noun phrase · academic

skill mismatch

/skɪl ˈmɪsmætʃ/SKILL MIS·MATCH

Band 7+task2speaking

When workers' skills do not match the requirements of available jobs.

Examples

A skill mismatch can leave vacancies open while graduates remain unemployed.

Educational reform is often proposed to reduce skill mismatch in the labour market.

Employers complain of a skill mismatch when applicants lack practical competencies.

Band 8 sentence

Policymakers must bridge the skill mismatch between university outputs and industry needs through targeted vocational training.

Collocations

  • address the skill mismatch
  • skills mismatch in the labour market

Word family

mismatch nounmismatched adjectiveskill noun

Common mistakes

skills gapskill mismatch

skill-missmatchskill mismatch

Say it for a higher band

5skills gap6training mismatch7+skill mismatch

Synonyms

skills gap

Easily confused

skills gap

The sector faces a skills gap for trained technicians.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In Work & Career

Learn it with its set