The skills gap is a significant impediment to growth in most U.S. businesses. This gap is well documented in industries like manufacturing, which had an average of 353,000 open jobs per month in 2016. However, the fact that small businesses also struggle to find well-qualified employees is less well known. Addressing this gap is a tremendous undertaking, but one that is essential to any organization's success. Many are creating better training opportunities for employees by partnering with schools and other credentialing organizations to ensure that their workforces are as competitive as possible. “After years of finding that employment candidates who looked great on paper often lacked the skills needed to succeed in my business, I started offering a training program,” said Ted Milner, owner of Executive Temps in Burbank, California. “These programs are critical to small businesses in the long run. When you hammer home a particular skill set, employees feel more confident in their work and have a better understanding of the job they need to do, which improves your bottom line.”