Roddale Smith knew he could do better than toting chairs around at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. And when he decided to pursue an education, he didn’t have to go far. His employer brought the classroom to him.

It paid off for both sides. Smith, 32, graduated from nursing school last month and Children’s Hospital, in need of skilled workers, has a new job waiting for him. His salary, now $12 an hour, will almost double.

“Moving furniture does not have a direct impact on patient care,” said Smith, who started his training in 2008. “I wanted a career, earning a larger salary and making a more significant difference.”

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“They’d prefer to buy the skill rather than have to make it, but the skill base in the workforce is not there,” Carnevale said.

Efforts like Cincinnati’s remain highly localized and no match for the growing skills gap. By 2020, employers worldwide could face a shortage of 85 million high- and medium-skilled workers, according to a June report from the McKinsey Global Institute in Washington.

Source: Bloomberg