Today’s guest post is by Allen Mireles.

Google the phrase “skills  gaps” and you come up with enough reading material to keep you busy for hours.

And it’s not all happy news.

Industries ranging from manufacturing and construction to IT and technology are expressing grave concerns about their abilities to find talent with the required skills to fill available jobs.

According to a report published by Manpower, emerging trends put unprecedented value on talent as the driver of business success.

Yet skills gaps exist in most industries today. Skills shortages are forecast around the globe, and, in a special report published by The Economist, executives surveyed have expressed unease about the affect these shortages will have on world economies.

More than half of survey respondents describe a lack of creativity, adaptability, and developed interpersonal communication skills among prospective employees. The absence of these “soft skills” is as problematic as missing technical or industry expertise. (more…)