An interesting article caught my attention in the “careers” section of the Sunday paper. The article discussed something called a “portable skills certificate.” Basically, it is a private certification that you have a particular set of skills.
Why is this important? For starters, in an age when a high school and even a college diploma means little in terms of specific skills, it is a private sector attempt to actually quantify what skills a potential employee has. Even better, this is an end-round of the traditional, failing, government education system and it shows a potential path forward for increased reliance on meaningful certification developed in the private sector not just for basic manufacturing skills, but for basic skills like reading and math.
I’m sure that the people behind this certification process do not want to be seen as “competing” with the traditional school systems, but I can only imagine how much more cost-effective and responsive to the needs of both individuals and the marketplace itself, the private sector could make the educational/skills acquisition process.