Editor's Comments: It is great to see GE taking the lead and proactively closing the skills gap in manufacturing. It is exciting to read about an organization that is not talking about old-time manufacturing struggling to survive but embracing the digital future of robotics, artificial intelligence and additive technologies. I don't think for a moment that this is easy: for GE or for any other manufacturing organization. The skills gap has proven to be highly complex and d

Comment from Susan: Employers need to start taking the skills gap/shortage seriously and see it as a risk to their business and not something they can just ignore. Unfilled tech jobs that are costing the U.S. billions With IT industry unemployment hovering at around 2.8 percent (as of Q3 2016) and organizations struggling to land talent, many companies find themselves with unfilled jobs. That's a problem not just for individual companies, but for the U.S. economy as a whole,

Comment: Susan "This article is spot- on. We are generating data at an unprecedented rate and to analyze this data and turn it into actionable tactics requires talented data scientists. The challenge is that around the world these folks are difficult to find because they need both tech skills and business skills. Based upon our thirst for insights into how the consumer thinks - this shortage is not likely to get better in the immediate future . See my article Searching fo

Comment: Susan Dineen "More and more countries are looking to use immigration as a way to close the skills gap until their education system can catch-up. It is a good time to be in technology if you have the in-demand skills that companies need." The Netherlands is positioning itself as the ideal home for ambitious IT professionals from across the world . A shortage of IT professionals is looming for the Netherlands, and the race is on to lure developers, admins, programmer

From rapid technological advances to unprecedented tech skills shortages, mega-trends around the world, are driving a greater urgency into reassessing existing tech recruitment practices, as the people side of the equation emerges as the new risk. With so many demands on performance, the key to success is embedded in talent. Organizations need to be more innovative, they need to be stronger magnets for tech talent and they need to build talent brands and cultures that are d

IT shops with legacy systems should pay particular attention to the tech skills gap that is fast approaching with the retirement of baby boomers from the market place. Systems in legacy environments such as mainframe or AS/400 have often been in place for twenty or thirty years. They are frequently large, complex and costly to replace. Many of the applications are custom and to make the situation worse they are frequently undocumented or only partially documented. Yet, they

The majority of IT departments develop their strategy focused on the goals and objectives of the organization. This is the right approach but in a competitive labour market it is also important to include a talent strategy as part of your overall plan. This is equally important whether you have legacy systems where your key technical staff are nearing retirement age or are embarking on a digital transformation where new skills will be required. Think about it for moment. I

Comment Susan: Excellent insights on an important issue from an authoritative source. Despite recent gains in employment rates across the country, one in seven, (or 15 percent) of American men between the ages of 25 and 54 currently aren’t working—and this number has been on the rise for decades. This troubling trend has led to wasted human potential, more people collecting government benefits, and fewer people paying taxes, all of which are harmful to the economy as a whole

Comment Susan: "It is thrilling to see Canada step-up and acknowledge the skills gap with a proactive Global Skills Strategy. This is a move in the right direction to support innovation, economic growth and middle-class jobs." New Global Talent Stream to help Canadian businesses support the creation of good jobs for Canadians March 9, 2017 – Toronto, Ontario – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada The Government of Canada’s new Global Skills Strategy will faci

The Government of Canada will launch its new Global Skills Strategy on June 12 to make it easier for top companies to attract top global talent to the country. Quick Facts. The Global Talent Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program will also launch on June 12 as part of the strategy. This initiative will help high-growth Canadian companies attract the specialized global talent they need to innovate and grow by providing a faster and more predictable streamlined service.