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The U.S. economy is not short on jobs. In fact, it’s the opposite. Across the country, millions of positions remain unfilled while millions of Americans remain underemployed or locked out of opportunity altogether. Automation and artificial intelligence are reshaping industries in real time, and demographic shifts are tightening the labor supply. Yet the systems we rely on to train and prepare workers look and feel like they were built for another era. That mismatch is costing us dearly. Workers who want better opportunities struggle to access programs that fit their lives. Employers who want to grow can’t find people with the right skills. And communities that need economic resilience find themselves falling behind. If there was ever a moment to rethink workforce development, it’s now. A WIDENING GAP Indiana offers one of the clearest examples of just how steep the challenge has become. A recent TEConomy Skills Training white paper, published in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College, estimates that the state will need to upskill or reskill more than 82,000 working adults every year for the next decade just to keep pace with demand. These workers won’t all need two- or four-year degrees. Most of the demand is for nondegree credentials—certificates, certifications, apprenticeships—that can be earned faster and mapped directly to available jobs. Consider the numbers: About 69% of the job openings in advanced manufacturing, transportation and logistics, healthcare, and technology will require education beyond high school, but not necessarily a traditional college degree. That translates into tens of thousands of credentials needed every single year—roughly 18,300 in manufacturing, 24,000 in logistics, 38,700 in healthcare, and more than 1,300 in tech. Subscribe to the Daily newsletter.Fast Company's trending stories delivered to you every day Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters This isn’t just Indiana’s problem. Nationwide, the skills gap is just as visible. One evaluation of registered apprenticeship programs found that workers who completed them earned on average $5,830 more per year nine years later than peers in the same occupation. States have taken notice, expanding apprenticeships by 85% over the past decade. Still, demand outstrips supply. As of August 2025, there were 7.2 million open jobs across the U.S. but only 6.4 million people not currently in the labor force who want a job. Even if every job seeker were placed perfectly, more than 800,000 roles would remain unfilled. WHAT’S BROKEN The problem isn’t that people don’t want to work. It’s that the system meant to prepare them doesn’t reflect the realities of today’s economy. Too many programs are built around long, degree-based pathways that require time and money workers simply don’t have. Training options are fragmented, slow to adapt to new technologies, and often disconnected from what employers actually need. And then there are the barriers that have nothing to do with skill itself: tuition, transportation, childcare, and confusing enrollment processes. For a worker trying to move up from an hourly job, those hurdles can be insurmountable. Meanwhile, policymakers often measure success by how many people enroll rather than whether they land better jobs, stay employed, or see their wages grow. Employers, for their part, are treated like end-users rather than true partners in shaping training. WHAT A BETTER SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE Imagine a system built with workers at the center. Shorter, stackable credentials would allow someone to gain a foothold quickly and build toward higher qualifications over time. Apprenticeships and earn-while-you-learn programs would provide income alongside training, making advancement less risky. Flexibility—through online and hybrid learning, modular courses, and recognition of prior learning—would make programs compatible with real lives. Support services like childcare and transportation assistance would be treated as essential, not optional. And instead of being static, the system would evolve continuously, updating training content as employer demand shifts and new industries emerge. Success wouldn’t be measured in enrollment numbers but in outcomes that matter: wages, job stability, and mobility. WHAT WE CAN DO NOW Reimagining workforce development requires action from companies, state leaders, and workforce boards. A few steps rise to the top: Invest in nondegree credentialing at scale. Expand short-term, stackable programs that are either low-cost or free to workers, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds. Expand apprenticeships and earn-and-learn partnerships. Bring these models into more industries, with clear wage progression tied to skill gains. Adopt flexible and competency-based delivery. Offer modular and hybrid programs that allow people to train while working. Provide wraparound supports. Address real-life barriers—childcare, transportation, mentorship—so workers can complete training and succeed. Forge deeper employer partnerships. Involve employers in designing curricula and defining the specific skills they need. Tie funding to outcomes. Shift public funding to focus on job placement, retention, and wage growth, not just the number of participants. Use real-time labor market intelligence. Continuously update programs based on emerging skills and shifting demand. WHY IT MATTERS If we continue patching up the old system, the gap between available jobs and prepared workers will only widen. But if we build a new model—one that sees workers as the primary customer—the benefits will ripple across the economy. Workers gain access to meaningful, better-paying jobs. Employers gain a pipeline of skilled talent. Communities gain resilience in the face of economic change. The stakes are high, but so is the potential. The moment calls for more than incremental tweaks. It calls for a reimagined system that prepares people not just to fill the jobs of today, but to thrive in the industries of tomorrow. Robert Merritt is CEO of SlateUp.
