Article from Seacoastonline.com
Though hiring is improving, we still suffer from high unemployment. Yet, employers cry that they can't find skilled individuals. In a survey conducted by Manpower, more than half of all employers said they can't find enough qualified workers to fill their jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that there will be a shortfall of 3 million skilled worker positions in the U.S. this year. And the problem is the same in Maine. How can this be? With 13 million unemployed Americans, why aren't these jobs being filled? Unfortunately, having people who want to work is not the same as having people with the right skills to do the work. And that's the problem. People desperate for jobs and employers are begging for help.
So what's the answer? There is no easy solution and whatever one is generated, will take the cooperative efforts of employers, employees, education and government to make happen. Not an easy task.
There are some things that can be done quickly. Education and training is a big part of the answer. But the skills gap can only be narrowed through them. Over the last several years employers have slashed training budgets in an attempt to contain costs. This short-term thinking has impacted business' long term competitiveness and survival. To reverse this, employers have got to be willing to invest time, resources and money into comprehensive skills training for their workers. Many are doing it and enjoying the rewards. A few are creating in-house corporate universities. These programs, often developed with colleges and universities, can propel a workforce forward. I led an initiative to develop such a university for a plastics manufacturing firm. We educated our workforce and even invited our competitors to attend. Thirty years later, this program continues to operate and literally thousands of workers and managers have completed the program, meeting the skills requirements of my former employer. A win-win for the company, its employees, the partnering university and the plastics industry.
Education has a big role to play. One bright spot in Maine is our community college system. Many have partnered with employers to provide programs in manufacturing and health care to name just two. But we can't stop there. Employers must actively collaborate with all levels of education, from middle schools to universities, providing resources, internships, direction and support.
Government needs to be involved too. Education is not free. Funding of education is essential, a tall order in a time of tight budgets. But a weakened education system cripples the feeder system that will propel our economy. Poorly prepared students make poorly prepared workers. It's an investment we must make.
Workers also have a role. Employees must continue to upgrade their skills. Education and training is a continuous process, not simply something that ends upon graduation or with a job. An employee's value increases with learning. And it's often great protection against layoffs. Whether employers pay for training and education or not, employees must invest in their own careers.
As for the unemployed, the ugly reality is many will never find jobs doing what they had previously done. Some jobs have become obsolete. Others have been eliminated or outsourced. As hard as it is to accept, retraining for a new profession may be the only solution.
While narrowing of the skills gap will not solve the unemployment crisis or fully cure our economic woes, it is a start. The crisis will not be solved with a magic wand or a presidential election. It will be solved with small incremental changes with everyone playing a role.
The recession has been hard on everyone. But the skills gap began growing decades before this downturn. Rapid technological changes and an aging population with Boomers soon exiting the workforce will further exacerbate this problem. We need to make changes now.
Rick Dacri is a workforce expert, management consultant, and author of the book "Uncomplicating Management: Focus On Your Stars & Your Company Will Soar." Since 1995 his firm, Dacri & Associates has helped organizations improve individual and organizational performance. He can be reached at rick@dacri.com and www.dacri.com. Readers are encouraged to send comments, questions and ideas for future articles to Rick Dacri at rick@dacri.com.
Article from Seacoastonline.com