from safety to fitness to
classes that help employees earn their high-school
proficiency exams.
The training, done through local high schools or
community colleges, seems to have a positive effect
on Taco’s workforce. The turnover rate is less than
0.5 percent, while the industry average is 30 percent.
The company now employs more than 600
individuals in the United States, Canada, and
Vietnam. Taco, Inc.’s products are sold worldwide.
RHODE ISLAND-BASED TACO, INC.
ROLE OF APPRENTICESHIPS
The federal government and the business community are realizing how important apprenticeships are to
the present and future U.S. economies. The 2016 budget proposed by the Obama administration includes
investments to ultimately double the number of registered apprenticeships in the United States over the
next five years. The intent is to have workers learn while they earn and to have them develop skills that will
translate to good jobs in the future (OMB Communications 2015).
In a June 2014 speech, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez noted that federal workforce investment programs
had served 2 million people during the previous year. He further stated that the federal government has an
important role to play in promoting apprenticeships, because for every federal dollar spent on
apprenticeships, there is a $27 return.
The perception of apprenticeships—that they are for manufacturing and low-skill jobs—must be addressed
for them to be successful. The U.S. government recently announced the launch of an American
Apprenticeship Grants competition to provide $100 million to develop apprenticeships in high-growth

fields such as information technology, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. Companies in these high-
growth fields can learn from other industries that have extensive experience in using federal funds to build
apprentice programs to effectively keep their workforces appropriately skilled. Bath Iron Works and the
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard both use apprenticeships to remain competitive. The shipyard has a model
apprenticeship program that fulfills requirements by the U.S. Navy to overhaul and modernize submarines.
In North Carolina, several local businesses created the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program. This
collaborative effort produces workers who have the skills needed by businesses in the area. Bühler Aeroglide
is one of the companies whose apprentices concurrently take instruction at Wake Technical Community
College. The apprenticeship program emphasizes trade skills and also learning in the STEM areas.
ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR
According to the Manpower Group, the role of employers is to design new people practices, foster a learning
culture, and encourage employees to take responsibility for their own careers (ManpowerGroup 2015).
According to ATD’s 2014 State of the Industry report, organizations spent an average of $1,208 per employee
on training and development in 2013, only a 1 percent increase over the previous year. And the number of
learning hours increased slightly, from 30.3 hours to 31.5 hours (ATD 2014b).
There is variance in training focus between midsize and large organizations, with large organizations typically
spending less. According to the 2014 State of the Industry report, more than two-thirds of training involves
an instructor, either through an instructor-led classroom, through an online instructor, or remotely by an
instructor. While companies are investing in training and development for their employees, it may not be
enough to match the rapid changes brought about by technology and globalization.
This requires funding, and for many employers finding help to upskill or reskill their workers is daunting. The
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s report on the talent pipeline suggests that employers should have
more flexibility in solving their learning and development needs: “Formula and discretionary spending across
a wide variety of federal and state programs can be repurposed to support employers and their collaboratives
in organizing and managing diverse and flexible talent pipeline partnerships. Funding should flow to those
education and workforce providers that employers identify as their preferred sources of talent” (Tyszko,
Sheets, and Fuller 2014).
Employers need to do a better job of identifying and clearly communicating the skill needs they have.
Committee for Economic Development vice president of education Cindy Cisneros echoed this: “Those who
reached out to local community colleges and universities ended up developing productive partnerships,
but it’s not easy to do. One challenge is that the language of business can be different from that of higher
education. Another is the willingness of higher education to listen to the needs of businesses. And a third
challenge is for businesses to articulate their true needs, not only for current workforce development, but
also the development of their talent pipeline” (CED 2015).

ROLE OF PARTNERSHIPS
Collaboration among government, business, educational entities, and community organizations is paramount
in alleviating the skills gap issue. The Accenture report noted, “Better communication with government
workforce agencies and community-based organizations can improve the matching of qualified people with
available jobs. Better internship and apprenticeship programs, combined with more effective training for
entry-level positions, can create larger pools of qualified workers” (Chanmugan, Smith, and Worrell 2014).
The recently passed Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act “gives businesses the opportunity to partner
with workforce investment boards, school districts, community colleges, and nonprofits nationwide to build
career ladders for entry-level and other workers, and to drive and support regional sector strategies that
meet the workforce needs of employers” (Duncan and Perez 2014).
Community colleges and businesses make a perfect match in helping to fill the skills gap. As their name
indicates, community colleges often have closer ties with local businesses, so the lines of communication
may already be in place. Training and educational providers and employers need to work together not only on
subject content but also on scheduling issues. For example, instruction must be scheduled to accommodate
the students, so that they are able to work during a certain part of the week and then take classes either on
other days of the week or in the evening.
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a great example. It has partnered with Southern Maine Community
College to provide training for the specialized skills needed in the shipbuilding industry, now and in the future.
Another is South Carolina’s readySC program, which is designed to provide training programs that employers
need for their workers through the state’s technical colleges; the program served 81 companies in the 2013-
2014 fiscal year and trained 4,700 workers.
Local Workforce Investment Boards—created as part of the original Workforce Investment Act—are a critical
part of the partnering solution as well. They bring together community stakeholders to converse about the
skills needed on the state and local level, and initiate resources to ensure that the programs are in place to fill
outstanding skill gaps.
Partnerships can help the system of credentialing advance as well. For credentials to have significance, they
must be usable within the industry and across states. It is important for employers, employees, and trainees
to see their validity. Individuals must have a place to go to learn about such training opportunities. Stackable
credentials that show progression and growth aid life-long learning and can help with career development.
During the UpSkill America summit held at the White House, participants discussed one possible way to
move this forward: Establish a national credentialing commission.

ROLE OF THE PUBLIC WORKFORCE SYSTEM
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is key to unlocking federal funds for training. With
ATD’s strong support, the bill—which would reinstate the 1998 Workforce Investment Act—garnered nearly
unanimous bipartisan support after a year of negotiation, and was signed into law by President Obama on
July 22, 2014. Writing in support of the long-overdue reauthorization of the legislation, ATD president and
CEO Tony Bingham and ATD Public Policy Council chair Bill Docalovich said, “Regardless of the economic
climate, it is critical that organizations of all sizes recruit, develop, and retain their human capital to achieve
and sustain a competitive advantage. To do this, employers must have access to a workforce development
system that helps them invest in developing their employees” (ATD 2015).
WIOA supports one-stop career centers, which provide services for both individuals looking for training
and employers seeking to fill their workforce gaps and meet training needs. They are managed by regional
workforce investment boards (WIBs) composed of business representatives, education providers, labor
organization members, and community-based organization members, among others. WIBs and one-stop
career centers are the heart of local workforce development systems, the pass through for federal training
dollars, and a key resource for closing the skills gap at the local and regional levels.
At the federal and state levels, the government can work with employers to address local and regional hiring
needs, and be responsive to training programs that will fill those requirements. What follows are state-level
examples that are helping to close the skills gap.
Georgia’s Quick Start program is not new, but that
doesn’t mean it isn’t critically important to the
current economic well-being of the state,
businesses, and individuals. For more than 40 years,
the Technical College System of Georgia’s state-
funded workforce development program has worked
with businesses to provide the necessary training
for companies that create 15 or more jobs during a
12-month period.
Quick Start delivers training in classrooms, at the
business site, or in mobile labs—wherever they can
best serve the need. A few success stories have
included Kia Motors, Caterpillar, and Quintiles
Laboratories North America, a pharmaceutical
company. Governor Nathan Deal had this to say
about Kia and Quick Start: “Kia’s presence here has
been a magnet for automotive suppliers. And our
ready-to-work, highly trained workforce ensures that
Georgia stays in the running for major automotive
projects” (Widener 2013; Jones 2015).
GEORGIA: SUPPORTING THE BIOMEDICAL AND MANUFACTURING
INDUSTRIES THROUGH QUICK START

ROLE OF THE TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL
Talent development professionals should play a key role in narrowing the skills gap, both as part of
partnerships with the public and private sector, and in ensuring that learning is an ongoing process
for employees.
According to Deloitte: “This year, corporate learning and development (LD) burst onto the scene as one of
the most pressing business and talent issues facing our respondents. Business and HR leaders report that
corporate learning capabilities are waning (39 percent say the problem is ‘very important,’ more than three
Being proactive in anticipating future skill shortages,
Connecticut officials pursued federal grants to help
with training costs. “As we anticipate the needs of
emerging industries that offer viable employment
opportunities, the funds will provide employment
services to unemployed workers and connect them
to new jobs,” explained Connecticut governor Dannel
Malloy, in announcing the receipt of a $3.8 million
federal funding grant for job training programs in that
state. “Ultimately, we’re working every day to ensure
that residents have the skills necessary to attain a job
for the business needs of today—and keep it,”
he continued.
The funding is designed to build talent pipelines for
regional and industry-specific collaborations in the
state. To do so, the grant money will be used by local
businesses, community colleges, trade associations,
and chambers of commerce. Connecticut’s
Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) will work with
community groups to determine appropriate jobs in
their area and with the Connecticut Department of
Labor (Brody 2015).
In June 2015, Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe
announced $900,000 in grants to help close
skills gaps in industries key to the commonwealth.
The funding, which requires matching funds from
the private sector, extends to businesses within
a common industry that design and implement
creative training to develop a talent pipeline;
businesses in different sectors that share the same
workforce development to develop training; and
individual employers that have “identified a need to
lead a skills development initiative with companies
who comprise that employer’s supply chain.”
In addition to urging private-public partnerships, the
grants encourage using other available resources,
such as workforce development boards and
community colleges. As Governor McAuliffe said,
“Creating and sustaining a world-class workforce
is critical for building a new Virginia economy”
(Commonwealth of Virginia, Office of Governor Terry
McAuliffe 2015).
CONNECTICUT: SEEKING TO CONNECT WORKERS WITH JOBS THROUGH
A JOINT EFFORT
VIRGINIA: FUNDING TO SUPPORT A “WORLD-CLASS WORKFORCE”

times last year’s percentage), and companies are now competing heavily for new technical and professional
skills. This research tells us that 2015 will be a critical year for targeted investment in learning” (Schatsky and
Schwartz 2015).
Who is responsible for closing the skills gap? The ATD Study suggests that talent development (training and
learning) professionals are key: 59 percent said talent development (training and learning) practitioners were
responsible for closing the skills gap.
What is the best way to fill the gaps? Again, the ATD Study suggests the following solutions: 64 percent
answered that providing more training internally would close specific skill gaps, 55 percent suggested
identifying core competencies and targeting their development, and 50 percent said examining what skills
the organization needs to be successful now and in the future.
A 2015 study by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute found that 94 percent of the executives polled
believed that internal employee and training and development programs should be used to mitigate the
effects of the existing skills shortage for the skilled production workforce. Additionally, 72 percent felt that
involvement with local schools and community colleges would be beneficial, and 64 percent said that
external training and certification programs would be beneficial (Giffi et al. 2015).
Talent development professionals also need to be part of the conversation. With their expertise in adult
learning, they can help move the narrative forward about the benefits of lifelong learning and continuous
growth for individuals who want to remain competitive in the super-accelerated business world.
To address the STEM gap, talent development professionals can incorporate relevant-to-that-industry-and-
position science and math skills into their training.

24 | ACTION PLAN
ACTION PLAN
STEP 1
UNDERSTAND THE ORGANIZATION’S
PERFORMANCE METRICS
• Identify the key stakeholder to support closing
the skills gap.
• Be sure you know the answers to the
following questions and can articulate the
connection between performance goals
and employee capability.
• What factors in the economy, culture, or market
most influence your organization?
• What are the organization’s key strategies and
goals, and their performance metrics?
• What business functions have the most impact
on the success of the organization?
• Which roles within those units have the most
impact on the current and future success of the
organization?
• What capabilities must employees at all
levels have to be able to meet the
performance metrics?
• How robust are the HR systems and reporting
capabilities for monitoring performance,
business results, and employee capabilities?
• How is the organization’s business and
leadership model communicated throughout the
organization?
• How engaged and committed are the
organization’s leaders to tackling this challenge
through an investment of people, processes,
and systems?
• How are the demographics of the organization’s
workforce changing, and what impact will they
have on knowledge, skills, and behaviors?
• What is the state of the supply chain of
talent for the business or industry, given
specific strategies?
STEP 2
IDENTIFY COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS
THAT MAP TO STRATEGIES AND
PERFORMANCE METRICS
• Identify the core competencies and skills
for the organization’s overall workforce
and the business units most critical to
the organization’s success.
• Identify current needs as well as those for the
next one to three years.
• Working with leaders of core business functions,
determine which skills and competencies their
employees need to be able to meet key goals
and be effective at implementing key strategies.
• Map current and future competencies to current
and future strategies and goals.
• Identify the priority job(s) to develop the
functional competencies required for
job success.
• Identify which skills and competencies are
required for meeting desired performance
standards, in what timeframe, and how they
will be measured.
STEP 3
ASSESS THE SKILLS GAP
• Define the scope of how the organization will
address the gap (organization, division/unit,
or individual), and consider starting with one
function or business unit as a pilot.
• Use analytical tools, such as impact mapping, to
identify performance behaviors required to meet
specific goals.
• Conduct a capability audit to determine where
gaps exist in employees’ knowledge, skill,
or behavior.
• Identify the consequences of not closing the
skills gap.
Organizational leaders should look to their talent development professionals to help identify the skills
and competencies needed now and in the future and to align their development to key drivers for their
organizations. The following action plan identifies six steps for taking charge of skills gaps.
ACTION

ACTION PLAN | 25
STEP 6
COMMUNICATE THE IMPACT
• Establish formal communications channels that
will share relevant news related to learning
impact and progress toward closing skill gaps.
• Be prepared to demonstrate how closing
the skills gap has increased organizational
performance, while improving productivity and
reducing costs.
• Ensure the measures are truly aligned with the
organization’s measures of success.
• Use assessment tools to measure progress
before and after learning and development
takes place.
• Identify a successful stakeholder—work with
that person to communicate the results.
• Communicate progress and results regularly to
all stakeholders.
Consider these questions:
• Did the solutions implemented have a
measureable effect on narrowing the skills gap
in the organization and making it more effective?
• Did the results meet expectations and
demonstrate progress?
• Is the organization’s workforce better equipped
to meet key goals and implement strategies?
• What business results can be attributed to
improvements in skill, knowledge, or
desired behavior?
• Ask how closing the skills gap process can be
refreshed to increase the likelihood of continued
success.
STEP 4
SET GOALS AND PRIORITIZE THE PATH TO
FILLING GAPS
• Establish baseline measures of employees’
current skills and competencies.
• Set goals for closing gaps between existing skill
sets and those needed to support current and
future goals.
• Determine which paths to take to fill particular
gaps: apprenticeships, reskilling, outsourcing,
hiring, training and development, coaching and
mentoring, and so on.
• Determine how results in filling skill gaps will
be measured.
• Create an internal communication plan to
educate and involve managers and employees in
programs to close skill gaps.
STEP 5
IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS
• With key leaders in the organization, prioritize
solutions and secure funding and resources
needed to do the work.
• Connect with your local Workforce Investment
Board to identify opportunities to partner, and
to access training funding that can assist your
organization in addressing the skills gap.
• Led by the organization’s talent development
function, create an organization-wide plan to
address the skills gap.
• Prioritize what the organization can implement
and sustain, even if there are disruptions,
changes, and challenges to the organization.
• Ensure there is senior leadership buy-in and
engagement in every step of implementation
and communication, and that they are
participating as teachers.
• For identified knowledge or skill gaps, create
learning and development opportunities using
appropriate delivery options and leverage all
forms of learning: online, formal, informal, social,
and partnerships with educational institutions.
• Create individual learning plans and paths for
employees. Have systems in place to measure
and document skills and competencies before,
during, and after training. Link all talent
development goals to the organization’s skill
needs and priorities.
• Have a balance of quick wins, medium-term
successes, and longer-term development so that
measurement of success can begin immediately.
Look for both leading and lagging indicators.
N PLAN

26 | A VISION FOR THE WORKFORCE
A VISION FOR THE WORKFORCE
So, what does the current skills gap, spurred by globalization, the pace of change, and need for new skills,
mean for the future of work?
In the short term, we are likely to see greater flexibility and a move away from the “usual” 9-to-5
environment, with younger workers stepping into leadership roles. Among Forbes contributor Dan Schawbel’s
predictions for 2015, he writes about more Millennials taking on leadership roles, the growing need for
succession planning—“You will start to see companies hold onto their older workers in order to transfer
their knowledge to younger ones”—and companies hiring more temporary workers and consultants due to
economic reasons.
Rework America, an initiative of the Markle Foundation, formulates a plan for using technology and a
networked world to innovate jobs, match employers and workers, and help people prepare to succeed
through credentialing. In an essay drawn from their recent book, author Zoë Baird writes, “In the modern
economy, information, power, and the ability to make things happen are all distributed rather than
concentrated. So why are people’s capacities judged solely by old centralized markers like a high school or
college diploma? Why, in this day and age, is just one diploma the goal? Why not many rapid and affordable
credentials that are better matched to today’s career paths? Why isn’t lifetime learning—accessible
affordable education for all people—the norm? It’s time we ensure that careers are based on what you can do
when you are ready, and not the path you didn’t choose a decade ago” (Baird 2015).
Reimagining the way work can happen, and what can be done to better prepare people for that work, has to
be approached collaboratively. This points to a future world where keeping skills sharp and in line with the
marketplace will be critical for the worker. And for companies to remain viable, they will need to do their part
to maintain a skilled workforce that can compete. The key is training and a proactive focus on requisite job
skills for both employers and those who want to work.

CASE STUDIES | 27
CASE STUDIES
STUDY 1
CLOSING THE SKILLS GAP: SANDY SPRING BANK’S
TWO-PRONGED APPROACH
With $4.4 billion in assets, Sandy Spring Bancorp is the holding company for Sandy Spring Bank and its
principal subsidiaries, Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation and West Financial Services. Sandy Spring offers
a broad range of commercial and retail banking, wealth management, private banking, and trust services
through its 44 community offices and six financial centers across Maryland and Northern Virginia. Through
its subsidiaries, Sandy Spring also offers a comprehensive menu of insurance and investment management
services. Independent and community-oriented, Sandy Spring Bank traces its origin to 1868, making it among
the oldest banking institutions in the region.
ESTABLISHING THE SKILLS GAP
As a community bank, Sandy Spring Bank relies heavily on deposit and loan relationships from commercial
businesses for revenue growth. Commercial relationship managers play a key role in sourcing, establishing,
and growing business with commercial clients. These bankers possess a high level of technical skills in
financial analysis and credit underwriting. Until the mid-1990s, the major banks offered management and
commercial credit training programs to college graduates. Thousands of trainees came through these
programs and filled the recruiting pipeline for banks of all sizes. As the “Baby Boomer” bankers who received
their training in these programs retire, the available talent pipeline for credit professionals is drying up.
In the mid-2000s, Sandy Spring Bank found itself fighting this war for talent head-on. The bank’s
employment team was finding it almost impossible to attract candidates and often lost them in bidding
wars with competitors. The bank began relying on costly external recruiters to source candidates. During the
financial crisis of 2008, expense control became a strategic imperative.
ADDRESSING THE GAP
Sandy Spring Bank recognized the need to adopt a two-pronged approach to the problem. The first was
to protect the investment associated with hiring these bankers by adding a robust onboarding process to
improve retention. The bank’s learning team partnered with human resources and frontline managers to
develop a highly structured onboarding experience. During the first 90 days of employment, they prepared
new commercial bankers to be successful in a new environment with a combination of the right tools and
relationships. The goal is to immediately engage the new hire in the culture and as a member of the team.

28 | CASE STUDIES
Sandy Spring Bank began focusing on high-touch onboarding for this critical job role in 2010 with detailed
checklists and scheduled “meet and greets.” They ramped up the program in 2013 by adding structured
meetings and rotational visits with internal subject matter experts and internal partners. Since 2013, 13
commercial relationship managers have been through the program.
The second tactic was to create a career path and development plan for branch managers to develop the
skills needed for the more specialized commercial banker role. They created a new job role, the market
relationship manager, to create a bridge between branch managers and commercial relationship managers.
These bankers are responsible for sourcing and developing relationships with small to mid-size businesses
with less-complex, lower dollar lending needs. To prepare branch managers to work in conjunction with these
market relationship managers and to groom them for this role in the future, the learning and professional
development team partnered with the manager of the new team to develop a competency-based curriculum
that featured case studies, role play, and job shadowing. These sessions were delivered by subject matter
experts who could use real-world examples and expertise to make the learning relevant and relatable to the
branch managers.
These two steps are only the beginning. One of Sandy Spring Bank’s corporate values is, “Take the Long
View.” The bank has begun the planning and development of an in-house commercial banking apprenticeship
program to identify and grow its own talent. The bank expects to roll out a 12- to 18-month pilot program in
2016 with a small cohort of two to three internally recruited bankers. The program will feature foundational
training from subject matter experts, rotational assignments to learn the credit process, internal mentoring
from experienced commercial relationship managers, and job shadowing to gain experience with business
development.
THE RESULTS
The results from the bank’s focus on high-touch onboarding for commercial relationship managers have been
encouraging. Retention has increased by approximately 25 percent and fees paid to outside recruiters have
dropped more than 80 percent.
The bank is also encouraged by the early results from the career path and development efforts. Within 12
months of establishing the new job role and delivering skills-based training, two branch managers have been
promoted to market relationship managers. In addition, one market relationship manager has been promoted
to a commercial relationship manager.
Although early in the planning stages of the commercial banking apprenticeship program, the bank’s goal
is to avoid the devastating impact of what would be a mission critical skills gap: the lack of commercial
relationship managers to source new business relationships for the company. The bank has taken a proactive
stance on developing this program far in advance of the need in order to position itself as an employer of
choice able to attract and retain the best and brightest talent.

CASE STUDIES | 29
STUDY 2
CLOSING THE SKILLS GAP: IBM’S FEMALE
DISTINGUISHED ENGINEERS
At its heart, IBM has always been a technology company. To support its technology strategies, IBM created
a prestigious Distinguished Engineer (DE) program nearly two decades ago to recognize deep technical
expertise across the company. The journey to DE can take many years and includes rigorous corporate
standards, reviews, and multi-year milestones. Proven superior technical performance, IBM thought and
patent leadership, external recognition, and references are just a few of the necessary elements needed
to qualify for the title of distinguished engineer. Only 0.15 percent of all IBMers achieve this most senior
technical executive position. Once achieved, this position carries with it a substantial responsibility as an IBM
executive and technical leader, consulting on worldwide business strategy and accreditation.
At the corporate level, the number of women pursuing and achieving DE status was not aligned to the overall
technical population. In addition, the proportion of women in technical careers drops significantly as they
move up the technical ladder leading to DE. This was of concern to executives at the highest levels in IBM,
including the CEO.
The Technical Women’s Pipeline Program (TWPP) was designed to enable the promotion of highly qualified
technical women into the highest non-executive technical leadership roles and leverage this pool to be
considered for accelerated DE accreditation.
Technical eminence, technical innovation, and global technical leadership are foundational to the long-
term success of IBM. Quite simply, clients expect IBM’s technical leaders to be the best. It’s also critical
for women to be as highly represented in senior technical careers as they are in the rest of IBM, accurately
reflecting the makeup of the client populations IBM serves. Building and developing that pipeline of
women technical leaders is vital to meeting IBM’s business goals. Critical skills gaps met through TWPP
include identifying barriers to career progression (particularly those facing women), improving their own
brand and eminence, and clearly identifying individual gaps (with development plans) to achieving
distinguished engineer.
High-potential women are identified and nominated to participate in the multi-year program, which includes
a two-day workshop, where each candidate is personally supported by an IBM business executive sponsor
and a technical executive DE coach. Only 100 women are selected each year.
The two-day workshop kicks off executive coaching relationships and targeted learning. Participants get
assistance with their DE nomination packages and create multi-year development road maps.

30 | CASE STUDIES
Since the program began in 2009, the TWPP:
• increased the number of women pursuing senior technical careers and official designation as IBM
Distinguished Engineers
• increased the number of women pursuing senior or executive technical careers that could ultimately
lead to senior technical roles
• invested in executive sponsorship, coaching, and support to help high-potential women overcome
barriers and achieve their career goals.
As of year-end 2014, IBM has more than 300 DE candidates, 200 coaches, and 140 executive sponsors in
the program. The ultimate measure of program success is the increase in women in senior technical roles
with the potential to become distinguished engineers during the next five years. More than 50 percent of
program graduates have been promoted to senior technical leadership positions, including 11 to distinguished
engineers or fellow.
Dedicated company executive sponsorship at a high level has been essential for the success of the program.
In addition, the ongoing coaching by senior executives and distinguished engineers is the differentiating
component to achieve long-term results.
This award-winning Technical Women’s Pipeline Program has proven to be instrumental in increasing the
number of women in senior technical executive positions to support IBM’s long-term strategic goals.
STUDY 3
PARTNERING WITH HIGHER EDUCATION: VALSPAR AND
CAPELLA UNIVERSITY
Valspar is a global leader and innovator of high-quality consumer paints, industrial coatings, and value-
added coating services. The matrixed global organization’s 10,500 employees do business in 100 countries
and speak 15 languages. The dispersed nature of the workforce has historically created challenges for
delivering learning and development initiatives. One of the structural challenges of the program is to design
ways to engage critical frontline leaders in development activities while they continue to deliver upon their
responsibilities within a lean organization. These leaders typically have limited time to attend structured
development discussions or training, and their schedules frequently change in response to business priorities.
However, Valspar identified the following development needs for their frontline leaders: greater self-
awareness and awareness of others, skills for managing conflict constructively, the ability to diagnose and
inspire team performance and engagement, skills for influencing without authority, and increased strategic
perspective. To address these gaps, Valspar wanted to find a higher education partner that could provide
engaging and innovative online courses that could be attended asynchronously and promise a high return
on investment.

CASE STUDIES | 31
Valspar partnered with Capella University, which is piloting a virtual leadership development program called
LEAP (learn, evaluate, apply, perform). LEAP is Capella University’s customizable, nine-month, nondegree
program that creates a cross-functional and cross-business learning cohort within an organization. The
program emphasizes self-paced learning combined with intermittent, high-quality touch points with the
group, coaches, and the participants’ managers and team members. Valspar has a unique culture that, like
Capella’s, needs to be nimble in the face of shifting economic and technological change. LEAP is built on a
train-the-trainer model, allowing Valspar to incorporate its culture into the courses through facilitation by key
members of its leadership team. Valspar’s LEAP cohort consists of 20 employees.
LEAP blends e-learning, self-assessments and peer feedback, virtual cohort interaction, and one-to-one
coaching support to help participants develop competencies in experiential ways. The format and sequence
of training delivers a media-rich, engaging course-room experience that is entirely online and tablet-ready.
Real-world simulations and on-the-job activities are threaded throughout to give participants immediate
practice and provide impact. LEAP includes six courses: Personal Mastery, The Agile Leader, Leading and
Managing Change, Communicating Effectively, Leading Effective Teams, and Building Business Acumen.
Results and participant feedback at the half-way point were quite positive. Accountability and measurement
are focused on participants’ individual written development plans as well as anecdotal evidence from peers
that change has occurred. Survey responses from participants’ managers and direct reports at the conclusion
of LEAP point to the following:
• They now do things differently. Participants identified new ways to think and new leadership
behaviors to increase their versatility of style. They then adopted these new ways, which others
around them actually observed.
• They have shown an ability to learn and apply new approaches previously outside their comfort
zone or ability range.
LEAP enables Valspar leaders to engage in self-directed and self-paced training on key content and to “own
their own development,” but also remain accountable and connected to the organization as they apply
new competencies on the job. Participants with intense cyclical or project responsibilities, such as quarter-
end accounting or new product launch, praise the format for allowing them to step away during periods
and catch up to the recommended trajectory later without missing anything important. The next phase of
deployment at Valspar includes a group check-in with executive sponsors to share their progress as a cohort
and discuss individual impact.

32 | CASE STUDIES
STUDY 4
PARTNERING WITH HIGHER EDUCATION: UNIVERSITY
HEALTH SYSTEM AND CAPELLA UNIVERSITY
University Health System (UHS), an academic medical center in San Antonio, Texas, is proactively
addressing the nursing skills gap and promoting the advanced competencies of its nursing staff through a
partnership with education provider Capella University.
The pressure on upskilling nurses stems from a mandate from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) for nurse
leaders to work collaboratively with academic institutions to increase the proportion of nurses with a
baccalaureate degree (BSN) from 50 to 80 percent, and double the number of nurses with doctoral degrees
by 2020. Highly educated nurses play a crucial role in maintaining patient safety and improving patient
satisfaction. A recent study from the University of Michigan found that a 10 percent increase in BSN
nurses was associated with lowering patient mortality by 10.9 percent. The study also found that patients
receiving 80 percent or more of their care from BSN nurses had shorter lengths of stay and lower odds
for readmission.
University Health System is recognized as an American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Program. It is
committed to developing talent in all roles, and regularly partners with higher education providers to meet
training and education needs. Capella University provides the type of nursing education needed by hospital
staff, and has a comprehensive portfolio of academic offerings that are well suited to meet the needs of all
levels of education desired by UHS nurses. This narrows the education-practice gap. Capella’s online courses
and competency-based curricula are designed specifically to meet the education needs of working adults.
Since 2011, the number of BSN-educated nurses on staff at UHS has increased by 10 percent, to 61.5 percent,
which positions them to meet IOM recommendations. As a partner in this pursuit, Capella University is
creating value for both employer and employee, through cost containment and competency-based education
that goes above and beyond bridging the skills gap to a model where Capella and University Health Systems
are aligned to solving strategic workforce issues together.
STUDY 5
SECURING GRANT FUNDING TO EXPAND AN APPRENTICE
PROGRAM: NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING
Historically the success of a shipbuilding company has always been tied to the skills of its workforce. As ship
construction and ship component technologies have increased in complexity, there has been an even greater
reliance on skills and longer-term development. Unfortunately, the traditional sources of labor within the
community (high schools, technical schools, and community colleges) have been challenged to keep pace
with this increase in middle-skills jobs.

CASE STUDIES | 33
The largest shipyard in the United States, Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), has used an apprentice
program since 1919. The Newport News Apprentice School has been used to develop crafts workers and
leaders within the company. This program has changed greatly during the last 10 years due to the increase of
technologies and lack of adequate feeder programs. This created a greater need for investment in the NNS
Apprentice School.
To support these new ship technologies and workforce needs, in 2009 Newport News entered into an
agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia that would allow commonwealth grant funding for a new
facility, with NNS committing to hiring at least 1,000 new workers, maintaining a significant student body
at the apprentice school, and continuing to make significant capital and workforce investments. NNS has
met those commitments and has allowed for construction of a new apprentice school facility, which was
opened in 2013. In addition to new facilities, there has been a focus on developing and implementing new
apprenticeship tracks to support new skills in production. In fact, several apprentice tracks now lead past the
“middle skills,” and result in a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering and project management.

34 | METHODOLOGY
METHODOLOGY
The 2015 ATD Skills Gap Survey was fielded in May 2015. The survey was composed of a total of
17 questions. We received 786 responses of which 486 were analyzed. The input came from talent
development professionals with titles of manager and above, who serve in organizations of various sizes
and industries.
17 QUESTIONS
RESPONSES
RESPONSES
ANALYZED
786
486

METHODOLOGY | 35
EVERYONE HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN CLOSING THE SKILLS GAP.
HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:
Higher Education Employers Government
Agencies
Workforce
Investment Board
Members
Parents Students
Work with
employers to
better understand
skill needs
in different
industries.
Make solving
the skills gap an
ongoing priority for
the organization.
Make employers
a partner in
training programs.
Set up industry
specific groups
based on
community needs.
Coach children
on what it means
to be ready
to go to work
(communication
skills, attention
to detail,
and honoring
deadlines).
Understand what
skills employers
are looking for.
Provide courses to
help fill skill gaps.
Partner with the
public workforce
system to identify
needed skills and
open jobs.
Respond to
employers with
speed and agility.
Plan training
and investments
around the
skills gap.
Have children
learn about career
and technical
education
programs offered
in schools.
Take courses and
enroll in programs
that build skills
that are needed by
employers.
Develop internship
programs with
area employers to
build skills
for students.
Make area
educational
institutions
partners in keeping
your talent
pipeline full.
Market your
capabilities and
services to
area employers.
Learn about
employers and
industries in the
community and
skills needed to
be employed.
Seek out volunteer
opportunities and
internships to
grow skills.
Partner with the
Public Workforce
System to identify
courses that meet
training needs,
including industry
certificates and
certifications.
Offer employees
volunteer
opportunities with
community groups
to teach/mentor in
programs that are
addressing
skill gaps.
Invite youth to
participate in
extracurricular
activities that
will grow STEM
skills such as
FirstRobotics.
Encourage the
study of STEM
subjects and
job-marketable
certificates.
Attend career
fairs and
explore careers,
requirements, and
income potential.
Participate in
career fairs and
promote
needed skills.
If not already,
sponsor career
fairs to promote
careers available
and skills needed
in the area.
Understand what
it means to be
“ready to work.”

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