Publications

Journal Articles

Hora, M.T., Benbow, R., Oleson, A. (under review). Teaching and learning in the era of the 'skills gap': A field study of higher education-industry dynamics in the state of Wisconsin during the Walker administration.

Policy Briefs and Reports

New policy brief released by WISCAPE: “A different take on the skills gap: Why cultivating diverse competencies is essential for success in the 21st century economy”

Oleson, A., Hora, M., Benbow, R. (2014). What is a STEM job?  How different interpretations of the acronym result in disparate labor market projections. Center on Education and Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison.  (and provide link to pdf - see attached). 

Hora, M.T. (2013). Preparing students for success in the 21st century economy: Challenges with aligning educational policy and curricula with employer expectations. WISCAPE Policy Brief, University of Wisconsin-Madison: Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education. 

Working Papers

Hora, M.T. (2013). Preparing students for success in the 21st century economy: Challenges with aligning educational policy and curricula with employer expectations. WCER Working Paper (2013-8). Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

ABSTRACT: Wisconsin and the nation are struggling with how to address persistent unemployment and an economy recovering too slowly from the Great Recession of 2008. While economists point to a host of reasons for sluggish growth, including low aggregate demand, outsourcing, spending cuts, and so on, some argue a principal culprit is the "skills gap." Based in part on this interpretation of the causes of slow economic growth, the policy response at national and state levels is increasingly focusing on the educational sector as a way to cultivate more skilled workers. Yet important questions about the nature of employer expectations and the subsequent implications for the nature of educational programming and curricula remain unanswered. In particular, notwithstanding the ongoing debate about whether a skills gap exists at all, empirical evidence does not support the assumption that employers' primary need is technical training of potential workers. In this working paper I analyze Wisconsin's education and workforce development policies in light of the research literature on the topic, along with data from a survey of 181 Wisconsin-based employers who were asked about the types of skills they found lacking among job applicants in manufacturing. The results indicate that employers are seeking new hires in a variety of job categories such as skilled labor, engineers, and welders, each of which have distinct requirements for training and skill sets. Employers report that work ethic is the most important skill or applicant attribute lacking in the labor market, followed by technical skills, math skills, and social skills. These results highlight the fact that employers seek such a variety of skill types that a sole focus on technical or vocational training will not provide students with the types of skills that will make them competitive in the job market. The evidence also suggests that the effects of current policies that tend to remain silent on non-technical skill development could be enhanced by adopting a more comprehensive notion of skills, as well as creating programs and curricula that cultivate these multi-faceted skills in 2- and 4-year college and university classrooms.

To obtain the document see: http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/publications/workingPapers/Working_Paper_No_2013_08.php

Invited Talks and Conferneces

Hora, M.T. (2016). Presentation to Wisconsin legislators  on findings from WI skills gap study.  Wisconsin Capitol, January 13. Madison, WI

Hora, M.T. (2015). A different take on the skills gap: Why cultivating diverse competencies is essential for success in the 21st century economy. WISCAPE

Hora, M.T. (2015). Exploring the skills gap in Wisconsin.  Association for the Study of Higher Education 2015 Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.

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Exploring the STEM Skills Gap is housed at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Copyright ©2013, The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System