Employers' help is sought for workforce skills survey

Tri-county employers are being asked to participate in a survey aimed at determining the area's workforce skill needs and providing valuable input to educators.

The Trident Workforce Investment Board is asking employers in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties to complete the Web-based "2008 Charleston Region Workforce Needs Survey." The survey can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=AbiWMv_2b..., and takes about 15 minutes to complete, according to Colin Martin, vice chairman for Workforce Development at the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce.

Results of the study will be used by the Workforce Investment Board in allocating training resources now and in the future.

The survey is being distributed to employers in the three-county region through participating organizations. All information provided by individual employers will be confidential. Overall results, not any individual information, will be compiled and provided to all participating organizations, Martin said.

He said results also will be available through the Workforce Investment Board's Web site. Employers participating in the survey also will be provided with a copy of the study's results.

Specifically, Martin said, the survey seeks to:

--Assess both current and projected skill needs of area employers through its design.

--Identify the occupations most in demand today and identify the occupations employers are projecting to fill in the future.

--Determine how difficult it is to fill certain positions/occupations so that future projects can better allocate training resources to meet employers' needs.

Martin said survey results will be provided to the region's public school districts, colleges and universities to help them better prepare students.

For more information, call the Workforce Investment Board at 843-574-1806, or the Center for Business Research at 843-577-2510.