How to translate education benefits into career mobility: The ultimate guide for employers

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How do leading employers turn employee education into internal mobility?

Employee education and training don't just accelerate career mobility — they are increasingly an integrated part of what career mobility is.

In this complete guide, we'll cover:

→ What is the role of education and training in career mobility?
→ Are degrees still important?
→ What is the difference between formal learning and skills programs?
→ What will employee education look like in the future of work?

Table of contents

• Chapter 1: The importance of education and training in career mobility
• Chapter 2: Are degrees still important?
• Chapter 3: The role of skills development programs on career mobility
• Chapter 4: How employers can encourage employees to pursue education and career mobility
• Chapter 5: How a stronger alliance between employers and higher education can foster career mobility
• Chapter 6: The future of education and training in career mobility

Chapter 1

The importance of education and training in career mobility

Why is strategic education and training the key to unlocking career mobility?

In this chapter, we'll cover:

→ Which employees stand to benefit most from employer-funded education and training
→ The role of education in career mobility
→ The top benefits to employers

What is career mobility – and what does it have to do with education benefits?

The definition of career mobility is any job movement that makes the life of an employee better.

Most often, that means a vertical promotion or a lateral move into a job that provides:

• More opportunity for career advancement
• Better alignment with an employee’s interests, strengths, and career goals
• More flexibility, either in location or schedule 

Now, what role does education play in career mobility?

Let’s start with the obvious: education and training equip people with the skills they need to qualify for the jobs they want. 

Most common scenarios for which employees need education and training

In practice, how much education and training is necessary depends on an individual person’s circumstances. Let’s look at a few of these circumstances.

1. Filling personal skills gaps

Oftentimes, in order to move to the next step in one’s career, an employee is just missing one crucial skill. 

For example, imagine a bank teller who may already have many of the skills required to become a branch manager (e.g. knowledge of certain banking systems, interpersonal skills, and customer service acumen).

The only skill they are missing from their resume is frontline management, which he/she can fill in with additional education and training. 

A good educational fit for this skill would be a Frontline Management Certificate, which is a popular offering in Guild’s Learning Marketplace.

2. Entering a new field

Other times, the skills necessary to move into a new role have very little overlap with the skills an employee uses in their day-to-day work. 

For example, a bank teller who aspires to become a software engineer will likely need more education and training to enter into a completely different field.

Typically, the education/training for this popular role first takes the form of a coding bootcamp or IT certificate. 

Once completed, employees can then seek out stretch projects or apprenticeships at their company, or even continue on to complete a BA in computer science. 

3. Differentiating from the competition

Higher-paying roles often come with higher competition for those roles. 

Earning new credentials and certifications offers individuals who may already have expertise in their field a way to differentiate themselves from other candidates after the same position.

4. Opening doors to new career pathways

Education and training can also open doors to multiple career pathways for employees. 

In the short-term, new credentials can help individuals take the next step in their career path today.

In the long-term, education can open doors to many different opportunities as economies evolve and companies pivot to new focus areas. 

Some examples of the way education can open doors to multiple career pathways include:

• From high school education to business degree: Earning a business degree can enable a person to pursue a career in sales, business operations, marketing, business management and leadership, and more. 
• From non-clinical to clinical: Completing a Certified Medical Assistant training can open the door to roles in patient care, health support services, and comes with many skills that overlap with advanced allied health roles. 

Being able to pursue roles beyond a given career pathway is an indicator that a person has gained transferable and durable skills.

The role of formal education for employees in career mobility

While curiosity and the informal pursuit of knowledge is an important quality to have, when it comes to career mobility, the most important quality is to be able to demonstrate new skills and abilities. 

To demonstrate skills, employers look for ways to validate what a candidate knows and what they can do to make them qualified for the role they are trying to fill. 

For this purpose, having a formal record of learning facilitates this process for two reasons:

1. Credentials are signals: Completed credentials are recognized as key indicators of the skills employers are looking for, and
2. Skills can be tested in interviews: The skills gained through well-designed education programs are demonstrable when tested in the interview process

What’s the difference between formal and informal education? 

Generally, formal education is education that is intentionally designed and delivered, and results in a credential (e.g. bachelor’s degree, certificate, license, etc.). 

On the other hand, informal education is less structured, tends to be self-directed, and doesn’t usually result in a formal credential (e.g. a Udemy course, “micro” learning modules, YouTube videos, a digital e-book, etc.).

Formal learning is an essential part of achieving career mobility. 

Employers look for degrees, certifications, and other credentials as important indicators that a candidate has gained the skills necessary for a given role. 

Employers alone do not determine the value of education. 

For individuals, formal education is an opportunity to build the right combination of:

• Foundational knowledge
• Specialized skills
• Recognition within a given field 
• Expertise
• Personal development

What questions do employees ask when pursuing formal education as a means of achieving career mobility?

Choosing the right education program is critical for career mobility.

There are several questions that employees should ask when considering which education program will be best aligned with career mobility:

• Is it aligned with my career interests and goals?
• Will this program help me prepare for roles that are in demand? 
• How is this program assessed for quality and legitimacy? 
• What is the cost? 
• How is learning delivered (how, when, and where)?
• Am I qualified for this program?
• What support will I be able to access? (career centers, credit for X, disability accommodation, academic support, etc.)

Top benefits of ongoing learning for career mobility

Ongoing learning is exactly what it sounds like: learning all the time. 

It happens both formally, such as earning a certificate, or completing employee training, and informally, such as reading a book on management or finding and watching a how-to video on YouTube. 

There are several ways continuous learning becomes an advantage for those seeking career mobility:

1. Expand professional knowledge and expertise

Gaining new knowledge and expertise in a given field helps individuals ensure they understand important industry and economic trends that can impact their companies and careers. 

This signals to employers that a potential candidate has a vested interest in their field, the tenacity to pursue new ideas, and the credibility to be trusted with important information and tasks.

2. Improve employability and marketability 

Gaining new skills and qualifications, perhaps through employer-funded learning opportunities, signals to internal hiring teams and managers that an employee is ready to grow, and has the credentials to prove it. 

Beyond this, it signifies to employers that a candidate has both expertise and strong personal motivation to continue growing.

3. Adapt to changing industry needs

Today, business priorities shift and new technologies emerge exponentially faster than any time in history. What was once the banking industry is now a booming technology industry, local grocery and restaurant chains are now e-commerce machines, and giants like Amazon have moved into cloud computing, pharmacy, streaming, and more. 

In a world that is constantly changing, we need to be constantly learning. 

Cultures of continuous learning empowers us to:

• Keep our skills and knowledge up-to-date
• Grow professionally and personally
• Open doors to new career pathways 
• Ensure long-term career success

This leads agile workforces ready to take on the future of work and pivot at any moment.

4. Enhance confidence and personal growth

Learning is transformative, and extends well beyond labor market trends and into unique personal value. 

Human beings do not have purely utilitarian needs. Because of that, it’s important to note that in addition to career mobility opportunities, completing a degree or credential can give graduates a sense of personal accomplishment, greater confidence, and a better understanding of who they are.

Chapter 2

Are degrees still important?

We’ve all seen the headlines “degrees are dead” – but are they really?

While degrees are still a significant driver of economic mobility (not to mention a personal goal for many Americans), degree requirements have significantly limited talent pools for employers. 

In this chapter, we’ll discuss why and when degree requirements should be lifted in order to foster better career mobility outcomes.

Employers should reconsider the degree requirement for jobs, particularly for entry/gateway level roles.

Not all roles require a degree (nor should they). 

There is increasing pushback on arbitrary degree requirements for certain jobs – particularly those at the entry and gateway levels. 

This is because unnecessary qualification requirements can be unintentionally discriminatory: not everyone has had the same opportunity or privilege to be able to earn a degree. 

Additionally, making access to career mobility opportunities available only to candidates who have a degree means denying opportunity to employees who do not have a degree but are fully capable of doing the job well. 

Employers must think carefully about when they will require a degree for a role, and whether or not different credentials should be acceptable in its place.

Instead, hire for skills & character where possible – while giving employees the option to pursue degrees.

However, requiring a degree for a given role and giving employees the ability to earn a degree through their education benefit are not one in the same. 

It is well-documented that having a college degree is one of the single greatest drivers of economic mobility. Higher education remains strongly connected with higher pay and lower rates of unemployment. ¹

It is well-documented that having a college degree is one of the single greatest drivers of economic mobility. Higher education remains strongly connected with higher pay and lower rates of unemployment.¹

U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Earnings and Unemployment Rate by Additional Education 2022

This means that opportunity employers will still offer their employees the option of earning a degree.

It remains a meaningful qualification, and connects them with:

• Highly durable skills
• Greater economic mobility
• Career mobility opportunities over the long-term

Chapter 3

What are skills development programs, and how can they accelerate career mobility?

With new skill requirements popping up every few months (hello, AI), companies are looking for agile solutions to keep their workforces up-to-date. 

Focusing on skills development can be a faster way for employees to achieve career mobility and employers to fill important skills gaps. 

In this chapter, we discuss:
→ What skills development programs are
→ Which types of employees should take advantage of them
→ Considerations for employees seeking out a program

Skills development programs, or “short-form learning” programs, refer to non-degree education and training programs. 

These can take a variety of forms, such as:

• Coding bootcamps
• Industry certifications
• Training certificates

They are offered by both traditional higher education institutions (e.g. universities, community colleges) as well as other entities (e.g. for-profit providers, regulatory bodies).

Due to their brevity, short-form learning programs tend to be focused on specific specialized skills rather than “soft” or “durable” skills. 

Short-form learning programs tend to be focused on specific specialized skills rather than “soft” or “durable” skills. 

They are a popular choice among employers and employees alike because they enable students to gain credentials more quickly than a traditional degree program.

In addition, they tend to be less expensive. Many skills development programs can be completed in one year or less.

Which employees should consider short-form skills development programs?

Skills development programs are important to career mobility for every employee, whether they’re experts in their fields or totally new to an industry. 

1. Employees who are new to an industry

Short-form learning is an opportunity to explore facets of an industry that align with career opportunities and an employee’s interests. 

These programs are less of a time commitment than a traditional degree program, and can enable employees to explore their interests. 

For example, a cashier who is interested in a career in Information Technology may quickly realize how broad the field is. 

They start out with a certificate in systems security and move into IT only to learn they enjoy the operational aspects of this field. This leads them to obtain a second credential in project management to better align with the skills needed for an IT Operations Manager.

2. Employees who already have expertise

Employees with ample work experience can keep up with industry changes, cover skills gaps that may come up (particularly in tech and AI), and gain any certifications necessary for mobility in certain fields. 

For example, a marketing associate with a bachelor’s in business may be particularly interested in supporting your company’s product marketing function — but is not quite ready to pursue an MBA. A credential in marketing analytics or product marketing can help them broaden their skills and prepare to become a product marketing manager.

What do employees consider when looking for a short-form skills development program?

The considerations prospective students should have for short-form programs are the same as those for degree programs. 

For employees who do not have a college degree but aspire to earn one, learning whether these programs are considered stackable credentials is an important distinction. 

Stackable credentials are short-form credentials and certificates that can “stack” together toward a full degree. 

The beauty of stackable credentials is that they enable students to gain skills critical to near-term career mobility while also gaining credit toward a full degree (longer-term career mobility). 

The beauty of stackable credentials is that they enable students to gain skills critical to near-term career mobility while also gaining credit toward a full degree (longer-term career mobility). 

Stackable credential programs are typically offered by degree-granting institutions, and sometimes they are conducted in partnership with other institutions or skilling and training providers.

Chapter 4

How employers can encourage employees to pursue education and career mobility

Although everyone has individual responsibility and agency in creating their own career path, not everyone has the same starting point. 

In this chapter, we’ll cover ways employers can help encourage their employees to take advantage of ongoing education opportunities, and ultimately, grow their careers. 

Some employees need more support than others – technical and emotional – to take the plunge  

Many individuals did not have parents who went to college, or the financial means to put themselves through higher education. They weren’t exposed to networking events or career building workshops. 

This is a key reason why career mobility initiatives tend to underperform – and why the “own your own development” fallacy is unintentionally inequitable. 

Below are strategies that employers can provide to support their employees development, self-knowledge, and self-belief needed to navigate career mobility opportunities.

1. Help employees explore their interests 

Employers cannot assume that all of their employees have had a chance to truly explore what their areas of interest are – particularly for frontline or hourly workers. 

Managers should proactively discuss career interests with their direct reports, and connect employees with dedicated coaching services if available. 

2. Identify employee skills gaps for mobility alongside them

When exploring career mobility possibilities, managers should also discuss with employees areas of growth where they need to enhance their skills in order to pursue new job titles or higher-paying roles. 

One of the easiest ways to start identifying skills gaps is by looking at the roles and responsibilities in the job descriptions of target roles, as well as resources that show a day-in-the-life within those roles. 

Guild members have access to these resources in the Guild platform, which help them visualize the experience of mobility, find where they may have missing skills, and identify what training opportunities they can pursue to gain those skills.

3. Set attainable career goals

Moving into a new role or field can seem daunting on its own, but it’s important not to be short-sighted when planning for career mobility. The right education and support will help individuals prepare for growth beyond the next role. 

The main purpose of setting career goals is to help individuals access guide posts for making decisions, such as:

• Would gaining this new skill help me get closer to my goal of achieving X role?
• If I am missing an important skill or competency, how can I develop it?

Coaches and career services can be instrumental in helping individuals understand and articulate their long-term goals, and stay accountable to them. 

4. Get employees plugged in with a mentor or coach (other than their manager)

Growth and career coaching, like those offered at Guild, are critical for many employees seeking career mobility. 

When employers provide opportunities for employees to seek mentorship and guidance, they create opportunities to build community and networks. 

For example, an employee seeking to move into a new field (from factory floor to corporate) can connect with a colleague who is further along in their career to discuss their journey, share advice, and support their advancement. 

Most importantly, it’s unlikely that people will ask for help that they don’t know exists. Structured mentorship programs can solve for that when they are marketed, which can help raise awareness and participation. 

Most importantly, it’s unlikely that people will ask for help that they don’t know exists.

5. Fund flexible online learning opportunities 

There is a wide range of educational content online that can help employees access career mobility — and there is a wide range of content that claims to be educational that won’t move the needle at all. 

For this reason, it’s important that employers share clear perspectives and guidance on online learning opportunities that can best align employees with career mobility. 

For employees, exploring the online learning opportunities available through vetted employer catalogs is a strong place to start in finding the right online learning opportunity.

Chapter 5

How a stronger alliance between employers and higher education can foster career mobility

At Guild, we firmly believe that employers today need a stronger alliance with higher education. The workforce of the future depends on it.

In this chapter, we'll explore ways innovative employers are already bridging that gap.

Employers are missing a huge opportunity.

We know individuals gain a wealth of knowledge and skills through on-the-job experience, corporate training, and more. Those experiences just aren’t usually translated into academic credit.

This is because, as previously mentioned, credentials are often a key factor in determining an employee’s eligibility for career mobility. 

On the other hand, credentials can also be a barrier for many working adults who have never had the financial means to obtain a formal degree or certificate, but have valid work experience that should bolster their eligibility.

3 innovative ways employers are partnering with higher ed institutes

At Guild, here are some innovative ways our employer partners have bridged that gap include.

1. Credit articulation for on-the-job learning

Credit articulation is when an employer and a higher education institution work together to develop employee training programs that are eligible for college credit. 

When higher ed and companies work together in this way, employees benefit from a direct link between experiential, on-the-job learning and formal education. 

2. Clarify career mobility pathways

Clear internal career mobility pathways empower employees to start thinking about directions their career might take them. It can also help employees see connections and skills overlaps between roles in different fields.

3. Share and leverage data to fill roles more quickly 

When higher education institutions are able to share learner data with employers (like they do with Guild), internal recruiters can see when an employee is nearing completion of a program.

Then, they can reach out to them to see if they are interested about applying to an open role with skills aligned to their program.

When higher education institutions are able to share learner data with employers (like they do with Guild), internal recruiters can see when an employee is nearing completion of a program.

Likewise, when employers share the skills they are most invested in hiring for not just in the near term but in the future, formal learning programs have critical information to help their students gain highly marketable skill sets.

When employers connect their workforces with the right programs, career mobility outcomes improve.

Chapter 6

The future of education and training in career mobility

What’s in store for the future of education and training as it pertains to career mobility? 

In this section, we list what we predict are the trends L&D and talent leaders need to be cognizant of in the education and career mobility space.

7 trends to expect in ongoing learning and internal mobility

Expect to see much closer alignment between formal education, internal training, and career mobility, and an uptick in the role AI plays in forging these connections:

1. Online learning first: Online learning is (and will continue to be) the norm. 
2. Microlearning won't suffice for mobility: Microlearning and bite-sized content will cover small skilling awareness gaps, but won’t move the needle in terms of career mobility.
3. Digital credentials will grow: Digital credentials and badging (i.e. Marketo Certification, AWS Cloud Certification, etc.) will become increasingly popular ways to demonstrate fluency and stand out as a candidate.
4. Institutions will adapt for adults: Formal education programs will adopt learning strategies that serve adult students well. 
5. Education will become more personalized: Data-driven learning and personalization will serve up more relevant — and eventually, unique — content. 
6. Experiential learning will be more strategic: Collaborative experiential learning will be more strategically organized and accessible to employees to foster internal mobility.
7. Cultures of lifelong learning will emerge: Learning will become lifelong and continuous.

Education and training aren’t just a means  to attain career mobility — they are increasingly an integrated part of what career mobility is.

As employers build their capacity to recognize and capture learning – wherever and whenever it occurs – they also build their capacity to create more meaningful opportunities for employees to grow and learn in the flow of work.

As employers build their capacity to recognize and capture learning – wherever and whenever it occurs – they also build their capacity to create more meaningful opportunities for employees to grow and learn in the flow of work.

For employees, building comfort and fluency in leveraging the education and training opportunities before them will help them prepare for the future with confidence, and to build agency in shaping their career journeys. 

A well-educated, well-trained workforce is an agile workforce — one with the capacity to adapt quickly to external changes, and the ability to embrace new technologies and ways of working. 

This is the cornerstone of a company’s sustainability.