HRchat Podcast Bridging the $11 Trillion Skills Gap with Dan Benveniste, SkillWaze
Imagine a world where job candidates arrive with an ironclad guarantee that they can apply the skills listed on their resumes. That's the vision shared by Dan Benveniste, Founder and CEO of SkillWaze, a company that’s redefining career readiness through AI-powered, skill-based learning.
Dan and his team just announced the acquisition of tilr.com, a leading learning management and credentialing platform. Together, they’re building what they call the first guaranteed career-readiness solution for both learners and employers.
The pandemic created a perfect storm for today's young job seekers. Cut off from crucial workplace socialization during formative years and now facing entry-level positions being automated away, Gen Z faces unprecedented barriers to meaningful employment. When 60% of recent college graduates get fired within 90-120 days due to skills mismatches, something fundamental needs to change.
Dan explains how SkillWaze's acquisition of learning platform Tiller creates what he calls "the first guaranteed career readiness solution." Their approach solves the critical difference between knowledge acquisition and skill application: "You can learn hockey, but that doesn't mean you can play it." By combining AI-powered learning pathways with virtual apprenticeships where skills are observed and validated in real contexts, SkillWaze creates verifiable talent profiles employers can trust.
What makes this especially compelling is the "Waze for careers" navigation system that lets users explore different paths, earn micro-rewards (including Bitcoin, which drives 2-3x engagement), and recalculate their journey as interests evolve. For employers, it builds custom talent "farm teams" based on specific skill requirements, making skills-first hiring practical rather than theoretical.
With the World Economic Forum identifying an $11 trillion global skills gap, solutions that bridge learning and earning couldn't be more urgent. As Benvenisti puts it: "If we don't have Gen Z meaningfully engaged in employment and highly productive mode in a couple of years, that's like having a fuel gap on an airplane." Connect with Dan on LinkedIn or email dan@skillwaze.com to learn more about this revolutionary approach to guaranteed career readiness.
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