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Skills-based Hiring: The Future of Florida’s Workforce
As of February 1, 2025, the Florida Chamber Scorecard indicates there are 387,079 open jobs in Florida, with 377,000 people looking for work. That means there are more than 10,000 open jobs than people looking for them. And this has been the case for years. The last time there were more people looking for jobs than jobs available was during the peak of COVID-19. It’s a job seeker’s market, leaving many businesses struggling to find the right talent for their open positions. So, what’s an employer to do? It’s time to look beyond the typical.
This week marks the start of Career and Technical Education Month, a month dedicated to exposing more people to these career pathways. Compared to a four-year degree program, career and technical education (CTE) programs are typically shorter – most students can earn a credential from 12 weeks to two years – making it possible to enter the job market and start earning full- time wages more quickly. And we’re not talking about low-wage occupations – programs like Computer System Analyst boast an average salary of $99,770 annually in Florida or Semiconductor Manufacturing Technician, with the average salary of $55,000 in Florida.
CTE is shaking its perception as a “less than” alternative to a four-year degree. Campaigns like Tear the Paper Ceiling and Home Depot’s Path to Pro (with its ubiquitous advertising in college football game commercial breaks) are turning the narrative upside down, emphasizing CTE as a first choice for many students, not a “default.”
Future of Work Florida: A Day in the Life of a CTE Graduate
For nearly five years, Moore has worked with the Florida Department of Education to raise awareness about the benefits of CTE. The Get There campaign reaches current and prospective job seekers looking to upskill or move to a new industry, while the Future of Work Florida campaign, a partnership with the Florida Chamber of Commerce and CareerSource Florida, exposes both middle and high school students and their parents to CTE early, and as a viable alternative to a traditional university path. Since the inception of the Get There campaign in 2020, enrollment in CTE programs across Florida has increased 30 percent.
Observances like CTE Month underscore the value of different educational pathways, something that savvy employers are keen to consider. The Society of Human Resources Management states that 75 percent of companies are shifting to skills-based hiring, an approach that focuses on a candidate’s specific skills and competencies rather than traditional qualifications like
degrees or job titles.
As a top-ranked workforce development and education marketing agency, Moore works with dozens of clients and partners who are advancing skills- based hiring. We provide communications solutions that help workforce and education organizations expand their reach, deepen audience engagement, and achieve business goals while making meaningful differences in people’s lives. These are three of the most common ways employers are using this technique to broaden their candidate pool:
- Consider candidates with a different educational background. Whether the candidate has a two-year associate’s degree in the desired area of focus, but not a four- year degree, or their education is in a different industry completely, employers are placing less emphasis on education and prioritizing existing competencies.
- Include candidates that may require accommodations. This could include a parent that needs to work from home exclusively or end work at 3 p.m. to care for children, or an individual with a disability that requires specific technology. Employers with the flexibility to implement such accommodations are often rewarded with hard working and loyal employees.
- Offer additional training. In many instances, short term training can often be the solution to bridge the gap between current skills and future potential. An example here could be a parent who has been out of the workforce for several years caring for children who needs to brush up on skills, or an older worker who retired during the pandemic but finds they need to reenter the workforce. Programs such as Incumbent Worker Training grants offered by Moore’s longtime client CareerSource Florida make this a smart consideration for many businesses across the state.
Employers are recognizing the power of experience and potential, making for a more dynamic and effective workforce. The future of work in Florida looks promising, and with continued support for a wide variety of educational and training opportunities, we can ensure Florida’s economy and its communities stay strong.