Citing Yahoo Finance's article on the subject, it states that the requirements for entry-level retail jobs that changed between 2010 and 2016. During that time, the number of skills being demanded rose, requiring more people to sign up for classes, such as computer skills and classes in retail basics and the like.
Burning Glass Technologies, another company cited in this article, have now put more emphasis on customer service and communication skills. That is now what is required to work in certain jobs like cashiers, stock clerks, and sales floor jobs. Years ago, those skills could've been learned while on the job. Nowadays, you have to learn those skills in advance.
The biggest hit for people in these sectors have been those without college degrees and vocational training. The economic surge in recent years has told these people that it's time to drop the act like a high school degree just doesn't cut it anymore.
I was lucky enough to get a college degree during the times that were mentioned. However, it is still hard for me to find good jobs to get into, because I got mine in English while people out there were looking for engineers, computer science enthusiasts, and those working on numbers or in management. I can understand that, and it's why it's troubling for me to get into a degree where my skill set is valued.
So while I have worked in media and the like for many years between when I graduated and where I am now, it still doesn't pay enough in the other jobs, especially those where computer skills and analytics are highly valued. I do have computer skills, just not the type many employers are looking for. I accept that.
However, let's drop the act that a high school degree gets you many opportunities. It doesn't. Not anymore, and not with the way technology has improved and the economy has been booming. You need more than just a high school education. You need a college education, you need more connections than you ever thought possible, and people honestly need to sleep more in order to make it in the work. That's both good and bad, but it's the reality of where we are. People need more skills to make it. That's the only way you can become a better person in the world and one where you are a highly valued employee.
As for companies, they want to compete. In order to compete, you need more skilled people and they won't take on anyone that doesn't have what they want. I can understand that and I accept that. So my message for those who are in the industry now is: Time to focus on getting more education, time to go to college, and time to start thinking about getting more skills for the future. Easier said than done, I know. That's the reality. We need to try, though, and that's how we can get stuff done.
Jobs and internships should now require college degrees. That's just how they should do it, because if you want to compete in the world now where technology and competition is everything, you need more than just a high school-level education.
For more info on the Yahoo Finance article detailing this shift, a link is pasted below:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/entry-level-job-store-harder-073647686.html
