SAN FRANCISCO — Skillfully, a leading innovator in skills-based hiring, today announced the general availability of its product suite for higher education and workforce development organizations designed to help integrate skills-based learning into their programming. The announcement was made at the ASU+GSV Summit, where Skillfully was named to the prestigious GSV Cup 50, which recognizes the 50 most innovative early-stage companies reshaping digital education and workforce development across the globe.
With the rise of skills-based hiring, employers are prioritizing what candidates can do over traditional degrees or resumes. Yet, educators and workforce development organizations face increasing pressure and limited resources to better prepare students and jobseekers for this shift. Skillfully’s new offering bridges that gap — enabling universities and workforce organizations to equip students and jobseekers with the durable, real-world skills employers seek.
“The future of work is here, and employers are hiring for skills,” said Brett Waikart, CEO and co-founder of Skillfully. “Our new offering empowers students and jobseekers with practical skills while helping them build confidence, professional presence, and readiness to succeed in today’s competitive job market.”
Key features of the product suite include:
– Simulations designed by real employers: Students and jobseekers practice and validate skills that actual employers are seeking, with opportunities to show off their skills to these employers.
– Fully multi-modal simulations: Students and jobseekers engage in interactive, structured conversations that test communication skills across both written and spoken language and professional presence. This expanded functionality allows them to practice for interviews, networking conversations and workplace interactions.
– AI-driven scoring and feedback: Real-time, explainable feedback highlights areas of strength and targeted growth. This helps students and jobseekers understand why they performed well or where to improve.
“Our simulations not only help students and jobseekers discover potential career paths but also give them a realistic preview of the skills needed to succeed in specific roles,” said Summer Robins, head of partnerships at Skillfully. “By working directly with employers, we can design custom simulations that target the most in-demand skills and bridge the gap between learning and real-world expectations.”
More than 16,000 students and jobseekers have used Skillfully’s offering. Early results demonstrate the impact:
- 97% of users say Skillfully helps them feel more prepared for the workplace
- 96% feel it helps them stand out to employers
- 93% agree it builds critical career skills
“Skillfully has revolutionized the way we think about experiential education. Our career centers needed to create realistic experiences that are more flexible and accessible than traditional internships. Skillfully has allowed us to do exactly this! Our students can now access work simulations that provide personalized feedback, scoring, and employer exposure, allowing them to see how their skills map to industries that would otherwise be exclusive. They are able to explore various career paths, access on-demand work-based simulations, and develop invaluable career skills,” said Chantelle Wright, Executive Director for Experiential Education and Career Connections, Academic Affairs at Montclair State University.
