The precise number of jobs that remain unfilled is elusive, but we know that the number is high. Now, jobs sometimes go unfilled because of natural fluctuation in the workplace--somebody leaves a job and it stays open for a few months. There are some observers who say that the idea of a skills gap is overstated, that vacancies persist because employers can't find people with the skills they need at the rate they're willing to pay. But it is true that employers complain they have a hard time finding workers with the skills they need. About 40 years ago, only one in four jobs required more than a high school education, but now about two in three jobs require more training. And workers now really need to think of learning as a lifelong task. That's a huge shift from the days when you did one job that never changed for one employer and then you retired.

Working in a factory requires a different kind of skill than it used to--the same is true in agriculture, even. I serve on a board in Arkansas, and we went to a town in the Delta that has a farm that used to have a couple hundred people working in the field. Now it employs two people, operating all the machines.

I've seen some surveys with employers who talk about problems finding workers with traditional workplace skills--showing up to work on time, having basic literacy, needing workers who can problem-solve. That's not new technology in play--some employers have always complained about these skills being absent.

It's interesting that you mention those basic skills, because it's definitely not what we think of when we hear "job training."

Yeah, those are some of the job-readiness skills that some people still overlook. There are employers who now work with community colleges to develop certificates that help show that a worker is ready. The National Career Readiness Certificate basically tests those kinds of skills I was talking about--can they read for information, locate information, do math? The standardized test is administrated by the testing service ACT and evaluates a student's preparedness for the workplace. Bison Gear, a manufacturer in Illinois, makes sure all of its employees have passed the NCRC as a requirement of employment.

So when we talk about more training or education, it doesn't necessarily mean getting more people through four-year colleges.

That's right. Not every kid has to be ready to go to Harvard or Columbia or Michigan. More training could mean a professional training school. Or community colleges, which are great places to go to get a degree or specialized skills that are of value to an employer.

The average district tuition and fees for community colleges is $3,130 per year while state school tuition and fees are now $8,660 each year. So the cost is not nothing, but it's much more affordable, and particularly if you're targeting certifications. Almost half of community college students receive financial aid. And there are employers who will subsidize the cost of school for workers.