An analysis of the training needs of 460 employees located within the seven county metropolitan areas of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota employing 50 or more employees

Abstract

This study, for the Corporate Training and Assessment Center at Saint Paul Technical College, Saint Paul, MN, surveyed 460 employers in three market areas: manufacturing, government/non-profit, and service industries in the Minneapolis-St. Paul seven county metropolitan area. The survey population was randomly selected from a list of companies in the seven county areas, which had greater than or equal to 50 employees. The study sought to measure how these employers are meeting the challenges of employee recruitment, retention, training, skills assessment, skills testing, and job analysis in a period of record low unemployment. The study further describes the types of training needed by these employers, which service providers are conducting the training or assessment for them, and how satisfied they are with outside service providers' performances. A thorough review of literature in the area of customized workforce training was done to benchmark the current best practices in the area of workforce training. The author presents recommendations to technical and community colleges on how they can better align their workforce training curriculum to meet employers' increased needs for basic workplace skills training and assessment. In addition, competition from the private sector has placed increased emphasis on the importance of treating the employer as a customer. Better program alignment between two-year colleges and the employer community is key to the long-term survival of customized training in two-year public colleges.