One on One with Accenture's David Smith

As digital technology replaces antiquated analog systems in all facets of commerce at a blistering pace, so-called "blue-collar" jobs are evolving, as a greater level of technical expertise has become necessary to keep pace with modern systems. According to new research by Accenture, Harvard Business School and Burning Glass, companies are hurting for people to fill these jobs, and expect to need more and more as time goes on. This has both drawbacks and opportunities. It could open up all kinds of possibilities for workers without degrees to advance their careers, sharpen their skills, and make themselves more marketable. Accenture's David Smith, Senior Managing Director-Accenture Strategy, Talent & Organization, sat down with us to discuss the problems and the opportunities caused by this middle-skills jobs gap.

Consulting: What are some of the factors Accenture's research found to be the cause of this middle skills gap?

Smith: Employers aren't really doing a good job predicting and mapping their talent needs for the future. They really have to think about middle-skills talent and how to fill it. Jobs are becoming much more digital and requiring higher level of skill in the middle skills space than we've seen in the past. Employers have to get good at predicting, planning and preparing for that. Secondly, employers are saying they're having trouble finding people with higher-end skills in the middle skill space in certain industries. That affects performance. Ultimately we think it's affecting U.S. competitive performance.