Economics
Millennial Job-Matching May Help Solve U.S. Labor-Market Puzzle
- Startup Vocatio offers personality, skills test for applicants
- More than a quarter of U.S. unemployed are age 24 or younger
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Patrick Jones, founder of startup Vocatio, wants millennials and teens to get jobs. In trying to make this a reality, he’s also addressing a broader issue that’s vexed economists and companies: how to match available positions with the right people.
His company, currently in a testing stage, acts as a middleman, teaming up with colleges to tap a pool of largely liberal-arts students -- who traditionally find it harder to connect their degree with a real-world position. An online test, which prioritizes soft skills like creativity and problem-solving, places them on a talent index, provides specific job titles and access to firms hiring for those roles.