Fill the Gap Between School and Work
Experiential learning opportunities + verifiable digital credentials
We're facing a silent talent pipeline crisis
Degrees are a trusted language between education and employment.
However, for the first time, recent graduates face higher unemployment than the general workforce.
Now, in addition to requiring degrees, companies are screening job candidates for years of experience.
When entry-level hiring disappears, the talent pipeline disappears with it.
If this trend continues, the next generation of skilled professionals will never get started.
How Skill Squirrel helps the future workforce build experience
Develop evidence of capabilities
Employers in the local community can help make a difference by providing recent graduates with opportunities to gain work experience through term-based engagements for experiential learning.
Learning by doing provides recent graduates with the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice in a meaningful, relevant, and authentic context. It allows them to grapple with messy problems, sort through different perspectives, and develop new ways of thinking.
Hands-on learning experiences are deeply engaging and relevant to a recent graduate’s future and interests. Without relevant employment, recent graduates often face underemployment leading to lower lifetime earnings.
Build professional recognition
Experiential work-based learning opportunities provided by employers are typically less formal, high quality, and potentially service-based. They function as opportunities for career exploration or discovery allowing recent graduates to solve problems for local organizations, build skills, and potentially earn credentials for achievements.
On-the-job engagements also allow recent graduates to see the connections between their learning and the “real world,” and they benefit through learning from peers, collaborating on teams, expanding their networks, practicing reciprocity, and developing interpersonal and communication skills.
Based on credible evidence of how they used their skills in authentic, real-world situations, verifiable credentials can be issued to signal pertinent skills and relevant work experience.
Skills get validated. Talent is discovered.
When resources are limited and demands are high, it can be challenging for organizations to secure the staff they need. Welcoming recent graduates gives organizations access to extra support without high costs or overextended resources, while also creating a reliable talent pipeline of future potential hires.
Not only does Skill Squirrel connect organizations with ambitious talent, but it also gives them the chance to award students, recent graduates, and their employees with branded credentials that support professional development while enhancing the organization’s community visibility.
Become a Skill Squirrel Ambassador
Be a change maker, get your skills validated, and earn verifiable credentials by helping us spread the word.
Issue Credentials for Free
Incorporated organizations can validate skills and recognize achievements with verifiable credentials.