workforce opportunity project highlights

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Rocky Adkins discussing the workforce Rocky Adkins discussing the workforce opportunity project’s importanceopportunity project’s importance

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1. To conduct an empirically based research project to provide evidence of Eastern Kentucky’s job creation, growth or decline.

2. Listen to what employers are saying regarding workforce needs:A. Job Skills – employability; “what a person is

trained to do.” What are the skills needed by employers?

B. Personal Traits – sustainability; “how a person does their job.” What traits are most critical.

3. Asking employers about their needs based on their projections over the next five years.

The Workforce Opportunity Project’s inception:


Objectives

Primary Research Objectives:Document the required skills for occupationsIdentify those skills employers specify as most frequently deficient or missing in the workforceDocument the required education, training, or credentials for these occupations


Methodology

Study conducted with 100 business owners and managers in 23 counties in Eastern Kentucky.• Respondents were responsible for company staffing decisions.

Interviews were conducted face to face by certified GCDF professionals.

Interviewing took place from September 2009 through August 2010.

Methodology


Methodology, continued

The respondent companies were grouped into four categories of business:• Health Care (SIC code 80)

• Hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, other medical• Mining (SIC codes 12, 14)

• Coal and mineral extraction• Construction (SIC codes 15, 17)

• Residential, commercial construction, contractors, etc. • General Business

• All other business categories except retail and government

Methodology


Methodology, continuedThe business categories were selected with the assistance of Ron Crouch:• Previous Director of the Kentucky State Data Center, now with

Workforce Investment Board.

The business categories were selected based on the following logic:• Healthcare selected as a growth industry.• Mining selected due to the anticipated continued demand for energy.• Construction also identified as a growth industry.• General business provides a representation of all other sectors.

Methodology


Methodology, continuedA stratified sampling plan was developed whereby a specified target number of interviews was identified.• Health Care and Construction - 25 interviews each• Mining - 10 interviews

• Industry is consolidating and fewer employers with more locations• General Business – 40 interviews

A list of businesses in these categories was purchased from InfoUSA, a major business list provider.• List was a random selection of business entities in each classification

Methodology


Key Data Highlights- Background -


Key Data Highlights The job skills categories used in the interview were defined as follows:

1. Physical skills-defined as the ability to work easily with tools, equipment and physical strength (Code 100 series)

1. Mental skills- defined as the ability to engage in activities that require critical thinking and reason (Code 200 series)

2. Social skills- defined as the ability to get along with others and develop regard for team dynamics (Code 300 series)

3. Traditional Skills- defined as the ability to use information to make decisions, plan and carry out projects (Code 400 series)

Key Data Highlights (Background)


Key Data Highlights – Background, ContinuedKey Data Highlights

RealisticInvestigative

Artistic

SocialEnterprising

Conventional

All Physical skills (100 Series) fit in the Realistic theme.

Mental skills (200 Series) are distributed across the Investigative and Artistic themes.

Social skills (300 Series) are distributed across the Social and Enterprising themes.

Most Traditional skills (400 Series) fit in the Conventional theme.


Key Data HighlightsIn addition to job skills, employers also evaluate candidates on their personal characteristics.These are called “Personal Traits.”• These are also referred to as “sustainability “ factors.• The stronger an employee is in exhibiting certain traits, the more

valuable he/she is to an employer.

There are four categories of Personal Traits• Character; qualities that exemplify positive attributes (Code 500 Series)

• Motivation; qualities that engage one to set and accomplish goals (Code 600 Series)

• Social; enables one to relate easily to others (Code 700 Series)

• Intellectual; qualities that enhance one’s capacity for knowledge and understanding (Code 800 Series)


Skills Needed in Current JobsKey Data Highlights

% of Companies With Job Skill Needed

90

90

90

90

90

90

91

91

93

94

96

50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

203 CRITICAL THINKING ABILITY

304 INSTRUCT/TEACH

308 DELEGATE

315 WORKS WELL WITHIN A TEAM

401 READING COMPREHENSION

410 TIME MANAGEMENT

303 MAINTAINS CONFIDENTIALITY

417 FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS

201 MATHEMATICAL COMPUTATION

408 MAKE DECISIONS

301 VERBAL ABILITY

% of Total Sample



% of Companies With Job Skill Needed

86

86

86

86

87

88

88

89

50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

405 PLAN

406 COLLECTING DATA

413 KEEP RECORDS

416 BUDGET

407 INTERPRET DATA

307 ATTENTIVE LISTENER

404 COMPUTER/TECHNICAL LITERACY

409 ORGANIZED

% of Total Sample



% of Companies With Job Skill Needed - Average Across Skill Category

48

66

85 85

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

100 Physical 200 Mental 300 Social 400 Traditional

% o

f Tot

al S

ampl

e


Personal Traits Needed – Current JobsKey Data Highlights

% of Companies With Personal Traits Needed

72

76

81

81

82

86

89

91

50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

809 FORWARD THINKING (TO FUTURE)

701 RESOLVES CONFLICT

503 STRONG WORK ETHIC

808 WILLINGNESS TO LEARN

806 DECISION-MAKER

703 TEAM-PLAYER

501 HONESTY

804 EFFECTIVE PROBLEM-SOLVER

% of Total Sample


Personal Traits Needed – Current JobsKey Data Highlights

% of Companies With Personal Trait Needed - Average Across Trait Category

48 4947

62

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

500 Personal Character 600 Motivation 700 Social 800 Intellectual

% o

f Tot

al S

ampl

e


Profile of the Future Eastern Kentucky Employee

Job Skills:Improvements in Traditional Skills such as •Decision Making•Following Instructions•Time Management•Reading Comprehension

Improved Social Skills such as •Verbal Ability•Maintain Confidentiality•Instruct/Teach

Personal Traits:Improved Intellectual Traits, such as•Problem Solving•(Being a) Decision Maker •Forward Thinking

Improved Social Traits such as •Being a team Player•Resolving Conflict

Education / Training:Training beyond standard high school curricula.

Advanced health care-related studies

Relevant business skills

workforce opportunity project highlights

Career

series social skills

skills employers

series traditional skills

series mental skills

job skills categories

required skills

social traits

categories of business