Abstract: A skill-gap analysis and recommender system and method is described that serves as a personalized education and skill (PES) map. It provides a comprehensive presentation of the opportunities afforded by the University along with a detailed analysis of trends for placements and career goals. It conducts a comprehensive analysis of past student data and current market trends to make recommendations that are adapted to each student's profile in line with their individual career goals. This is accomplished using an algorithm for adaptive association pattern mining with a built-in mechanism for creation of meta-categories and drill-down for specifics, so as to meet the needs of every student and not miss infrequent patterns or rare opportunities afforded by the system. For the recommendations generated, the system also provides an assessment of the time-sensitivity of a goal and a mechanism for students to track their progress through prioritizing short and long term goals.