A degree is still important in this rapidly changing job market, career coaches say, but you can boost your hireability by acquiring specialized skills targeted at the specific role you seek.GETTY IMAGES
If you’re a young Canadian or a job hunter on social media, you’ll likely have come across viral posts and videos such as “Top 10 highest paying careers without a four-year college degree” or “Think you need a degree to make good money? Think again.”
It can be tempting to forgo the traditional college or university degree path and focus on acquiring the skills or experience you need to land your first job. But a study from Boston Consulting Group released in December 2023 shows that the percentage of job postings for college-level occupations that had a degree requirement actually increased by 1.3 per cent from 2017 to 2022.
While there are some positions and occupations that don’t require a degree or diploma, career coach Carli Fink says that upper education degrees still matter, especially for corporate jobs. “It’s less about the specific skills that somebody might bring from a degree,” Ms. Fink explains. “[They’re] viewing a degree as an indicator that somebody has intellectual rigour, the ability to persist through challenges and work hard for a period of several years.”
Instead of viewing it as degrees versus skills, Ms. Fink advises combining both – earning a college or university degree while acquiring the essential skills for your desired career. “My No. 1 takeaway for young people would be to not look at degrees and skills as mutually exclusive,” she says. “But when evaluating educational programs, think critically and talk to relevant people to determine how an educational program can help you develop, articulate and communicate the skills that jobs may need.”
Ms. Fink suggests looking for degree programs with work-integrated learning experiences such as co-op placements and applied research projects.
Career coach Neha Khurram also encourages students to gain relevant skills for their target careers by enrolling in bootcamps and online classes. But more important than the classes themselves is demonstrating mastery of the skills acquired. “It’s not enough to do a coding boot camp and then apply to a job and expect there to be success,” she says. “You actually need a body of work to prove that you can do the job.” For a coder, that might look like building an app. She advises students to seek out project work, co-op programs and freelance assignments where they can put the skills they acquired into action.
There might be some stories, especially on social media, of people who have found successful careers without traditional schooling. But Ms. Khurram says these are the exceptions. Those degree-free dreams could be pulling people away from higher education.
While enrollment in Canada for the 2022-2023 school year increased overall compared to the previous school year, that enrollment growth was driven by international students. Looking solely at Canadian student enrollments shows a different picture. Canadian student college enrollments declined by 4 per cent in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to the previous school year, and Canadian university enrollments declined by 2.1 per cent, according to data from Statistics Canada. Despite this downward trend, Ms. Khurram says that degrees are still valued. “A degree can provide broad exposure, critical thinking and networking opportunities,” she says.
Meena Dube, vice-president and senior practice director at the Toronto office of employment agency Robert Half, says that combining a degree with industry-relevant skills is what helps new graduates stand out. “Degrees and diplomas still matter, but skills certifications help younger talent overcome limited experience and differentiate themselves in competitive markets.”
For some recent grads, acquiring the skills they need might mean returning to school. Statistics Canada data shows that more people are seeking postgraduate credentials. While just 6 per cent of college graduations were for postgraduate credentials in 2014, that figure rose to 13 per cent in 2019.
But if you don’t want to go back for a full postgraduate degree or credential, Ms. Dube says that gaining microskills, through a microcredential, can help. “Microskills are small, focused, practical capabilities that stack to create a broader competency,” she says. “A tech microskill could be AI literacy, data governance, cloud security or identity access management basics. These micro skills are very specific.”
Ms. Dube says employers are viewing skills development opportunities, such as microcredentials and other training programs, as not only a benefit to employees but a way for staff to earn bonuses. “I find that more and more organizations are getting into this,” she says. “They’re paying for certification exams and it’s also being implemented into people’s bonus structures. Your bonus is based on what you’re doing to improve your skills.”
Before diving into getting a microcredential or postgraduate certificate, Ms. Dube recommends doing a ‘skills gap analysis.’ “Identify the difference between your current skills and the industry expectations by looking at job descriptions,” she says. That will help you identify which skills you’re lacking and need to acquire.
But not all microcredentials and courses are created equal. Ms. Fink suggests a critical approach before registering. “Pay close attention to how [the program] was developed,” she says. “Is it validated or recognized by your industry?”
It’s also important to view a microcredential as being part of an ideal job candidate’s background, but not something that singlehandedly seals the deal. “For a lot of jobs, it’s unlikely, in my opinion, that a single microcredential will be the thing that gets you the job,” says Ms. Fink. “But if you are otherwise qualified and you have a strong resume and other things that make you a competitive candidate, it may be the thing that tips the needle in your favour when being compared against similar candidates.”