JDX™ JobSchema+ Seeks Public Feedback on Proposed Expansion and Improvements
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation today announced a public feedback period on the JDX JobSchema+, a proposal to significantly evolve the existing data standard for job postings. The goal of this proposal is to expand on the foundation of the JobPosting Schema to meet more diverse hiring needs in a modern workplace and provide a more granular view of in-demand skills and competencies.
“Connecting skills to job opportunities and aligning education to careers is about to get a whole lot easier,” said Jason Tyszko, vice president of the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Center for Education and Workforce. “The JDX JobSchema+ is a necessary piece of a modernized data infrastructure that supports employers and their HR partners in communicating in the language of competencies, skills, credentials, and other important characteristics of a job description or posting in a machine-readable way.”
The JDX JobSchema+ proposes ways to break down elements of the existing standard into smaller pieces to better understand the requirements of a job posting. For example, “Employment Type” has been broken down to define the type of job (employee, contract, internship, etc.), the job’s term (full-time, temporary, seasonal, etc.), and the job’s schedule (hourly, flextime, part-time, etc.) as individual pieces of data.
In addition, the JDX JobSchema+ proposes adding new elements to the data standard that did not previously exist, such as more inclusive requirements for defining a job location to support the growth of remote work opportunities, and specific fields addressing assessments or competencies required for a job to increase skills-based hiring.
“Today's announcement is an exciting step forward toward a more open and collaborative jobs data environment,” said Andrew Dunckelman, Head of Education and Economic Opportunity at Google.org. “We're delighted to play a role in helping the JDX JobSchema+ come to life and promote scalable data that will aid people across America connect to jobs and opportunity.”
In partnership with HR Open Standards, the JDX JobSchema+ expands and improves upon the JobPosting Schema, a widely-deployed schema in the employment context. Evolving and modernizing the existing standard is central to the success of the Job Data Exchange™ (JDX) initiative, which aims to deliver real-time labor market data to the stakeholders of the talent marketplace direct from employers.
Additional investment by Microsoft Philanthropies will support the JDX JobSchema+ effort and the migration of job data into JDX-powered applications and infrastructure.
“In order to address the skills gap and changing nature of work, we must work together to connect people and employers in new ways,” said Kate Behncken, Lead for Microsoft Philanthropies. “As a company, Microsoft is focused on ensuring everyone, regardless of their geography and circumstance, has access to the skills and knowledge to thrive in the digital economy. And our partnership with the U.S. Chamber Foundation to support the JDX Job Schema+ initiative and its mission to create a more inclusive and modernized data standard for jobs will bolster our collective efforts.”
The public feedback window is open from July 8 through September 1.
The Chamber Foundation will pilot test the application of the JDX JobSchema+ standard in the fall through the JDX Pilot Program. Specifically, the Chamber Foundation is looking forward to feedback on new or revised key terms, improvements to the intent or meaning of term definitions, additional or alternative examples of standard use, or reordering key terms within a category.
The JDX initiative began in January 2018, created from an idea that if employers can more quickly and clearly communicate their hiring requirements to education and training partners, the talent marketplace can more quickly and accurately connect the skills and qualifications people have with the jobs that are available. In addition to Microsoft Philanthropies and Google.org, this initiative would not be possible without the support of JPMorgan Chase & Co, Lumina Foundation, Schmidt Futures, and Walmart. Completion of the JDX Pilot Project is expected in 2020.
More information on JDX is available here.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness. We educate the public on the conditions necessary for business and communities to thrive, how business positively impacts communities, and emerging issues and creative solutions that will shape the future. Our workforce development portfolio is transforming employer engagement in education partnerships, connecting workers with real pathways to the jobs that employers are trying to fill.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.
