Findings

Table 1. Anticipated New and Replacement Workers, 2003-2006

Table 2. Top Five Anticipated and Expected Skill Sets for Future Workers

From the focus group sessions, the following skillsets emerged as most important to the participating companies:

Basic Skills

• Basic Math Skills
• Basic Workplace Attendance and Attitude
• Basic Writing Skills
• Working in Teams
• Diversity in the Workplace and working in a global economy
• Basic, Research Methods--how and where to find information necessary to make decisions and solve problems
• Understanding Financials (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow)
• Business Skills—understanding how a business operates and how areas outside an individual’s expertise affects the overall business

Management and Leadership

• Front Line Management and Supervisory
• Lean Processes for the Office Environment
• Leadership Skills For Management and Supervisors
• Problem Solving
• Team Building
• Data Analysis
• Change Management Ethics
• Six Sigma

Communications

• Business Communications
• Customer Service
• Spanish Language
• English Language
• Interpersonal Skills
• Presentation Skills and Software
• Graphic Communication and Design

Industry Specific:

• Safety Training
• Tool and Die
• Blueprint Reading
• Welding
• Industrial Maintenance
• Mortgage Industry
• Financial education – i.e., annuity basics

Information Technology

• Programming Skills
• Software Skills
• High level IBM WSSAD Courses; Net Developer; RUP Webshare Migration
• Government-level data security certifications

Table 3. Top Three factors Impeding Growth

1. Quality of Work Force 34
2. Availability of Skilled Workers 32
3. Labor Attitude 20

Table 4. Companies responding whether their training needs will increase, decrease or remain the same

Table 5. Educational Requirements for Majority of Job Openings

Table 6. Anticipated sources of training:
Community Colleges
Internal Training
Vendors and Consultants
Web-Based Training
Private Colleges and Universities

Based on the results shown in Table 5, Iowa’s Community colleges can account for up to 87 percent of the educational requirements for a majority of the jobs:

51% through high school career academies or GED programs
29% through technical skills courses
8% through traditional associate degree programs

Health professionals also in demand

Any study of central Iowa’s employment outlook must include the health care industry. In June 2003 the Iowa Hospital Association conducted the Health Professionals Workforce Survey. This study achieved a 94% response rate of 110 urban and rural hospitals in Iowa.

This study shows an immediate and projected need for thousands of skilled health care workers in the next three years:

The Health Professionals Workforce Survey also addressed the need for additional educational and training resources through Iowa’s community colleges.

“It is evident that maintaining the balance between the supply and demand of health professionals must be shared between the education community and the practice setting. The Community College Needs Assessment Survey, coupled with data evidenced by the Iowa Hospital Association Health Professionals Survey, verifies the need to monitor closely (and possibly modestly expand) the RN and LPN programs. Likewise, it seems pertinent to increase the numbers of students enrolled in both the radiological technician and surgical technical programs.”