UNO Report Reveals the Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills in Omaha

For the first time, the Omaha community has a data-backed look at the skills leading Omaha employers actually want, and a clear roadmap to earn credentials for those skills.

➡️ What’s happening: The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Center for Competencies, Skills, and Workforce Development Hub (CCSW) has released its inaugural UNO Skills Report, a comprehensive guide to the most in-demand skills in the Omaha area.

📈 Top skills: These are the top 10 Skills selected based on a combination of labor market analytics, faculty input, and feedback from the CCSW Advisory Board, ensuring alignment with regional workforce needs:

1. Coordinating
2. Customer Service
3. Data Analysis
4. Decision-Making
5. Interpersonal Relationships
6. Microsoft Office
7. Presentations
8. Project Management
9. Teamwork
10. Written Communication

🎤 What they’re saying:

• Erin Bass, Ph.D., CSW Hub Director: “Skills are currency in today’s job market. “This report reflects UNO’s commitment to integrating skill development into the heart of the academic experience. It’s a blueprint for how our university and industry are working together to build skills that shape Omaha, powered by UNO.”

• Jaci Lindburg, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovative and Learning-Centric Initiatives: “At UNO, we’re redefining what it means to prepare students for the workforce. When most universities stop supporting students when their degree is in hand, we want to help students verify, share, and stack their skills in ways that evolve with their careers. It’s about creating a lifelong value proposition for learners and for the employers who hire them.”

💡 Why it matters: Beyond the reveal of the top 10 skills, each skill comes with a defined faculty-developed assessment rubric, tips for how to embed the skill in coursework, and a digital badge—verifiable credentials students can earn and share via their Maverick Digital Backpack.

🔎 How it works: The CCSW and the UNO Skills Lab have built an infrastructure to support skills badging and credentialing at UNO:

• Students complete assignments in existing courses that demonstrate skills like teamwork, data analysis, or presentations.

• Faculty assess performance using standardized rubrics developed with subject matter and industry experts.

• Digital badges are awarded for verified skills—these live in Canvas and the Maverick Digital Backpack.

• Students can share badges on LinkedIn, resumes, email signatures or with employers to showcase what they know and can do.

• Badges are portable and built to align with national credentialing standards, making them meaningful beyond campus.

⚡️ What’s next: UNO will reassess its Top 10 Skills annually, expand the badge library, and deepen academic integration. Employers interested in badge partnerships or internships can connect via innovate@unomaha.edu.