SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS

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Across industries, employers are struggling to fill roles, not because there’s a shortage of applicants, but because there’s a mismatch between what’s measured and what matters.

For decades, a four-year degree served as a stand-in for ability. But the economy has moved on. In sectors as diverse as logistics, clean energy, construction, and advanced manufacturing, employers need people who can do the work, and not just write about it. Yet, too many hiring systems are still calibrated to academic pedigree rather than practical skill.

The result is missed opportunities on both sides of the labor market.

A recent Harris Poll found that 86% of U.S. HR decision-makers believe relying on college degrees as a hiring filter is outdated. They’re right. Degrees don’t tell the full story of a candidate’s capabilities—particularly in skilled professions like electrical work, precision manufacturing, HVAC, and more. The work is complex, technical, and essential, but often invisible to institutions that design education policy or hiring frameworks.

What’s needed is a credentialing system that reflects how people actually gain and demonstrate competence. That means short-term certifications, modular training, and pathways that allow workers to progress and employers to assess skill without relying on proxies.

Some education leaders are starting to move in this direction. I’ve spoken with university presidents who are exploring ways to fold business and leadership training into adult education programs for tradespeople—an approach that helps translate technical expertise into entrepreneurship. Others are thinking seriously about how to credit learning that happens outside of the classroom. These aren’t radical reforms. They’re overdue adjustments to a system built for a different era.

Credentialing the trades won’t solve every labor market problem, but it can unlock real value. It creates clarity for workers, confidence for employers, and mobility for people whose talents have historically gone unrecognized. It’s also a win for efficiency. When skilled professionals can show what they know in a standardized, stackable way, businesses can hire faster and invest smarter.

Private-sector engagement will be essential. Employers can help define the standards that matter. Philanthropic institutions can accelerate innovation. And public policy can support efforts to modernize workforce pipelines without replicating the bureaucratic inefficiencies of higher education.

What we need now is follow-through—and a willingness to challenge the degree monopoly that’s quietly distorting how we hire, train, and grow.

We have the technology, the funding, and the demand. What we need are systems that work for today’s workforce, not yesterday’s résumé. A smarter, more inclusive credentialing framework is within reach. It’s time to build it.

On behalf of a skilled career advocate.