According to researchers, "conflating wage levels with skill levels often underestimates and undervalues low-wage workers' skills and the potential to fill open positions employers need to be successful." (Photo: Shutterstock)

A lot can be said for on-the-job experience, innate soft skills and just plain common sense – something millions of workers without college degrees have that could prove useful in decent-paying careers, according to "Reach for the STARs: Realizing the Potential of America's Hidden Talent Pool."

The report, released by Opportunity@Work and Accenture, details the attributes of more than 71 million individuals currently in the U.S. workforce who do not have college degrees, but are "Skilled Through Alternative Routes" – or STARs – and have the skills to succeed in higher-wage jobs.

Related: High salaries, no student debt driving appeal of blue-collar jobs

"All have suitable skill sets to succeed in work that is more highly valued and therefore better paid than the work they do now — but few realize such upward job mobility today," the authors write. "Our findings challenge conventional wisdom about the skills of workers without bachelor's degrees, and present some important implications for companies, workforce organizations, analysts and STARs."

The study compared skillsets for jobs across wage categories and found that many low-wage jobs require skills that are similar to middle-wage jobs, and middle-wage jobs require skills that are also required in high-wage jobs.

"Workers are developing and deploying marketable skills on the job at all rungs on the wage ladder," the authors write. "Our research demonstrates that conflating wage levels with skill levels often underestimates and undervalues low-wage workers' skills and the potential to fill open positions employers need to be successful."

The analysis also found that, for all STARs, there is an occupational role in their geography with skill demands similar to their current job that pays at least 10 percent more. For almost half of STARs, there are such roles paying over 50 percent more than what they currently earn today.

"By including barriers such as four-year degree requirements, and limiting access to roles in their companies, employers are missing out on this large and diverse talent pool, which includes military veterans, opportunity youth, returning citizens, workers in rural communities and smaller metro regions," the authors write.

To best help employers understand how to best support STARs the study segments the population by their skills-readiness for higher wage work:

• 5 million STARs (Shining STARs) currently work in high-wage jobs today, despite the barriers to entry they faced. Shining STARs are proof of what is possible.
• 30 million STARs (Rising STARs) currently work in jobs with skill requirements suggesting they can perform a job in the next highest wage category. They have the skills and potential today to see transformative wage gains of, on average, more than 70 percent.
• 36 million STARs (Forming STARs) have skills for occupations paying at least 10 percent higher than their current jobs, but are not well situated for job transitions that would provide transformative wage gains. Low-wage Forming STARs are especially susceptible to the impact of automation.

The report recommends that employers end four-year degree requirements that prevent them from considering STAR workers; identify and intentionally source from "alternative routes" to find STAR talent; invest in training and open career pathways for the STARs already inside their organization.

Large companies and industry networks can do their part by engaging supplier and partner ecosystem networks to hire and develop STARs; encouraging smaller businesses in their supply chain to hire STARs; and enhance products and services for STARs. Moreover, they can improve their job search, applicant tracking and talent management systems to ensure access and visibility for STARs; and work with state and federal policymakers "to shape a collective agenda to support STARs across their lifetime."

The report also provides recommendations for workforce development leaders, academic researchers, market analysts and policymakers.

"Defining and understanding this pool of workers is the first step to unleashing STAR talent in ways that could have transformative effects on our economy, helping employers to fill open positions required for their businesses and assisting workers to reach their potential," the authors write. "We discuss some implications of our findings and present calls to action for companies, analysts, workforce organizations and workers."

Read more: 

• Expanding the talent pool: 10 groups employers are using to fill vacancies
• How employers are adapting to the 'new normal' of talent recruitment
• 10 college degrees with the best job prospects