Dive Brief:

• The Adecco Group recently pledged that Adecco Group North America will facilitate 10,000 work-based learning opportunities in the U.S. by 2020 with an emphasis on apprenticeships. Adecco Group North America will partner with key organizations and businesses that share its goal of shrinking the skills gap and preparing for the future of work, according to Adecco.
• The company's "Definitive Guide to Building a Better Workforce" found 80% of employers believe the U.S. skills gap is real, and 53% feel that shortages of required skills within the labor pool are the biggest HR challenge today.
• Work-based learning is a way to teach in-demand skills and increase job-seekers' employability through "real-life" work experiences like apprenticeships, internships and co-ops. Adecco Group North America sees potential from the apprenticeship approach, as it has been successful in Europe for decades, especially in Switzerland (Adecco Group global headquarters).

Dive Insight:

Adecco Group North America's largest brand, Adecco Staffing USA, already implements a successful work-based learning model in Kentucky, called the Youth Employment Solutions (YES!) Program, where it partners with the Kentucky Department of Education and area businesses to build up the state's talent pool. In its second year, 96% of students who have completed the YES! Program have gone on to continue their education, extend their time in the program or accept a full-time job offer, per the statement.

HR leaders are fully aware that demographic shifts and technological advancements are causing employers to feel the impact of an increasingly tight labor market and skills gap. The hope here is that this type of program will facilitate work-based learning and apprenticeship programs, thereby thinning the growing skills gap. Employers should also note the growth of on-demand learning and microlearning, increasingly available through mobile technology, which take advantage of devices and programs that are accessible and scalable.

Soft skills have their place too. Surveys show that the same technologies that help employees improve at the technical aspects of their job have been successful for training them in areas such as leadership, time management and interpersonal communication.