Many companies make bold claims about what their product or service can do, but few can articulate why it matters. Emmersion proves language ability. So what? Emmersion’s mission is to close the global communication gap by proving the language ability of job applicants and learners. In the global economy, it’s becoming more and more important to prove competencies in order to gain access to opportunities.
Proven ability matters even more at work
Companies like Degreed and Pluralsight have been leaders in helping employees “upskill” and prove their competencies. These companies have realized that employees need a way to prove what they know, and employers need to verify that employees have the skills to fulfill their job functions.
Employers are increasingly more focused on what you can do than where you earned your degree. It seems obvious that verified current abilities are more valid than a degree earned 20 years ago. Employees not only need to develop skills and ability; they need to be able to prove it to employers.
Competency-Based learning is on the rise
Some colleges and universities are shifting to competency-based models. For example, when I was a student at Brigham Young University-Idaho, I was able to earn credit for learning Thai while living in Thailand for two years as a service missionary. I took a test to prove my ability in the Thai language and received 16 credits at a 4.0 GPA.
Western Governors University has also taken competency-based learning to a new level, allowing students to accelerate their time to complete courses and degrees based on experience and proven skills. These models recognize that much of our learning happens outside of the traditional classroom.
Individual learners need a way to prove their language skills
It is also important for individuals (employees and students) to be able to prove their skills. In most cases, hundreds or thousands of hours and thousands of dollars have been spent to acquire and hone these skills. Relying on a resume or application rarely communicates the skills and competencies they have developed. Without a way to prove these skills to employers or schools, this time and money is wasted.
Being able to prove ability unlocks employment and educational opportunity. Assessments and certifications from reputable sources play a vital role in the competency-based economy. Companies like Emmersion and Modern Hire specifically focus on helping organizations verify skills and competencies of applicants during the screening process.
LinkedIn has started offering skills assessments to bolster their users’ profiles and resumes. All of these companies have a goal to help employers and applicants find the right match for jobs and abilities.
Communication is an essential job skill
There are certain jobs that are very specialized and require competencies that are so critical to a job that you must be certified. Doctors, lawyers, and CPAs are a few that come to mind. Language ability is another skill that is often overlooked but is equally important to prove ability. We often work with the contact center and BPO industry.
A majority of workers in this industry work in a language other than their primary language. If an applicant does not speak in the required language at a proficiency level that is high enough—regardless of other skills—they cannot perform the job. Having an automated speaking assessment to prove language ability is vital to the success of this industry.
Accurate and affordable assessments benefit both the employer and the applicant in finding the right fit for the job.
Ability means opportunity
As the geographic lines of the global economy continue to blur and discrimination in hiring decreases, the focus on competency is magnified. In the future economy, the key to opportunities will be based on proven ability—not where we’re from, the color of our skin, our gender, or even the university we attended. I return to my opening statement: Emmersion proves language ability…so what? Well, the “so what” is proving that ability and competency will be the key to opportunity in the future economy.
