Communications of the ACM
MOOC Spells New Skills for Job Seekers, Can Fill Gaps
Companies are using MOOCs to fill applicants' skills gaps.
Credit: Investor's Business Daily
Companies struggling to fill high-tech jobs are considering expanding their applicant pool by tapping people trained in massive open online courses (MOOCs). Although MOOCs were started with a university setting in mind, recruiting firms recently began offering MOOCs after clients voiced concerns that even educated and experienced job applicants lacked now-necessary skills. "Technology seems to keep outpacing skill sets," says Aquent's Alison Farmer. "We are constantly hitting labor gaps."
Large MOOC providers offer courses from math and science to business, computer science, and languages. Aquent launched its first MOOC last summer, a free class in HTML-5 design. About 300 who completed the course later enlisted Aquent to represent them in job hunts, with many landing positions in part thanks to the MOOC training.
Industry experts predict other companies will mimic Aquent's program. Although the early signs of a MOOC movement are appearing mostly in the technology sector, Wells Fargo's Trace Urdan says other businesses are taking notice, as job applications look for new ways to gain needed skills. "The challenges of paying for higher education are enormous," Urdan says.
From Investors.com
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