America Employed

Express Employment Professionals announces the release of its new white paper focusing on how shorter, more customizable learning opportunities can help job seekers and existing employees secure in-demand jobs and upskill without committing to a much longer traditional degree program.

With 9.6 million job openings nationwide resulting in less than one unemployed person per position, America is experiencing a unique labor shortage that defies historical expectations. Retiring baby boomers, a low labor force participation rate and a lack of skilled workers add up to a deficit of employees that’s not likely to ease anytime soon.

One likely solution is the rise in microcredentials, also known as microdegrees.

According to the State University of New York, “Microcredentials are short, focused credentials designed to provide in-demand skills, know-how and experience. Stackable microcredentials can also provide a pathway to a certificate or full degree, now or when you are ready.”

While these credentials have been around for many years, offerings have ballooned more recently as interest from employers and prospective employees has increased.

The new white paper, titled “The Big Rewards of Microcredentials,” shows that employers value these abbreviated educational building blocks:

• 77% of U.S. hiring managers say microcredentials are just as valuable as (39%) or more valuable than (38%) traditional degrees.
• 81% of hiring decision-makers agree microcredentials provide the workforce with skilled workers in a timely manner.

 

And job seekers agree:

• 86% agree that microcredentials are a valuable way for established employees to grow their skill sets and knowledge.
• 79% say microcredentials will help close the workforce shortage.

 

Drawing from real-life experiences of Express Employment Professionals franchise owners and the companies they serve, as well as exclusive survey data prepared by The Harris Poll for Express and recent economic data, this paper examines what microcredentials are, which institutions offer them, how to verify their legitimacy and their role in the future labor force.

“Every aspect of our lives is becoming customizable on demand,” said Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller. “Why shouldn’t education follow suit? Microcredentials—or microdegrees—are proliferating as a cost-effective way for job seekers and employees to develop their skills and prove their talents on their own schedules.”

The Job Insights survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between June 13 and June 26, 2023, among 1,010 U.S. hiring decision-makers (defined as adults ages 18+ in the U.S. who are employed full-time or self-employed, work at companies with more than one employee, and have full/significant involvement in hiring decisions at their company). Data were weighted where necessary by company size to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 3.2 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.

The Job Seeker Report was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between June 13 and June 26, 2023, among 1,006 adults ages 18 and older. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, household income and propensity to be online, to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena Hollander, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment International. Founded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing franchisor supports the Express Employment Professionals franchise and related brands. The Express franchise brand is an industry-leading, international staffing company with franchise locations in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

At Express Employment Professionals, we’re in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, employing 579,000 people globally in 2022 and more than 10 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com.