The single most important trait I seek in job candidates is inquisitiveness. But it goes beyond mere curiosity. That’s a great quality, but it doesn’t equal results. When filling a key role, I want someone whose aim is not only to learn but also to apply that knowledge.

Many leaders say they link learning to work. They call me to talk about their programs, apprenticeships, internships, externships, cross-functional work assignments and more. This movement to blend learning with workplace initiatives is a developing trend.

But wait. That concept sounds pretty close to on-the-job training and the like, which are as old as work itself. So what’s new about recent programs? Here are three differences:

Employers are initiating the arrangements. Today’s leaders aren’t afraid to ask for what they want. In the past, successful work-and-learn programs were often based on initiatives launched by educational institutions, such as community colleges. Now, more executives are asking those schools to develop training programs that match their core business needs. Gone are the days when academia could be counted on to generate the “right” workers to meet marketplace demands.

Educators are seeing the value of developing skills that improve employability. Many educational institutions sell the notion of a degree as a ticket to career success. That’s based on the premise that graduates will have acquired certain knowledge and skills as part of their course of study. But educational programs are not necessarily designed to meet the needs of employers or even consumers. That can be a problem for today’s students, many of whom are looking to use what they’ve learned in school to build their careers.

To that end, innovative leaders at universities and private companies are experimenting with new ways to help people become more employable. The teams at Burning Glass Technologies, a Boston-based labor market analytics company, and other information aggregators, for instance, are quantifying the value of key skills in the job market. And administrators at Purdue University are reimagining the educational experience to better reflect what students want from it. For example, the Purdue Polytechnic Institute established a competency-based degree program with individualized learning plans and close faculty mentoring. The aim is to prepare students with the skills businesses need today.

STEM isn’t just for STEM careers anymore. Today, more and more jobs require analytics and the consumption of data—endeavors that used to be the sole province of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. Would anyone have argued 30 years ago that HR was such a profession? With the advent of predictive analytics and talent insights, HR professionals must be labor market economists; as such, we are STEM workers, too. That’s just one example. An increasing number of jobs require these talents, and educators and employers are providing learning opportunities.

I used to shrug off work-and-learn programs as irrelevant to me. Now I see their value more than ever. Have you instituted them in your company? More importantly, how? Is work-and-learn being used to drive sustainability? If you’re not asking these questions, the future of your organization is hanging in the balance.

Alexander Alonso, SHRM-SCP, is chief knowledge officer for SHRM.

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