BEDFORD — Employers in the eight-county, South Central Radius Indiana region are helping to take the guesswork out of workforce development. With public and private sectors focusing intently on how to equip workers to compete for available jobs, Radius has cut to the quick of the issue and gone directly to employers with a comprehensive survey, conducted in partnership with Indianapolis-based Thomas P. Miller and Associates. The survey provides a deeper understanding of key employer needs, with participation from 47 regional employers.
The survey was funded through a grant from the University of Indianapolis' Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning, and results highlight the importance of ongoing skill development in the workforce.
"Today, in contrast to five years ago, filling vacancies is the priority," said Becky Skillman, President and CEO of Radius Indiana, "The middle and high-skill positions are the most difficult to fill, and we know applicants face barriers due to lack of specific technical skills across all jobs."
Hiring trends revealed by the survey indicate just how important the workforce skill gap is to employers. During the next 12 months, more than 20 percent of responding companies plan to hire between 20 and 100 employees, and half of all responding companies plan to hire up to 10 employees. With real requirements for technical skills, employers also emphasized the need for basic, soft skills from arriving to work on time to professionalism and team work.
In addition, employers indicated that partnerships are more important than ever. In particular, 43 percent of respondents are interested in collaborating with Career and Technical Education Centers, with an end goal of aligning current training with employer needs.
"Clearly, there is much work to do," Skillman said. "At Radius, our Workforce & Education Advisory Council will continue to lead initiatives and serve as the workforce partner to our regional employers. We have learned so much in the past few months, with the employer and CTE site visits we conducted throughout the region and now the results of this informative survey. We are equipping ourselves not just to deal with urgent workforce needs, but to prepare for the future as well."
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