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As technology reshapes industries, companies face a critical challenge: building workforces with skills that match real demands. The statistics tell a troubling story—52% of recent graduates are underemployed in year one, while a quarter of middle-skills credentials don’t align with real job opportunities. As organizations navigate this challenge, a strategic approach called “right-skilling” is emerging as the solution to this growing skills crisis.
Right-skilling: A strategic imperative
Right-skilling—the strategic alignment of job-specific education with industry and business demands—offers a path forward. This approach transforms learning and development from a perfunctory HR function into a key business driver.
A Fortune 500 manufacturing organization provides a compelling case study. Facing an aging workforce and a thin talent pipeline for future plant operators, the company co-developed a custom leadership program focusing on finance, supply chain management and strategic thinking.
The early results were impressive:
25 high-potential employees enrolled in the first cohort 84% of first cohort leaders are now on track for promotion to critical roles
This example demonstrates how right-skilling can simultaneously address immediate business challenges while building long-term organizational resilience.
See also: Why upskilling is the answer to many of today’s greatest HR challenges
Building right-skilling programs
Across industries, shifting skill
