The Push for Skills-Based Hiring

Why it matters:

The skills required for most jobs are changing at an accelerating pace. LinkedIn data shows that by 2030, 70% of the skills used in many roles will differ from today. That shift is reshaping hiring, education, and workforce policy.

The big picture:

Rosemary Lahasky and Josh Connolly, co-chairs of Skills First, are leading a coalition of employers, trade associations, and innovative universities focused on advancing a proactive skills agenda in Congress. Their goal is to ensure federal policy keeps pace with workforce realities.

What stands out:

• Professionals are expected to hold twice as many jobs over their careers compared to 15 years ago.

• Roughly half of recruiters now prioritize skills over degrees when searching for talent.

• Automation and AI are accelerating workforce transformation.

The policy gap:

Much federal policy still centers on traditional 18-year-old students entering four-year institutions. Meanwhile, millions of incumbent workers need on and off ramps to reskill and upskill throughout their careers.

What’s next:

The coalition is focused on accelerating skills-based hiring, expanding access to skilling pathways, and improving how skills are assessed and verified at scale.

Bottom line:

Workforce change is not slowing down. Aligning hiring, education, and federal policy around verified skills is becoming a national competitiveness issue.