Analysis of the relationship between workers and employers perceptions of important job skills

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the job skill needs of the Colby School District’s School-to-Work Program and the community employers. This study was based on the need to examine important job skills in the work-based curriculum and the business community work expectations. Data was collected from the Colby School District, School-to-Work Program and from the business from surrounding communities of Dorchester, Abbotsford, Colby, Unity, and Marshfield. The ultimate goal of the School-to-Work Program survey was to enhance students’ job skills; to give them maximum employment potential. The research project seems to indicate the students in this study had not absorbed the message that a good attitude is of great importance. The research project goals were as follows: to provide useful feedback about employment skill needs for the foreseeable future; to make changes in the STW curriculum as indicated by employers from the returned surveys; and to change the educational competencies to meet the ever-growing and evolving job market employment demands. Twenty-four Colby, Abbotsford, and surrounding area STW employers returned the Job Skills Survey, which ranked valued job skills from 1 to 9, with one as the most important and 9 as the least important skill. Twenty-three STW students also completed the same survey of valued job skills ranked 1 to 9. The results revealed close correlations between works safely and cooperates, works well with others as ranked by both groups. Students ranked good attitude toward work as the most important and employers ranked it second on their priority list for job skills. Employers leaned towards cost reducing measures with human resources, i.e. a good work safety record lower the insurance portion of the operating costs. Cooperating well with others is a job skill which contributes to lowering the cost retraining workers. Students first responses were regular and punctual reporting to work as the top choice and neat, accurate, and thorough with quality of work was a close second. It showed that the students’ priority is themselves first, their quality of work second, and all the other job skills followed. The Colby STW Committee used the research data to analyze the feedback from the community area businesses. They studied the responses carefully to decide if modifications or adjustments needed to the classroom instructions. These adjustments would better facilitate the growing and changing needs of our STW curriculum.