Tech Skills, Autism, and College Degrees in the Workforce today

–changing future hiring practices at many businesses..

Because most of our employment needs encompass some tech skills in 2021 and will continue changing the requirements of jobs in our world; there is a change in how employers are looking for candidates. This is good news for many of our early workers entering the work force today.

Video from PBS News Hour – Interesting Information

I was about to write an article about Computers and Tech jobs, when the following video from PBS began playing on my computer. The video talks about how the requirement of a 4-year degree has kept people from following and finding job opportunities that were good fits for some individuals, their talents, their skills and their interests. The article is discussing the changes we are seeing in hiring solutions and how training programs through businesses and organizations are beginning to become part of the hiring process.

We live in changing times.

I had been recently reading an article from Monster.com entitled:

These major tech companies are making autism hiring a priority

The article is about many companies looking into hiring Autistic people for their businesses. These businesses are adopting new ideas, longer-term interview processes and training for individuals to adapt to their business needs more effectively.

If you follow my articles at all, you know that I am very interested in working with Special Needs young adults and job opportunities. Remote work has opened many doors for individuals with different disabilities, and now I am seeing that people with trainable, teachable skills are being considered valuable enough for some businesses to create their own training, apprenticeships, internships and mentorship programs.

Before our recent pandemic, we were seeing many college degreed individuals having difficulties finding employment. College degrees can be indicative of “a good hiring decision”, but so can, “a good hiring decision” be made through natural talent or interest. I was told by a college professor that I had once, that a college degree shows that an individual has the “stick-to-itness” to complete the four years.

Both the article and the video talk about how so many companies are beginning to change their approach to hiring and are becoming more inclusive in making choices for new employees. Many are working in more of a “Learn-to-Earn” manner, which is wonderful. Remote work has also given many people new potential to find work, including those with disabilities.

I remember early in my career working with Special Needs young adults, a young man with autism, explained to me, in great detail, how a church organ functions. I had no idea of such detail, and truthfully still have no interest in the subject, but his knowledge was so extensive, I was blown away. He had been diagnosed as Autistic and was living in a residential facility for special needs individuals and probably would be the rest of his life.

The PBS video describes how many individuals that simply are ill-equipped financially or otherwise are overlooked because they don’t have a college degree. One comment in the video stands out to me, as a recruiter. The process of recruiting was designed with a “weeding out” process in mind, and not a “weeding in” through individual interest, desire or natural skills.

2020 has brought many changes to the hiring/employment world. I like the changes I am learning about through the eyes of these two media items and remote working opportunities offer jobs to many other future employees.

Many people have different talents and some are difficult to see. Many talents come in with birth and can be directed. Open minds, versus, closed minds is a great creator of new ideas and actions that make a difference. We are seeing this type of change happening in employment opportunities for our youth. Tech jobs, college degrees, remote work and changes in hiring policies are changing the way job recruiters and hiring authorities look at resumes received. I believe resume writing is long-overdue for changes, as well.

I hope you found this article and media interesting. The changes we are seeing in recruiting, hiring and employment opportunities seems to be opening new doors for our young workers. Perhaps we are seeing changes that are opening many new doors that had previously been closed for some.

Thank you for reading and thank you for sharing.

Don’t forget to check out the Virtual Job Fair – November 3 and November 4, 2021.