The former CEO of IBM, Viriginia "Ginni" Rometty, spoke at the 2019 World Economic Forum at Davos and made it clear that it’s vital that businesses hire for skills not just college degrees or diplomas.

Why? Rometty said that technology’s fast-moving pace in the 21st century makes it challenging for people to meet the skill requirements for jobs causing what she calls the skill crisis.

Rometty said you would need new pathways that don't all include college education and you would have to have respect for that job -- not blue collar or white collar, and she calls it a new collar.

New collar jobs are roles in some of the technology industry’s fastest growing fields - from cybersecurity and cloud computing to cognitive business and digital design - that do not always require a traditional degree. What they require instead is the right mix of in-demand skill sets.

She wants people to feel that they can learn some new skills and get a great job.

The No. 1 Skill People are Lacking

IBM isn’t the only company talking about the future of hiring. The CEO of LinkedIn, Jeff Weiner, recently shared research based on the data from their 500 million member profiles. LinkedIn found surprising new research about the biggest skills gap. As Weiner put it:

Not surprisingly, there continues to be an imbalance with regards to software engineering. But somewhat surprisingly, interpersonal skills is where we're seeing the biggest imbalance. Communication is the No. 1 skill gap.

According to Weiner, the gap there is roughly three times higher than software engineering in the United States.

Now for the good news!

Interpersonal skills and even leadership skills can be developed without needing to go to college. You don’t need your company or boss to get started. This is where Matter can helping you discover your strengths and opportunities to improve. Master your skills. Crush it at work. Take ownership of your career path.