弥合技能差距：洞察高中生对未来职业重要技能的看法

BECKY L. BOBEK, JOYCE Z. SCHNIEDERS, ALEX CASILLAS, NOLADALEY, AND DIVYA MANDHOTRA Conclusions This study demonstrates that high school students vary in their awareness of and theimportance they attribute to skills that employers value for the careers they plan to pursue.Findings reveal that students who are more certain about their career choices have greater skillawareness. Students are also strongly aligned to the top skills that employers considerimportant, making communication, work ethic, critical thinking, and collaboration necessary for This study also shows that the extent to which essential, transferable, and foundational skills aretaught in school is significantly related to students’ self-rated proficiency in these skills. Findingshighlight that most students perceive being taught nearly all the skills in school, with essentialskills being most frequently taught in schools and those in which students rate themselves the documents, and graphics are taught more frequently, and yet they rate themselves lower in skillproficiency. The prevalence of “average” self-ratings across transferable skills and foundationalskills may reflect variability in students’ perceptions related to the focus or quality of instruction. So What? There is a clear and persistent gap between the skills that employers need and the skills thatindividuals have when entering the U.S. workforce. This skills gap poses a risk to the success ofboth individuals and the organizations that support the U.S. economy. The employment,productivity, and innovation implications of this skills gap must be addressed in part by future Now What? Based on findings from this study, schools can address gaps in skill awareness, skill instruction,and skill development. To better prepare students to meet workforce demands, schools shouldconsider the following: (a) embed career readiness skill instruction into the school curriculumand integrate these skills within school subjects, (b) connect learning to real-world experiencesthat make these skills more concrete and relevant, (c) build in opportunities for students to and graduation requirements with important career-related skills, and (e) help teachers facilitatestudents’ skill development by promoting professional development opportunities. In addition, employers could also participate in preparing students by considering the following:(a) partner with schools to offer work-based learning opportunities, such as internships, jobshadowing, apprenticeships, and mentorship programs, (b) engage with educators and studentsthrough career fairs, as guest speakers, and through work demonstrations, (c) collaborate withschools and advisory boards to support efforts that align curriculum and graduation About the Authors Acknowledgments Becky L. Bobek, PhD, Principal ResearchScientist at ACT, specializes in how peoplenavigate education and career transitions, along The authors would like to thank Cindy Hill and Kate Waltonfor their comments on earlier drafts of this report. Joyce Z. Schnieders, PhD, is a ResearchScientist II at ACT specializing in mixed-methodseducation research. Her research focuses on Alex Casillas, PhD, is a Principal ResearchPsychologist at ACT specializing in behavioralpredictors of performance and persistence in Nola Daley, PhD, Research Scientist II at ACT,studies techniques and materials that improvelearning and focuses on the knowledge and skills Divya Mandhotra, MS, is a Research Data Analystat ACT specializing in statistics, data analysis, andvisualization to deliver clear insights for research Introduction There is a clear and persistent gap between the skills that employers need and the skills thatindividuals have when entering the U.S. workforce. This skills gap can negatively affectindividuals, businesses, and the broader economy. Individuals who lack the necessary skillsmay experience difficulties obtaining employment, performing well on the job, and advancing intheir careers (Donovan et al., 2022). Businesses may face lower employee productivity, higheremployee training costs, increased employee turnover, and reduced competitive edge due to Workforce skills have been described in many ways. For example, the World Economic Forum(2025) describes core workforce skills as cognitive, interpersonal, and digital competencies thatenable workers to adapt to technological, economic, and social change. This world report alsoconsistently highlights the importance of foundational knowledge and applied skills foroccupations. In addition, Beier et al. (2025) highlighted the need for a person-centeredapproach to skill development for the workforce, which emphasizes the cognitive, social, andadaptability traits individuals need to thrive in dynamic work environments and meet changing Employers are clear about the high-demand skills they seek from individuals in the workforce.Nine out of ten global executives responding to a LinkedIn survey agreed that soft skills (alsocalled