Last month, the New York Times published an article detailing the emergence of skills-based hiring throughout the country. Middle-skill jobs in the technology sector are in high-demand and there are not enough qualified individuals to fill those openings. Companies such as IBM have made strides in hiring those without college degrees. The information technology company plans to "hire up to 250 people" this year at one of its West Virginia facilities, including applicants who do not have a four-year degree.

Are we finally seeing employers prioritize skills over having a four-year degree?



She doesn't have a college degree, but her detailed portfolio got her the interview.

Unfortunately, I don't think so. A majority of high paying jobs are still reserved for only college graduates to apply to. Even though firms like Google and Ernst & Young (their UK office) have removed the requirement of having a college degree to even be considered for an open position, there are very few people who get hired into these established companies without that piece of paper in their hand.

There aren't even any public statistics on how many individuals are employed in white-collar jobs without a college degree.

I don't mean to suggest that its impossible today to get into a white-collar profession without a college degree. People with the proper skills and a plenty of experience in their field, but no degree, are still able to convince recruiters and hiring managers that they are the right person for the job.

But that group of highly skilled individuals in technology or professional services without a degree are few in number compared to their credential-wielding peers.



Unfortunately in today's economy, skills don't seem to trump having a degree, especially if you're an entry level worker. In tech, coding bootcamps have tried to replace a traditional four-year computer science curriculum with fast-paced, job-tailored programming coursework. While there has been some success with some of these non-traditional educators, Dev Bootcamp, one of the nation's leading tech bootcamps, recently shut down due to lack of a viable business model. Without stable non-traditional learning institutions to challenge the status-quo of university and college learning, it will be hard for society to turn away from a degree as the gold-standard for employability.

Even for myself who has recently graduated from college, I'm still challenging myself to learn after my four years on campus and outside of my work hours. I've enrolled in Udacity courses for their Android Basics Nanodegree and Android Developer Nanodegree just for my own learning and personal fun. I've already completed the Basics Nanodegree and am currently working my way through the Developer Nanodegree. Even though I'm putting in a lot of hours after work, would any potential employer take my Udacity coursework and online credentials seriously if I brought them up during an interview?

I hope so. If I ever wanted to transition from aerospace to software engineering, my Udacity coursework and degrees would be the most relevant experience I have on my resume. If employers in the tech industry are only looking for a four-year degree, then I'm out of luck.

Maybe one day skills will matter more than a piece of paper.

Because we all know that skills pay the bills.

#StudentVoices


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