Report finds 'skills gap' in U.S. workers

IOWA CITY, Iowa, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Analysts trying to determine whether U.S. workers possess needed skills should look at those required by specific jobs, a testing service said Thursday.

ACT, an organization based in Iowa City that publishes one of the major college admissions tests, released a report, "A Better Measure of Skills Gaps." The report recommends a different approach to the problem.

"We suggest that skills gap analysis must target accurate and identifiable skills, and that these skill levels can and should be measured independently of educational attainment," said Martin Scaglione, ACT president of Workforce Development. "In fact, research since 2007 shows undeniably that work tasks and the skills needed to perform them have become a better predictor of employment and wage growth than either educational level or occupational title."

The report concludes there are major mismatches between the U.S. workforce and the skills required for many jobs. In particular, researchers said many workers in fields ranging from healthcare to construction are unable to read the charts, graphs and other information required for their jobs.

Researchers said the more formal education workers have, the larger the gap tends to be between their skills and their employers' expectations.