Today, companies in all industries are suffering a growing Skills Gap – a gap between the current capabilities of a company’s workforce, and the capabilities needed to execute their business strategy. 

The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) calls the skills gap “the most significant challenge facing U.S. businesses today.” In a recent white paper, Bridging the Skills Gap: New Factors Compound the Growing Skills Shortage (Feb 2010) ASTD states, “by 2015, 60 percent of new jobs will require skills held by 20 percent of the population.” The top skills gaps that organizations are facing are:

• Leadership and executive skills
• Basic workplace competencies, such as literacy and numeracy
• Professional or industry-specific skills
• Managerial and supervisory skills
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Technical, IT, and systems skills
• Sales skills
• Process and project management skills

Does your current workforce have the skills and capabilities needed to drive business results? Do your current employees have the right skills for the future needs of the business? Are you able to deploy the right people when emerging opportunities arise? ... If the answer to any of these questions is no, then perhaps your organization is facing a skills gap.

Here is an overview of an action plan to help you identify and close your own company’s skills gap:

1. Identify competencies (skills, knowledge and behaviors) needed now, and in the next 3 years, and align/map to your business strategies and performance metrics.

2. Assess where the skills gaps currently lie. Be sure to include potential gaps that may be created by a change in workforce demographics, retirements etc. Establish a baseline measurement of current employees’ skills.

3. Set goals and prioritize a path to filling the gaps. Create an internal communication plan to educate and involve managers and employees in programs that close the gaps.

4. Implement solutions. Engage senior leadership in prioritizing and supporting the plans. Create individual learning paths for employees that measure competencies before, during and after the training and development. Align all development goals to organizational strategies and performance metrics.  

5. Monitor and measure results and communicate the impact. Link results of skill development to organizational goals. Be sure to communicate progress and results to stakeholders. 

For case studies and more information on creating an action plan to bridge your organization’s skill gaps, download a copy of ASTD’s white paper: Bridging the Skills Gap