A Local Startup Wants to Help You
Find Skilled Workers

Helping people get jobs by using their skill set seems like a simple idea. Employer needs someone to say, build a website in Drupal, and the job seeker shows that they have those skills. Simple, right? You would think, but that’s not always how companies go about hiring staff. Instead, employers end up poring through hundreds of resumes trying to read between the lines only to end up getting a handful of people who are only partially qualified. Enter SkillSmart. The Germantown, Maryland for-purpose startup is helping to close the skills gap by helping job seekers, employers, and educational institutions.

Mike Knapp and Jason Green founded SkillSmart with the power of their own skills. Knapp has over 20 years of experience in technology, public policy, and local government—serving two terms on the County Council of Montgomery County. Green has experience on a national level, working in federal government and most recently serving as Associate Counsel to President Obama. Knapp and Green have created a skills-focused, closed-loop platform, if you will, that integrates information from job seekers, employers, and educational institutions:

Employers: For employers, the company helps in identifying and recruiting talent through its three subscription models that are based on monthly hiring needs and start at $400 per month. If a company wants a customized solution, SkillSmart offers consulting services in skills-demand development, education development, training assessment, and corporate development.

Job Seekers: Individuals who are looking for jobs can set up a profile and input their skills and experience. Information in the profile is aggregated and given a score which is used to show employers who will make the best match. If a job seeker applies for a job, but isn’t matched, they are given feedback on why they weren’t contacted be it a lack of skills match or that the profile just wasn’t viewed. If say 10 skills were needed, but the applicant has only 5, they would know which skills they are, and SkillSmart will link them to where they can get those additional skills.

Educational Institutions: SkillSmart partners with educational institutions to help create a more skilled and qualified workforce. By learning what skills local employers need, classes can be designed around those skills and promoted to job seekers. Schools can join the SkillSmart Educator Network which is a training grid filled with courses teaching the right skills for employers. The company works with educators to highlight training opportunities for job seekers to improve or learn new skills. With this, job seekers become more qualified and schools benefit from additional enrollment. SkillSmart currently works with Prince George’s Community College and Northern Virginia Community College.

SkillSmart is connecting the dots and approaching workforce development in a proactive and holistic manner. By integrating the needs of job seekers, employers, and educational institutions it’s likely that the result will be an in-demand highly trained workforce. The best part is that all three entities will be supporting a skills-based company that was homegrown in Montgomery County.