This is a great time for you as a job seeker to build up your skills with targeted certification training programs, which can often be supported and funded with the help of your local job centers and workforce offices. In this blog, we’ll explore what skills-first hiring means and how you can build your career without first needing a degree to open doors.
What Skills-First Hiring Means
Skills-first hiring is when employers focus on what you can do, not where you went to school. Certifications, hands-on experience and demonstrated abilities matter more than traditional college degrees, especially in rapidly growing sectors such as healthcare and information technology (IT).
Why Employers Are Dropping Degree Requirements
Employers are prioritizing competence over college degrees for one key reason: High performance doesn’t always require a four-year education. This is becoming more and more apparent as the education space changes and as companies look to fill critical roles. Many skills are as easy to develop through non-university training, such as MedCerts’ credential-focused programs.
In many fields, workers from skills-based programs often perform as well as degree holders. They may even have more up-to-date skill sets, particularly in evolving industries such as IT. This shift has happened alongside the growth of high-quality online education, making it easier to eliminate degree requirements.
Another contributing factor is that many industries, including healthcare and IT, are facing serious labor shortages. Companies need to fill gaps quickly or risk priorities like patient safety. Skills are the top priority.
What Types of Jobs Use Skills-First Hiring
Employers use skills-based hiring for high-potential, well-paying roles. This includes many entry-level healthcare roles, such as:
- Medical assistant: Provide clinical and administrative support in hospitals and healthcare offices
- Phlebotomy technician: Perform blood draws and non-blood specimen collection for diagnostic testing
- Patient care technician: Attend to patients’ basic needs and assist with procedures
These positions can be rewarding lifelong careers or stepping stones to more senior positions. The same is true for numerous IT and technology support roles, such as:
- IT support professional: Set up and maintain company systems
- Help desk administrator: Configure, maintain and troubleshoot networks
- PC technician: Maintain and troubleshoot Windows-based computers
A foundation in technology basics can serve as a launchpad for numerous careers, some of which may not even exist yet.
How Workforce Funding Can Pay for Training
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and other government funding options have made skills development more accessible than ever. Short-term funding can reduce, and even eliminate, out-of-pocket costs for career training, enabling more people to train for in-demand jobs.
You may be eligible for this kind of funding and not even know it. If you’re unemployed or underemployed, a workforce grant could change your life. Don’t let the lack of a college degree keep you from achieving your dreams. Make an appointment at an American Job Center or talk with a MedCerts Education Consultant to find out how you can train for a promising career in months, not years.
