Bridging the industry–education skills gap for human resource development

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe one advanced manufacturing company’s efforts to build a channel of skilled workforce by developing an apprenticeship programme with high schools. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative case study approach, the authors interviewed the members of the organisation to gain insights into opportunities and challenges they faced in addressing their skills needs. Findings The analysis showed that the collaboration and commitment of stakeholders were essential to the success of the programme. Furthermore, flexibility in employer’s expectations to allow for career progression was critical to motivating students to continue in the programme. A positive impact of the programme on overall employee morale and organisational culture was revealed. Research limitations/implications Although the findings may be relevant to other similar organisations, they may have limitations in their applicability to other contexts. Practical implications The study holds promise for the field of human resource development, as practitioners and scholars can benefit from the renewed interest in youth apprenticeship to identify how their activities within and outside of the organisation can build and retain the human capacity needed for organisational performance and competitiveness. Originality/value Employer–education partnerships have been touted as a solution to the skills gaps in industries. However, there is very little literature on employer-initiated apprenticeships focused on youth in the USA. Industry–education apprenticeship programmes offers employers an opportunity to address the skills problem in ways that meet their need.

Bridging Skill Gaps – A Systematic Literature Review of Strategies for Industry

“…Moreover, [53] emphasizes the requirement for employers to build and work on a training culture to eliminate any discrimination and ensure social inclusion [29]. Further, it is mentioned by [29, 31-33, 35, 50, 51, 53, 54] that employers have a responsibility to support the training, upskilling, and reskilling of their workforce, and integrate workbased learning [41] to bridge the skill gap. [44] highlights several actions for employers to bridge the skill gap: training the existing workforce but also increasing the pipeline for recruiting people from different industries and other countries.…”

“…[47] points out these two actions as well, and in addition, suggests increasing workers' wages. Also, employers should offer internships [45], drive mentorship programmes between their employees and university students [42], and provide apprenticeship programmes for students [41]. Lastly, [55,56] ask employers to require learning that is tailored to their employees' needs and to the workplace, use talent-matching platforms [29], and seek a gap-driven learning approach [31], to be able to bridge the skill gap.…”

Managing ICT for Sustainable Education: Research Analysis in the Context of Higher Education

“…In other words, it is about rethinking learning environments to infuse in students the desire to act in favor of sustainability. On the other hand, sustainable education from the perspective of ICT contributes to social transformation, enabling students to transform themselves and the societies in which they live [9,10].…”