Raleigh, N.C. - Governor Pat McCrory applauded a new report issued by the Commission on Workforce Development that shows North Carolina can narrow the skills gap by increasing direct collaboration between critical industries and the state’s job training programs. The report was issued at the joint Education Cabinet and Commission on Workforce Development meeting held today at the McKimmon Center on the North Carolina State campus.
“As I travel the state and meet with businesses both small and large, sometimes a troubling theme is evident according to business ownersthat workers don’t have the skills that employers need,” said Governor McCrory. “While the skills gap is a challenging problem, this report gives us sound, data-driven strategies for narrowing it. By doing all that we can as a state to develop and nurture our valuable workers’ skills, we will strengthen our economy and help North Carolina thrive,” the governor continued.
North Carolina Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker agreed that the data provided by the study will show clear direction for the state's workforce needs.
“It’s important we understand the needs of our employers and our workforce because the two go hand in hand,” said Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker. “We appreciate the findings of this study in helping us identify areas for improvement regarding the skills gap. This information will help us bolster targeted growth industries including manufacturing, health science and information technology to produce high quality, sustainable jobs in North Carolina.”
The Commission surveyed employers to find out why businesses found it difficult to fill certain positions. The Commission compiled results of the employer survey and developed recommendations on how to better train workers in the skill sets required by businesses.
The recommendations include:
- Develop career pathways—that is, descriptions of the courses and credentials students need to be prepared for in-demand careers. These career pathways would be used in high schools, community colleges, and universities and would be developed by education and business partners, with a focus on critical industries.
- Increase registration in NCWorks Online through a formal understanding between educational and workforce partners.
- Show businesses how they can support workforce development through work-based learning programs such as job shadowing, internships, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships.
By narrowing the skills gap, the state’s NCWorks partners can help people learn the skills they need to find meaningful jobs and connect more employers with the talented workers industry needs.
Other highlights of the report include:
- 45 percent of employers who attempted to hire in the last year had difficulty filling at least one position.
o A similar percentage of manufacturers and non-manufacturers reported difficulties.
o The importance and severity of the difficulty was mixed among employers.
o Approximately 40 percent of those with difficulties said that filling these positions was “absolutely critical” to their businesses.
- Overall, the survey found no significant differences between urban and rural areas, and difficulties were reported across a wide range of industries and occupations.
- Employers in educational services, construction, health care and social assistance, manufacturing, and wholesale trade most commonly reported hiring difficulties.
- Manufacturers reported hiring challenges with both production and non-production positions, including machinists, maintenance and repair workers, industrial production managers, engineers, welders and production supervisors.
- Employers gave several explanations for hiring challenges, most frequently citing applicants’ lack of work experience, educational credentials, and technical skills.
- Difficult-to-fill positions took about three times longer to fill than non-difficult ones.
- Employers responded to hiring difficulties by using overtime for existing workers, hiring temporary labor, or simply not filling the position.
- Nearly half of employers used some combination of educational and workforce development resources to address issues of recruitment and retention of qualified talent.
Methodology of the Survey:
The survey collected feedback from nearly 800 public- and private-sector employers. The study included a special focus on the state’s manufacturers, a group frequently mentioned as having hiring challenges. The survey was conducted by the N.C. Labor and Economic Analysis Division, which worked with the business service representatives from the state’s Workforce Development Boards.
Please find the link to the report here.
Link to the recommendations here.