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MARYLAND BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE FOR EDUCATION
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What You Need to Know to Get a Job in Maryland Here’s what a survey of Maryland businessessays about the skills high school graduates need If you’re a student wondering what you’ll need to succeed in your chosen career, here’s some great inside information. The latest survey of businesses across Maryland says a whole lot about what employers look for when they hire, and what they will expect you to have learned in school. More than 600 Maryland businesses took part in the new survey, completed in 2001. Want proof that what you do in school now will matter later when you’re looking for a job? Check out what the employers have to say: LACK OF EMPLOYEE SKILLS HAS BECOME A BIG PROBLEM. Half of the businesses in the survey say that a lack of qualified workers is affecting their companies’ ability to do business. Among other things, it’s having an impact on these companies’ productivity, on their ability to meet deadlines for their customers, and on the quality of the products and services they provide. That’s not good for anybody. And it means that a lot of these businesses may feel forced to look outside of Maryland for new employees. But here’s the good news: if you gain the right skills before you graduate, you’ve got an advantage. SOME OF THE MOST-NEEDED SKILLS ARE BASIC ONES. For jobs requiring a high school diploma, 69 percent of Maryland companies say they have trouble finding new employees who can be relied on to come to work regularly and on time. Sixty percent say they have difficulty finding new employees with satisfactory written communications skills. And 57 percent say the same thing about problem-solving skills. These aren’t specialized skills. To employers, they’re basic requirements for any job, and every new employee is expected to have them. No matter if the business is fast food or high technology. MOST EMPLOYERS REQUIRE AT LEAST BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS. The vast majority of employers in Maryland -- 74 percent -- believe that everyone they hire must have at least basic computer skills in order to do their jobs well. Of these, 43 percent of companies require only basic skills, 20 percent require medium skills, and 11 percent require intense skills. And nearly two-thirds, or 62 percent, of employers say they do some level of business over the Internet. So if you’re looking for a job, computer skills matter! THE GREATEST NEED IS FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES. Three-quarters -- 75 percent -- of Maryland employers say they need high school graduates to fill available jobs. Sixty-nine percent say they need community college graduates, 64 percent say they need graduates of high school career and technology education programs, and 63 percent say they need graduates with a bachelor’s degree in technology or a professional field. What you’ve accomplished by the time you leave high school can shape your career! EMPLOYERS DO CHECK HIGH SCHOOL RECORDS. Nearly half -- 44 percent -- of employers who hire high school graduates say they do a background check of a job applicant’s academic records or teacher recommendations. So when you apply for a job, there’s an almost 50-percent chance it’s a company that asks for the high school records of would-be employees. When you look at it that way, building a good transcript while you’re in school can pay off for life. EMPLOYERS WANT HIGH SCHOOLS TO DO BETTER. Only 17 percent of companies in the survey say they consider public high schools to be "above average to excellent" in preparing students for the workplace. Nearly 50 percent say they are "average." Clearly, the people who hire high school graduates are telling us they expect more. And they have ideas about what needs to be done. Businesses in the survey support improving or expanding career and technology education programs in high schools. They also support state programs to provide better training for jobs. BUSINESSES ARE WILLING TO HELP. Almost three-quarters -- 72% -- of businesses say they are willing to work with schools and governments to help schools to prepare young people for the world after graduation. Employers know it’s good for everyone when students get the tools they need to succeed at work and in life. The Maryland Workforce Educational Needs Assessment Survey is carried out every 18 months by the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, a group of 120 major Maryland employers committed to improving schools, and the Maryland Economic Development Commission, in cooperation with four state agencies. To see all of the results of the 2001 survey, click here. |
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