Indeed has introduced a new product, Skill Connect, that helps job seekers promote themselves with skills gained from affiliate training programs. At launch, four vocational training organizations in the U.S., the U.K. and Ireland were involved in the initiative.
Indeed says it launched the product to help job seekers without a college degree better compete for jobs. It cites data from the U.S. Census showing that 62% of adults lack a bachelor’s degree, and points to survey results showing that many job seekers believe they’ve missed out on jobs they were qualified for because they lacked a university diploma.
With Skill Connect, job seekers who have completed a course from a participating organization are guided through a special resume process that pre-populates suggested skills and certifications. These job seekers can then be found on Indeed.com by employers searching for people with their skills and training, the company says.
“Promoting skills-based hiring is deeply connected to Indeed’s mission of helping people get jobs,” Indeed VP of Social Impact Abbey Carlton wrote in the announcement. “Hiring based on skills rather than academic credentials will have a significant impact on helping job seekers facing bias and barriers find work. By launching Skill Connect, Indeed and our partners will help match employers to job seekers who have learned new skills through their training programs.”
Texas’s Austin Community College is one of organizations taking part in the launch phase of Skill Connect. “We want our students to come out of our programs with the right skill sets necessary to be successful and unlock possibilities to rewarding and high-paying careers. This partnership helps make that happen,” said Richard Rhodes, the college’s chancellor, said. “Through this partnership we empower students to pave their own paths to success and get directly into the workforce, earning living wages for themselves and their families.”
Indeed.com, the world’s no.1 job site, is owned by Japan-based Recruit Holdings.
Read the product announcement here.