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Training & Retention Opportunities

Employers have the opportunity to take advantage of customized training in certain cases.  In addition to specific programmatic retention assistance, the One-Stop seeks to encourage retention through appropriate wage progression training and career advancement strategies.  Need more information?

Contact:
Mollie Patshkowski
One-Stop Business Solutions Team
130 S Arthur
(509) 532-3130
or
mpatshkowski@esd.wa.gov
 

Why Retention?
According to the Washington State Survey of the Workforce Training Needs of Washington State Employers:

  • More employers are having difficulty finding qualified job applicants because of the economic upswing.
  • More employers reported difficulty filling these positions than did so during the previous survey.
  • Among firms attempting to hire, 51 percent reported difficulty finding qualified job applicants, compared with 45 percent two years ago.
Employers Attempting to Hire, Those Reporting Difficulty Finding Qualified Job Applicants by Industry Sector,*

Industry

2001

2003

2005

Agriculture and Food Processing

66%

44%

67%

Construction

48%

65%

71%

High-Tech

47%

54%

56%

Manufacturing

60%

49%

55%

Services

63%

38%

53%

Trade

58%

51%

42%

Other: F.I.R.E., Transportation, Utilities, and Government

61%

42%

56%

 All Industries

60%

45%

51%


Employers Reporting Difficulty Finding Qualified Applications With Specific Skills and Abilities

Type of Skill or Ability

Among all Employers

Occupation-specific skills

22%

Problem-solving or critical thinking skills

21%

Positive work habits and attitudes

20%

Communication skills

19%

Teamwork skills

18%

Ability to adapt to changes in duties and responsibilities

16%

Ability to accept supervision

16%

Computer skills

12%

Writing skills

12%

Math skills

12%

Reading skills

7%

English as a Second Language

5%


Future Needs-Increasing Skill Requirements

Thirty-three percent of firms reported that the skills required to adequately perform production or support jobs had increased over the last three years.One reason that skills requirements increased is that the use of computers has become more common. Employers reported that 48 percent of non-supervisory employees used computers in their jobs.

Another factor that increased skill requirements is the adoption of high-performance work organization practices.

  • 82 percent of firms cross-trained employees to do a number of jobs,
  • 59 percent organized regular meetings with workers to discuss ways to improve practices,
  • 54 percent linked pay to performance, and
  • 46 percent compared their performance with that of other firms

Twenty-nine percent of firms reported that the percentage of their workers who received classroom training increased during the past three years.  The most cited reasons for training were:

  • the need to improve quality,
  • changes in technology,
  • in order to improve the morale and work habits of employees,
  • changes in the organization of work,
  • changes in products or services and
  • new hires did not have the necessary skills

 




 

The Spokane Area Workforce Development Council is an equal opportunity employer and provider of employment and training services.
Auxiliary aids are available upon request to persons with disabilities.

 Copyright 2006 Spokane Area Workforce Development Council