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MARYLAND BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE FOR EDUCATION
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Workforce Survey Press ReleasesTo review the entire Maryland Workforce Educational Needs Assessment
Survey September 5, 2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: LACK OF QUALIFIED WORKERS IMPACTING MARYLAND BUSINESS Survey Emphasizes Need for HighStandards in Schools, on the Job BALTIMORE, MD (9/5/01) --- Half of all companies participating in the third Maryland Workforce Needs Survey, released today, say that a lack of qualified workers is affecting their ability to do business. But despite concerns about decreased productivity and an inability to meet deadlines resulting from hiring difficulties, 57% of the firms surveyed anticipate increasing their workforce over the next year. "While finding skilled employees remains a significant competitive issue for Maryland businesses, it is encouraging to learn that a high percentage of companies plan to expand their workforce this year," says Joseph Haskins, Jr., Chairman of the Maryland Economic Development Commission, one of the survey sponsors. Still, the survey results clearly show that business "will continue to demand a more highly skilled workforce and that schools must continue to set their standards high if those demands are to be met," according to Raymond A. "Chip" Mason, Chairman of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT), another sponsor. "Too many of our high school and college graduates simply lack the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the workplace and in life," Mr. Mason continues. MBRT, a coalition of 120 major Maryland employers committed to improving student achievement in the state, and the Maryland Economic Development Commission sponsored the Workforce Needs Survey in conjunction with four state agencies: the Maryland State Department of Education; the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development; the Maryland Higher Education Commission; and the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board. The survey, conducted by the market research firm of Hollander, Cohen & McBride, is designed to help Maryland educators and economic development officials keep current on the types of jobs needed in the state, the skills required to fill those jobs, and the gap that must be addressed in preparing students to enter the working world. The new survey indicates employers are looking for -- and are having difficulty in hiring -- qualified supervisory, managerial, sales, and marketing personnel. Manufacturing and special trades workers, life scientists, computer analysts, and engineers were cited as the most difficult positions to fill by more than 85% of the companies that use those types of workers. More than 70% of businesses surveyed are finding it difficult to hire qualified workers with graduate or professional degrees, with specialized certifications, or with bachelor’s degrees in technical or professional fields. "The continuing need for high-level skills in the workplace reemphasizes why we must stay true to higher standards in our schools, and why the high school diploma in particular must represent achievement of rigorous standards," says Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick. "We owe it to our students to make certain they understand that higher level skills in reading, writing, math, and technology are expected, and will be valued, as they enter the workplace," she adds. Underscoring the importance of achievement in high school was the number of survey respondents (73%) who indicated they hire employees whose highest academic credential is a high school diploma or GED certificate. Despite those numbers, corporate satisfaction with many of these employees is not high. Nearly 69% of respondents complained about inadequate attendance and punctuality, while more than 57% cited inadequate written or problem-solving skills. Corporate frustration with the skills and work ethic of recent hires likely had an impact on respondents’ assessment of high schools. Seventeen percent of the companies surveyed ranked public high schools above average to excellent, while nearly 50% gave them average marks. To remedy that situation, employers recommended a range of actions, from improving or expanding career and technology education programs in high schools to broadening state job training programs and services. Nearly 60% of survey respondents ranked Maryland’s colleges and universities above average to excellent. Forty-two percent gave an above average to excellent grade to the state’s community colleges. "Although the assessment of Maryland’s institutions of higher education is encouraging, the high demand for employees with business management, science, and technical skills points to the critical need for expanded links between business and higher education," says Karen Johnson, Maryland Secretary of the Higher Education Commission. Survey respondents agreed, with nearly one-third rating stronger measures to improve the linkages between business and higher education as the most important policy action the state could make to improve job skills in the workforce. Three-quarters of the companies participating in the survey currently handle job training in-house. And while nearly 80% of employers believe the need for training - particularly in computer and technology skills - will increase over the next five years, the use of outside organizations to provide that training was lower than in the previous survey. "Maryland’s economic development efforts depend on our ability to develop and provide a flexible and trained workforce," notes Mr. Haskins. "This survey reinforces how critically important it is to constantly improve the quality and skills of our students and employees by linking what is happening in the classroom to the present and future needs of Maryland employers." This is the third Maryland Workforce Needs Survey conducted by the sponsors since 1997. Sponsors anticipate repeating the survey every 18 months in order to continually address the challenges and opportunities associated with workforce skills development and workforce preparedness in the state. # # #
April 17, 2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: MARYLAND COMPANIES
WANTED TO PARTICIPATE BALTIMORE, MD (4/17/01) --- Over the next five weeks, employers throughout Maryland will be asked to participate in a major survey designed to determine the workforce needs of businesses statewide and how well those needs are currently being met. The survey – which takes about 15 minutes to complete and features questions on hiring and employee training practices and potential state policy actions – seeks to identify employment, educational, and workforce skills issues being faced by the state’s business community, according to survey sponsors. "By completing the survey, companies will be making educators and economic development leaders statewide more aware of the expectations business has for employees as they enter the workforce," says June Streckfus, Executive Director of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT), one of the survey sponsors. The survey results also will enable Maryland "to develop programs that ensure future employees have the skills they need to succeed at work and in life," according to Ms. Streckfus. MBRT is sponsoring the survey in conjunction with the Maryland Economic Development Commission, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the Maryland State Department of Education, the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board. The survey is being conducted by Hollander, Cohen & McBride, a full-service marketing and opinion research company based in Towson, Maryland. This is the third time the sponsors have canvassed Maryland’s business community to gauge workforce needs and employer satisfaction with recent graduates. The initial workforce survey, released in October 1997, found that while 63% of the businesses surveyed hired workers with a high school education or less, the majority of them indicated that job applicants lacked the necessary reading, writing, and communications skills to succeed in the workplace. That survey also showed that manufacturing and high technology workers were in short supply, while technical skills were in high demand. Two years later, the second workforce survey indicated that a rapidly changing, technology-dependent workplace, coupled with low unemployment, was causing businesses throughout Maryland to encounter significant difficulties in finding qualified workers at all educational levels. Eighty-three percent of businesses hiring workers with bachelor’s degrees in technical or professional fields reported difficulties in finding qualified applicants, according to the second survey, while two-thirds of the businesses canvassed expressed concern about inadequate attendance and punctuality among workers with a recent high school diploma or GED certificate. Sponsors plan to compare the results of all three surveys in order to determine the level of progress that has been made, as well as the gaps that remain and specific areas for improvement. Sponsors anticipate releasing the findings of the 2001 survey next fall. Results will be sent directly to all companies that take the time to participate in the survey.
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Workforce Survey Press
Release FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
BALTIMORE, MD (10/21/99) --- A rapidly changing work environment that is increasingly reliant on technology, coupled with an unemployment rate that continues to hover at less than four percent, is causing businesses throughout Maryland to encounter significant difficulties in finding qualified workers at all education levels. According to the second Maryland Workforce Needs Survey, released today in Baltimore, 83% of Maryland businesses that hire workers with bachelor’s degrees in technical or professional fields such as business, computer science, or engineering are having difficulties in finding qualified applicants. More than three-quarters (76%) of companies hiring workers with graduate or professional degrees also report difficulties in hiring. "Only the need for workers who have less than a high school education has remained flat since the 1997 Workforce Survey, underscoring the radical changes that are occurring in the workplace and the increasing value business is placing on highly educated, highly skilled workers," notes Raymond A. "Chip" Mason, Chairman of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT). MBRT jointly sponsored the Workforce Needs Survey with the Maryland Economic Development Commission, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED), the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), and the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). The survey, conducted by the market research firm of Hollander, Cohen & McBride, was designed to help Maryland educators and economic development officials keep current on the kinds of jobs available in the state, the skills required to fill those jobs, and the gaps that must be addressed in preparing students to enter the working world. "The success of Maryland’s economic development effort depends largely on our ability to build and maintain a world-class workforce," says DBED Secretary Richard C. Mike Lewin. "And while the state continues to enjoy a robust economy, the survey reinforces how critically important it is to constantly improve the quality and skills of our workers, while keeping business productivity high." The new survey clearly shows that Maryland companies are looking for – and, in many cases, having difficulty finding – highly skilled workers, including computer engineers and analysts, manufacturing workers, engineers, laboratory technicians, and other technical personnel. Supervisory and management personnel are also in high demand. According to the survey, 71% of the companies expressed both a critical need for and difficulty hiring supervisory or management personnel. Sixty-three percent are having difficulties hiring clerical, administrative, and secretarial support. In addition, nearly three-quarters (71%) of the companies surveyed are now hiring employees whose highest educational credential is a recent high school diploma or GED certificate. Company satisfaction with those employees is not high, however, with two-thirds of respondents citing inadequate attendance and punctuality and more than half observing that workers lack adequate written communications, problem solving, and math skills. Companies’ frustration with the skills and work ethic of recent hires also likely had an impact on respondents’ assessment of high schools, according to the survey. Eighteen percent of the companies surveyed ranked public high schools above average to excellent, while nearly 50% gave public high schools average marks. "Clearly, the high demand for technical proficiency and high-level skills reinforces our belief that the continued commitment Maryland has made to high academic standards is absolutely on target," says Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick. "We owe it to today’s students to let them know that high-level standards and skills are expected, and will be valued, as they enter the workplace." Maryland colleges, universities, and graduate programs fared well in the survey, with two-thirds of the companies rating them above average to excellent. And while community colleges received lower ratings than four-year colleges in preparing students for the workplace, employers indicate they are more likely to look to the community colleges for specialized training of existing employees. "Although the assessment of Maryland’s institutions of higher education is encouraging, the high demand for employees with expertise in computer and information services, business management, and engineering points out the need to constantly improve linkages between business and higher education, and expand the number of occupational courses and customized training programs offered by community colleges," notes Secretary of Higher Education Dr. Patricia S. Florestano. The survey also indicates that specialized skills training is on the rise among Maryland employers. Nearly all (92%) businesses surveyed indicate offering some type of specialized skills training – up from 68% in 1997. More than three-quarters of the respondents report having an in-house training department, while half use outside consultants or trade associations to provide training. Sponsors of the Maryland Workforce Needs Survey anticipate repeating the survey every 18 months in order to continually address the challenges and opportunities associated with workforce skills development and workforce preparedness in the state. Click here to review full 1999 survey results. |
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