Skills mapping: Should universities be utilising skills maps to help students become workplace-ready?
The global economy is experiencing rapid change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Upskilling and reskilling have become more important to employers as they look to hire and keep talent. Many employers are now taking a skills-based approach to their hiring, because of this new demand for varied skills, rather than qualifications. The economic impact of the pandemic is expected to leave more than 140 million people out of work and 1.6 billion at risk of income loss. Likewise, LinkedIn has noted a 21% increase in job postings advertising skills and responsibilities instead of qualifications. We can only expect this trend to rise.
Students could be finishing university without the skills being demanded of them by employers. They may have a degree in a certain subject, but how does this translate to skills needed in the workplace? In this article, we explore what skills mapping is, how it can help students, and why universities should consider implementing it as part of their career advice services.
What is skills mapping?
Skills mapping is an activity that identifies the specific skills, abilities, knowledge, and behaviours that are required to operate effectively and efficiently in a specific job or organization. Skills maps are used in the workplace to identify gaps in employee’s skill sets. They can be done on an individual basis or of an entire team. The skills needed for a certain role or task are then compared to the skills of the individual or team. This comparison allows the gaps to be identified and remedied. For example, a skills map may reveal a team lacks certain software skills which may be hindering their performance. This can then prompt the organisation into conducting training.
How can it help students?
Whilst this shift from role-based to skills-based work may sound daunting to students, this hiring process may actually help level the playing field for graduates. The hiring process will look at an applicant’s skill set, rather than their employment history. This is great news for students and graduates with less work experience to support their application. Therefore, skills mapping can help students identify and develop these skill sets to prepare them for the job application process.
Entry-level jobs may ask for multiple skills for a range of tasks. Whilst students likely have a diverse range of skills developed from their degree, they may not be aware of how they can be transferred. With the help of their university, students can use skills mapping to assess their current skills and discover which roles and industries they apply to.
A marketing student who has conducted user research with multiple focus groups may not realise this communication skill transfers well into a customer service-facing role within the tech industry, for example. Likewise, a computer science student may not be aware that their coding skills may be sought after in the healthcare industry.
Skills mapping at this early stage means that graduates have already improved and better understood their skill sets when it comes to applying to entry-level jobs. This not only makes them more employable, but boosts confidence too. Self-awareness of skills and employability can go a long way when searching for jobs, as students will find their transferable skills may reach across different industries, opening up more opportunities.
Skills maps can also be interest-based. By taking time to understand a student’s interests, they can benefit from learning skills applicable to their interests too, not just that of in demand skills for employers. Students will finish university with a mixed skill set that aligns with their interests. This will help to focus their job search and increase the chances of job satisfaction as they search for roles they’re both good at and will enjoy.
What can universities do?
Universities are lagging behind employers, many of whom are employing people based on skills rather than employment history. Skills mapping is becoming an important activity to better understand employees’ skills, so it makes sense to introduce this exercise early to university students — aka our future workforce.
If universities lead with this knowledge that employers are changing the way they hire, then they can give students the head-start they need to secure a job after university. If they are looking for a job that they feel under-qualified for, a skills map can help them identify areas they need to improve to make them more employable. As degree requirements are no longer listed on some job adverts, then universities need to help students reframe their degree to draw out the skills contained within it. It’s not that employers are no longer looking for university-educated applicants, but rather they want to see demonstrable skills learned and how these translate to the workplace.
There are so many opportunities to develop new skills at university that aren’t related to a degree and academic learning. However, finding out how to learn these skills isn’t so obvious. With skills mapping, universities can work with their students to highlight the skills they need and where they can develop them. By signposting to specific activities and roles, universities can help students understand the purpose and end-goal of pursuing these activities. For example, when looking for leadership skills, a university might point a student to leading a group project, or nominating themselves for a society committee position. This way, the skill is learned through a specific activity that a student can refer to during an interview. Another example might be needing to understand marketing tools. The university can point to the relevant online resources that they have, or suggest reaching out to alumni with a similar desired skill set.
If universities do this activity by cohort, course or module, they may find students lacking the same skills. Universities could use this data to understand skills gaps and perhaps predict them in incoming cohorts. This data could help produce actionable resources and activities that enable students to learn together and benefit from peer to peer support. The visual representation of a skills map will also help students visualise their success. A physical drawing of their skills map will make gaps easier to identify, whilst also highlighting their strengths.
The takeaway
For universities, the mission must be to support students’ learning and help them become employable. This means analysing skills and interests as soon as they enrol. That way, universities have time to work with the students, understand their needs and support them with their job applications. Skills mapping is a useful activity to start with, as students can try out different activities throughout university to find what suits them. It’s also a great tool to keep referring back to as students fill the gaps and discover even more skills to learn.
Towards the end of their degree, universities can help guide students to a more tailored approach; refer to the skills map, and see which skills they have that employers are looking for. This way, students can narrow down their job search and focus on the skills they enjoy doing, hopefully pointing them to a job that matches their interests as well as skills.
Here at GotDis, we’re all about multidirectional learning and following your passions! Skills mapping is a great way to discover both, and we believe that if universities implement this activity, then more students will finish university with the skills needed to secure a good job. We’re working to bridge the gap between students and employers, so that students are better supported and employers have a better understanding of the skills students have to offer.
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