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Business Daily: The "Skills Gap" Myth 

02/08/2012

The "Skills Gap" Myth 

BBC World Service - Business Daily, The "Skills Gap" Myth

Amid rising unemployment, the jobless challenge from the applicant's perspective.

Some employment challenges seen from the applicant's perspective - from the US worker told he's not got the skills, to the Chinese graduate deemed too smart. Are employers part of the jobless problem?

As the rich world struggles with climbing unemployment, we look at the jobless challenge from the applicant's perspective - whether it's the American worker told he's simply not got the skills, to the Chinese graduate deemed too smart for the job. Is it actually businesses who are sometimes the problem? Professor Peter Capelli of the Wharton Business School says the idea of a skills gap in the US is a myth put about by inefficient recruiters. And a foreign-educated Chinese graduate says Beijing bosses are rejecting people like her because they are afraid of free-thinkers. What does this say about China's business culture? Also reflections on the best way to market yourself for a job by jazzing up your current job-title. We get the thoughts of of former management consultant and comedian (or is that humour-enablement consultant?) Colm O Regan.

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