Canadian Employers Lag in Valuing Self-Taught Skills
A new report suggests that Canadian employers are slow to embrace the rise in self-taught and unconventionally learned job skills. As more professionals acquire expertise outside of traditional education, companies are reportedly struggling to differentiate genuine skills from inflated resumes.
- The skills mismatch, including the underutilization of available talent, costs the Canadian economy an estimated C$146 billion in lost earnings each year. - Despite the rise of online learning, 61% of Canadian hiring managers still express a preference for candidates with formal education, while only 11% favor those with self-taught skills. - The trend of acquiring skills independently is most prominent among younger generations, with 60% of Gen Z workers reporting they have taught themselves skills online, compared to just 19% of Gen X. - A 2021 survey revealed that over half (56.1%) of Canadian businesses felt their workforce was not fully proficient to perform their jobs at the required level, with the most needed skills being technical, practical, or job-specific. - To bridge the gap, 86% of hiring managers agree that demonstrating how a skill was applied, such as through a work sample or a detailed explanation, is more effective than simply listing it on a resume. - In response to the challenge of verifying informal learning, micro-credentials are emerging as a popular solution to certify specific competencies, with many programs designed in direct collaboration with employers to ensure relevance. - While 89% of employers report investing in upskilling their employees, 53% admit that their organization does not invest enough in training and continuous learning opportunities. - Canadian companies' investment in employee training is considered low by international standards, trailing behind countries like Germany and the United States.
