Most employers in the United Kingdom place more emphasis on "job readiness" rather than formal academic credentials, but where one studied still carries great weight in the job market.
A new study published in the Journal of Education Policy analyzed more than 21 million UK job advertisements based on labor market analytics. The research was led by Professor Phillip Brown and Professor Manuel Souto-Otero of Cardiff University.
It challenges existing theories that higher levels of formal education determine the result of the competition for jobs in the UK labor market. Researchers found that only 18 percent of job ads specified a qualification requirement.
Employers were more likely to highlight social qualifications, specific skills and cognitive abilities such as organizational skills or time management -- which are aspects that signal job readiness -- in their recruitment ads.
The study showed that for most occupational groups, employers looked for a wide range of technical and social skills. Employers emphasized performance rather than assuming qualifications equal the skills they needed, or indicated that candidates would be easier to train.
The focus on job readiness rather than trainability suggests employers are looking for ways to slash training costs and shorten the time it takes for newly-hired employees to make a productive contribution to the company.
It also emphasizes the need for job candidates to develop marketable skills of immediate value to employers. This outcome helps explain the increasing popularity and importance of high-quality internships in Britain.
There is, however, little to suggest that a reduced emphasis on academic credentials will lead to a reduction in class-based inequalities in the competition for jobs.
The study noted that candidates with greater financial, cultural and social resources will likely maintain a major advantage when specific skills and personal traits not a central part of formal education are perceived as an important part of what it means to be job ready.
The study's findings call for a fresh discussion on the meaning of merit and fairness in the relationship between education and the labor market. This is especially relevant at a time when government reforms in the UK are premised on the assumption that increasing intergenerational social mobility can be achieved by widening access to higher education.
The study also said that if the exchange value of credentials in the labor market is more limited than assumed, the idea of a level playing field will need to extend far beyond the school gates or university lecture theatre.
The failure to consider the importance of other skills, competencies, and experiences beyond formal qualifications in recruitment processes is destined to disappoint in efforts to reduce educational, labor market and wage inequalities.
