At a meeting on Friday for accounting educators, hosted by the (NJCPA) New Jersey CPA’s, we heard of the employer talent shortage and the skills demanded by today’s employers. Employers are affirming a growing importance in three fundamental skills needed today: problem solving, communication skills and collaboration. The big question is where or how do employees gain these needed skills. Are these skills that can be taught and developed at colleges? Or do employers need training programs for all new hires to teach these particular skills? The answer is that everyone with a vested interest in increasing productivity in the US needs to be involved. Another question from the group was how employers assess those needed skills in an interview. It’s easy to assess knowledge and hard skills but difficult to assess intrapersonal and interpersonal capabilities. If this is what is needed, better assessment tools will be necessary. It’s great when educators and the business community come together to talk.