Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Sustainable ... Salish and Kootenai Tribes Sustainable...

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Sustainable Economic Development Study:

A Profile of the Flathead Reservation Economy and Tribal Member Job

and Education Needs

By the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Economic Development Office, the University of

Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research, and the Sustainable Economic Development

Project Partners

September 2014

Cover Photo: The Mission Mountains on the Flathead Reservation, by Mr. Mark Mesenko.

1

Acknowledgements

A large group of people worked diligently to produce this report. They all deserve recognition and

thanks! What follows is a modest attempt to bring some of these people to the attention of the readers

of this study.

First, thanks must go to the members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) who

completed the questionnaires that provided vital information for this study. Their efforts were

thoughtful, insightful, and thorough. Tribal members also contributed significantly to the study and

questionnaire design by participating in extensive public meetings and survey pre-tests.

Mr. Ron Trahan, Chairman of CSKT; Ms. Carole Lankford, Vice-Chair; Mr. James "Bing" Matt, Secretary;

Mr. Len TwoTeeth, Treasurer; and Tribal Council Members Mr. Lloyd Irvine, Mr. Terry L. Pitts, Mr.

Leonard Gray, Mr. Vernon Finley, Ms. Patty Stevens, and Ms. Shelly Fyant all provided important

guidance for this project.

The Salish/Pend d'Oreilles Culture Committee and the Kootenai Culture Committee gave insightful input

into study and questionnaire design, and both committees were helpful in gaining Tribal membership

support for this project. CSKT Tribal elders were consulted during each phase of this project, and they

provided key advice on the implementation of this study.

The CSKT Economic Development Office, under the initial leadership of Mr. Joe Dupuis, supervised all

aspects of this project. Rebecca Hendrickx, Project Assistant, was invaluable in this effort.

The CSKT Sustainable Economic Development Project Partners/Steering Committee did the lion’s share

of the study and questionnaire design review, and reviewed the drafts of this report. Their endurance,

patience, and wisdom were instrumental to the project’s success. Project Partners include Vern

Clairmont and Ruth Swaney (CSKT Finance Office), Arlene Templer and Kelly Whitworth (CSKT DHRD),

Debbie Krantz (Lake County Job Service), Steve Clairmont (Sovereign Leasing and Financing, Inc.), Marie

Mahugh (Lake County Community Development Corporation), Constance Morigeau (CSKT Social

Services), Amita Patel Greer (Montana Community Development Corporation), Rene Joachim (CSKT

Personnel), Jim Durglo (CSKT Forestry), Heather Sobrepena-George (Montana Indian Country Economic

Development Program), Keith Rennie (SKC), Jennifer Finley (Kicking Horse Job Corps Center), and Penny

Kipp (CSKT Education), and Carolee Wenderoth (CSKT Lands).

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Finally, recognition must be made of the hard and detail-oriented work done by Ms. Janet Stevens and

Ms. Ramona Alspaugh of the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research

(BBER). They are true survey research professionals. Dr. Paul Polzin and Dr. Bryce Ward, both of BBER,

also contributed economic analysis reported in Chapter 1: Flathead Reservation Economic Profile. The

words and ideas of Dr. Tom Power, Professor Emeritus of Economics at University of Montana, also form

the basis of parts of Chapter 1.

Janet Camel, Project Director and Editor

Economic Development Office, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

John Baldridge, Principal Data Analyst and Author

Bureau of Business and Economic Research, University of Montana-Missoula

September 2014

3

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... 1

List of Tables and Figures .............................................................................................................................. 5

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 7

Chapter 1: Flathead Reservation Economic Profile 2014 .......................................................................... 12

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 12

Structure of this Report .............................................................................................................................. 13

Flathead Reservation Economic Profile ...................................................................................................... 13

Regional Context of the Flathead Reservation Economy ........................................................................... 17

Population Trends ....................................................................................................................................... 17

Narrative Description of the Flathead Reservation Economy .................................................................... 17

Chapter 2: Tribal Member Employment Status, Occupations, Education and Training Experience ....... 21

Employment Status ..................................................................................................................................... 21

Unemployment Rate ................................................................................................................................... 21

Average Weekly Hours Worked .................................................................................................................. 22

Employment by Industry ............................................................................................................................. 22

Private Employers by Industry .................................................................................................................... 23

Tribal Member Occupations ....................................................................................................................... 23

Entrepreneurship ........................................................................................................................................ 24

Education Attainment ................................................................................................................................. 25

Professional Licenses and Certifications ..................................................................................................... 26

Chapter 3: Tribal Member Job, Education and Training Interests ............................................................ 28

New Job Interest ......................................................................................................................................... 28

Commuting to Work ................................................................................................................................... 29

Job Interest by Industry .............................................................................................................................. 30

Job Interest by Occupation ......................................................................................................................... 30

Interest in Employers Other Than CSKT ...................................................................................................... 31

Education and Training Interests ................................................................................................................ 31

Education or Training Programs of Most Interest ...................................................................................... 32

General Job Skills and Job Seeking Skills Training Sought ........................................................................... 33

Interest in Job Training Offered by CSKT .................................................................................................... 34

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Chapter 4: Barriers to Tribal Member Employment or Job Training ........................................................ 35

Barriers that Impede Employment, Job Training, or Education.................................................................. 35

Most Important Barrier to Employment, Job Training, or Education ......................................................... 36

Telephone and Internet Access .................................................................................................................. 37

Travel to Work or School ............................................................................................................................ 38

Chapter 5: Gaps in the Tribal Workforce ................................................................................................... 39

Unemployed or Not in the Labor Force: Ages 18-60 .................................................................................. 39

Tribal Members Near or Below Poverty ..................................................................................................... 43

Young Adult Tribal Members ...................................................................................................................... 49

Female Tribal Members .............................................................................................................................. 51

Chapter 6: Business Owner/ Entrepreneurial Concerns and Training Needs .......................................... 55

Current or Prospective Business Owners .................................................................................................... 55

Training Interests ........................................................................................................................................ 56

Leasing Needs ............................................................................................................................................. 56

Interest Level in Starting a New Business ................................................................................................... 56

Most Important Barrier to a New or Expanding Business .......................................................................... 57

CSKT’s Strengths in Assisting New or Expanding Businesses ...................................................................... 57

Possible Improvements in CSKT’s Efforts to Assist New or Expanding Businesses .................................... 57

Characteristics of Tribal Members’ Businesses........................................................................................... 58

Chapter 7: Job Training Program Recommendations ............................................................................... 61

Recommended Target Occupations for Training ........................................................................................ 61

Recommended Job Training Program Characteristics ................................................................................ 63

Recommendations Focused on Business Owners or Entrepreneurs .................................................... 63

Appendix 1: Job and Training Needs Survey Methodological Summary ................................................... I1

Appendix 2: Job and Training Needs Survey Questionnaire and Top-Line Results.................................. II1

Appendix 3: Entrepreneur/Business Owner Survey Methodological Summary ..................................... III1

Appendix 4: Entrepreneur/Business Owner Survey Questionnaire and Top-Line Results ..................... IV1

5

List of Tables and Figures Table 1: Flathead Reservation Profile ......................................................................................................... 14

Table 2: Employed American Indian Population ......................................................................................... 15

Table 3: Western Montana Growth Jobs .................................................................................................... 16

Table 4: Private or Non-Profit Employers ................................................................................................... 23

Table 5: Occupations ................................................................................................................................... 23

Table 6: Detailed Education Attainment ..................................................................................................... 25

Table 7: Licenses or Certifications .............................................................................................................. 26

Table 8: General Job Skills ........................................................................................................................... 27

Table 9: Job Seeking Skills ........................................................................................................................... 27

Table 10: Preferred Work Schedule ............................................................................................................ 28

Table 11: Job Interests by Industry ............................................................................................................. 30

Table 12: Occupation Interests ................................................................................................................... 30

Table 13: Type of Training Sought .............................................................................................................. 31

Table 14: Training Program of Most Interest .............................................................................................. 32

Table 15: Interest in General Job Skills Training ......................................................................................... 33

Table 16: Interest in Job Seeking Skills Training ......................................................................................... 33

Table 17: Barriers to Employment or Education ......................................................................................... 35

Table 18: Specific Barriers ........................................................................................................................... 36

Table 19: Most Important Barrier ............................................................................................................... 36

Table 20: Perceived Tribal Transit Problems .............................................................................................. 38

Table 21: Occupations of Unemployed Tribal Members ............................................................................ 39

Table 22: Occupation Interests of the Unemployed ................................................................................... 41

Table 23: Education Interests of the Unemployed ..................................................................................... 41

Table 24: Most Important Job Barrier to the Unemployed ........................................................................ 42

Table 25: Occupations of Low-Income Tribal Members ............................................................................. 44

Table 26: Occupation Interests of those Below Poverty............................................................................. 46

Table 27: Education Interests of those Near or Below the Poverty Treshold ............................................ 47

Table 28: Most Important Job Barrier to those Below the Poverty Threshold........................................... 48

Table 29: Occupations of Young Adults ...................................................................................................... 49

Table 30: Occupation Interests of Young Adults ......................................................................................... 50

Table 31: Education Interests of Young Adults ........................................................................................... 50

Table 32: Most Important Job Barrier to Young Adults .............................................................................. 51

Table 33: Occupations of Women............................................................................................................... 52

Table 34: Occupation Interests of Women ................................................................................................. 53

Table 35: Education Interests of Women ................................................................................................... 53

Table 36: Most Important Job Barrier to Women ...................................................................................... 54

Table 37: Occupation Targets for All Tribal Members ................................................................................ 61

Table 38: Occupation Targets for Unemployed or Low-Income Tribal Members ...................................... 62

Table 39: Occupation Targets for Young Adult or Female Tribal Members ............................................... 62

Table 40: Final Survey Outcomes ................................................................................................................. I2

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Table 41: Total Survey Responses from Key Groups ................................................................................... I3

Table 42: 2013 Poverty Guidelines .............................................................................................................. I4

Figure 1: Basic Flathead Reservation Industries ......................................................................................... 13

Figure 2: All Flathead Reservation Industries ............................................................................................. 14

Figure 3: % Lake County Wage Growth ...................................................................................................... 15

Figure 4: Employment Status ...................................................................................................................... 21

Figure 5: Employment by Industry .............................................................................................................. 22

Figure 6: Interest in Starting a New Business ............................................................................................. 24

Figure 7: Comparison of Education Attainment ......................................................................................... 25

Figure 8: Level of New Job Interest ............................................................................................................. 28

Figure 9: Commuting Mileage Preference .................................................................................................. 29

Figure 10: Willingness to Commute off Reservation .................................................................................. 29

Figure 11: Interest in Job-Related Training ................................................................................................. 31

Figure 12: Interest in a New CSKT Job Training Program ............................................................................ 34

Figure 13: Number of Barriers Per Household ............................................................................................ 35

Figure 14: Telephone Access ....................................................................................................................... 37

Figure 15: Cell Phone Coverage and Internet Access ................................................................................. 37

Figure 16: Working Vehicle or Drivers’ License .......................................................................................... 38

Figure 17: Education Completed by the Unemployed ................................................................................ 40

Figure 18: Tribal Member Poverty .............................................................................................................. 43

Figure 19: Education Completed by those Near or Below the Poverty Treshold ....................................... 45

Figure 20: Education Completed by Young Adults ...................................................................................... 49

Figure 21: % Male and Female .................................................................................................................... 51

Figure 22: Education Completed by Women .............................................................................................. 52

Figure 23: Business Owner Survey Respondents ........................................................................................ 55

Figure 24: Business Training Interests ........................................................................................................ 56

Figure 25: Presence of Collateral ................................................................................................................ 59

Figure 26: Type of Business Debt ................................................................................................................ 59

Figure 27: Most Difficult Barriers to Business Development ...................................................................... 60

Figure 28: % Male and Female ..................................................................................................................... I3

7

Executive Summary

Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide the

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT)

and other economic development partners with

baseline data required to guide future

economic development planning efforts. The

study is the first component of a three-year

Sustainable Economic Development Project

(Project) lead by the CSKT Economic

Development Office and funded by a grant from

the U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services Administration for Native Americans.

The study consists of two parts:

1. A compilation of data summarizing the

economy of the Flathead Reservation,

and

2. An extensive survey of Tribal members’

job and training needs combined with a

brief survey of Tribal business owners

and Tribal members who would like to

start a new business.

Methods The profile of the Flathead Reservation

economy was compiled by the University of

Montana Bureau of Business and Economic

Research (BBER) using Federal economic data,

State of Montana economic data, data provided

by CSKT, and BBER data.

The Job and Training Needs Survey and the

Business Owners’ Survey were designed by

BBER under the supervision of CSKT and several

Project partners. CSKT undertook an extensive

outreach effort to gain Tribal member input on

areas of study and questionnaire language.

BBER extensively tested the Jobs and Training

Survey before administration. The survey was

conducted by mail during May-July 2014. It

studied all enrolled Tribal members ages 18-60

whose mailing addresses were on the Flathead

Reservation. Cooperation by Tribal members

was excellent: 771 Tribal members completed

the Job and Training Needs Survey

questionnaire. The survey responses thoroughly

represent every major Tribal member

demographic group studied. A detailed

discussion of the representativeness of the

survey and of the methods used to collect the

data may be found in Appendix 1. At the time

this report is being written, BBER is awaiting

final Business Owners’ Survey responses. A

summary and analysis of the results of the

Business Owners’ Survey is forthcoming.

Flathead Reservation Economic

Profile The Flathead Reservation is located in the

center of western Montana’s dynamic

economy. The Reservation is bordered on the

south by Montana’s second largest urban trade

center, Missoula County, and on the north by

one of Montana’s fastest growing counties,

Flathead County. The Reservation is located on

a major, transportation arterial--U.S. Highway

93; and is blessed with spectacular natural

resources including Flathead Lake, the Ninepipe

National Wildlife Refuge, the National Bison

Range, and the Mission Mountains.

CSKT is the dominant employer on the Flathead

Reservation, accounting for 35% of all

employment and 55% of the employment in

industries that bring money into the economy

8

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008-2012 American Community

Survey 5-Year Estimates.

from outside the area, so-called basic

industries. The manufacturing industry is also a

key basic industry on the Flathead Reservation.

The Reservation’s manufacturing base includes

S & K Electronics, Jore Corporation, and Ashley-

Martin Manufacturing. Salish Kootenai College

is also a key component of the Reservation’s

basic industry structure. The College is

accredited by the Northwest Commission on

Colleges and Universities and employs over 260

people.

Reservation residents were hit hard by the

Great Recession during the period from 2008

through 2011. Wages on the Reservation

declined about 1% per year during this time.

Since that time, wages on the Reservation have

begun to slowly rebound. Slow but positive

wage growth was seen on the Reservation in

2012 and 2013.

In 2013, BBER estimates that there were 2,787

American Indians ages 16 and older employed

on the Flathead Reservation. The following

table presents other key facts about the

economy of the Flathead Reservation.

Current Employment and Education

Attainment Of Tribal members ages 18-60, 69% were

employed at the time they completed the 2014

Job and Training Needs Survey (Survey), 11.2%

were unemployed, and 19.7% were not

currently in the labor force. The unemployment

rate for Tribal members ages 18-60 was 13.9%.

This rate was calculated using the U.S. Census

Bureau and Montana Department of Labor and

Industry definitions of labor force status. A

description of this definition is located in

Chapter 2.

The Survey showed that Tribal members work

fewer hours each week (33.3 hours), on

average, than do all workers on the Flathead

Reservation (38.2 hours). The implication of this

difference is that Tribal members’ average

weekly number of hours worked is less than the

U.S. Census Bureau’s definition of full-time

work: 35 hours per week.

The occupational structure of the Flathead

Reservation reflects the labor requirements of

the dominant Reservation employers, e.g. CSKT,

Salish Kootenai College, and S & K Electronics.

The most common occupations include general

management, clerical, and social service

specialists. Educational administrators and

teachers are also among the common

occupations. Finally, there are several common

occupations that support the health care,

manufacturing, and construction industries.

These occupations include nursing aides,

Flathead Reservation Profile Total Population, 2012 28,724

% Change in Population, 2011-2012

2.7%

Median Age, 2012 39.9

% 65 or Older, 2012 16.3%

% American Indian, 2012 31.8%

% with Bachelor's Degree or Higher, 2012

23.7%

Median Household Income, 2012

$35,119

% Without Health Insurance, 2012

21.1%

Unemployment Rate, 2012 12.4%

Lived in a Different House Last Year, 2012

17.1%

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assemblers and fabricators, and construction

equipment operators.

The Job and Training Needs Survey also

discovered evidence that self-employment may

become an important source of economic

opportunity for Tribal members. Just over one-

third of all Tribal members (34.4%) who

responded to the survey said that they were

very interested in starting a new business.

Regarding education attainment, almost 1 in 10

Tribal members ages 18-60 (9.7%) completed

less than a high school diploma or G.E.D. Just

over 2 in 10 (20.6%) completed a high school

diploma or G.E.D. About 4 in 10 (37.4%)

completed a high school diploma or G.E.D. plus

some additional college or training; while 12.8%

had completed an Associate’s Degree or Job

Corps training. Just under 2 in 10 (19.5%)

completed a Bachelor’s Degree or higher.

Job, Education, or Job Training

Interests More than 3 out of 5 Tribal members (62.5%)

said they are interested in looking for a new

job. Interest in a new job was substantial across

all groups. More unemployed Tribal members

(93.9%) wanted a new job than did employed

Tribal members (58.8%), or those who were not

in the labor force (58.9%).

On average, Tribal members expressed a

willingness to commute 30 miles one-way to

work. A majority of Tribal members (54.5%)

were willing to commute off the Reservation to

work if they could return home each night,

while 45.5% were unwilling to do so.

The top 10 occupations that interested Tribal

members were:

1. Accountants, auditors, budget analysts

2. Teachers

3. Managers, general

4. Supervisors of administrative and

support workers

5. Office and administration workers

6. Registered nurses

7. Secretaries and administrative

assistants

8. Forest, conservation, and logging

workers

9. Computer occupations

10. Construction equipment operators

The largest group of Tribal members (44.1%)

expressed interest in an apprenticeship or on-

the-job training. More than 3 in every 10 Tribal

members expressed interest in some type of

academic training (36.4%) or obtaining a

certification or licensure (34.5%). About 3 in

every 10 Tribal members (28.5%) expressed

interest in seeking some type of vocational

training. About 1 in 10 Tribal members (9.9%)

expressed a desire to obtain an alternative high

school graduation diploma like a GED, or seek

additional education to improve their reading,

math, or English skills (10.3%).

Almost 4 in every 10 Tribal members, ages 18-

60 who answered the survey (39.0%), said they

were very interested in participating in a new

job training program offered by the

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. An

additional 31.3% said they were somewhat

interested in participating.

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Barriers to Employment or Job

Training The following summarizes barriers that impede

Tribal members ages 18-60 from getting a new

job, job training, or additional education.

Barrier Percent

No gas money 38.0%

Discrimination 26.2%

No reliable vehicle 25.8%

Poor health 24.5%

Lack of child care 22.9%

Physical/ mental disability 21.8%

Criminal charges/ legal trouble 15.9%

Alcohol or addiction 13.0%

Lack of elder care 5.9%

Some Tribal members also faced technological

barriers to employment or education. Almost 4

in 10 (39.4%) lived in a household with no

working landline telephone. Only about 1 in 10

(11.6%) lived in a household with no working

cellular telephone. More Tribal members, about

16.6%, lived in households where there was no

cellular telephone coverage. Finally, one-third

of Tribal members ages 18-60 lived in

households where there was no working

internet access.

Transportation to work or school was also a

barrier for 20.9% of Tribal members. Almost 1 in

10 (8.2%) had neither a working motor vehicle

nor a valid driver’s license. Another 6.2% had a

valid driver’s license but no working motor

vehicle, while 6.5% had a working motor vehicle

but no valid driver’s license.

Gaps in the Tribal Workforce The Job and Training Needs Survey focused

closely on four groups of Tribal members:

1. Unemployed or not in the work force

2. Near or below the poverty threshold

3. Young adults

4. Women

Among unemployed Tribal members or those

who were not in the labor force, most

previously worked in low-skill and low wage

jobs. The jobs included:

Janitors and Cleaners

Home Health Aides

Wildland Firefighters

Security Guards

Dishwashers

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

Gaming Cage Workers

Farmworkers and Laborers

In addition, the unemployed or those no longer

in the labor force were much more likely to

have low levels of education attainment than

were other Tribal members. Almost 2 in 10

unemployed Tribal members (17.3%) and those

not in the labor force (17.6%) completed less

than a high school diploma or G.E.D., compared

with only 1 in 10 of Tribal members overall

(9.7%).

Most Tribal members who lived in a household

below the poverty threshold also worked in

entry-level or lower-skill occupations.

These occupations included:

Janitors

Home Health Aides

11

Landscaping Workers

Cashiers

Dishwashers

Maids.

Tribal members living below the poverty

threshold were significantly more likely to not

complete a high school diploma or G.E.D.

(16.9%) when compared to all Tribal members

(9.7%).

In contrast, many Tribal members living in near-

poverty households already had significant

levels of job training. The higher skill

occupations reported by those who lived in

near-poverty included:

• Accountants and Auditors

• Teachers

• Rehabilitation Counselors

• Community and Social Service

Specialists

The lower skill occupations reported by near-

poverty Tribal members also required

significant training, and included home health

aides, woodworking machine operators, and

truck and tractor operators.

Evaluating the survey data for workforce

achievement gaps is not always appropriate

with young adults, since they are just beginning

their labor force experiences. However, one gap

that appears in the data is particularly

significant. Proportionately more Tribal

members ages 18-34 (15.2%) had not

completed high school or a G.E.D. than had all

Montanans ages 18-34 (11.0%). Similarly, fewer

young adult Tribal members had completed

Bachelor’s Degrees (13.7%) than had all of

Montana’s young adults (20.2%).

Finally, clerical or administrative jobs dominate

the list of the top 10 occupations of female

Tribal members ages 18-60. All of the top ten

occupations include:

1. Secretaries and Administrative

Assistants

2. Accountants and Auditors

3. Home Health Aides

4. Janitors and Cleaners

5. Cashiers

6. Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

7. Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing

Clerks

8. Office and Administrative Support

Workers, All Other

9. Other Management Occupations

10. Nursing Assistants

Job Training Program

Recommendations The CSKT Sustainable Economic Development

Project Partners/Steering Committee

recommends targeting specific occupations for

future job training programs. These are listed in

detail in Chapter 7. When planning for those

training programs, three recommendations

should be considered:

1. Any new job training program should

provide actual job experience.

2. Accommodations for Tribal members

with disabilities should be a priority in

any new job training program.

3. Expand CSKT’s and Salish Kootenai

College’s efforts to train and assist

Tribal members who want to start a

new business.

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Chapter 1: Flathead Reservation Economic Profile 2014

Introduction This report presents the findings of the

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’

Sustainable Economic Development Study: A

Profile of the Flathead Reservation Economy

and Tribal Member Job and Training Needs. The

study consisted of a compilation of data

describing the economy of the Flathead

Reservation. In addition, the study included an

extensive survey of Tribal members’ job and

education skills, needs, barriers to employment,

and workforce gaps. The study also included a

brief survey of Tribal business owners and Tribal

members who would like to start a new

business.

The purpose of this study is to provide the

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and

economic development partners with baseline

data required to guide future economic

development planning efforts. The study was

funded by a Social and Economic Development

Strategies (SEDS) grant from the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Native Americans, and is part

of a three year Sustainable Economic

Development Project which began in October

of 2013. The CSKT Economic Development

Office applied for and received the grant and is

directly responsible for this study and

completion of a Sustainable Economic

Development Plan and Job Training Pilot Project

to be completed in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

CSKT contracted with the University of

Montana-Missoula’s Bureau of Business and

Economic Research (BBER) to compile the

economic profile of the Flathead Reservation,

and to conduct the Job and Training Needs and

Business Owners’ surveys, with assistance from

CSKT’s Economic Development Office staff and

Project partners.

The Job and Training Needs Survey was

designed by BBER under the supervision of

CSKT. CSKT’s Economic Development Office

(EDO) undertook an extensive outreach effort

to gain Tribal member input on areas of study

and questionnaire language. In particular,

CSKT’s EDO presented information at a large

number of community meetings during the

study, and obtained substantial and meaningful

input from Tribal Elders and other Tribal

members. CSKT’s EDO also formed a

partnership/steering committee composed of

key Tribal government officials, Tribal business

leaders, Salish Kootenai College, Job Service,

and other state and local officials. This steering

committee guided BBER in each step of the

study design and implementation process.

The primary survey data presented in this

report is summarized from the responses of 771

Tribal members to the Jobs and Training Needs

Survey. The survey was conducted in May-July

2014. Questionnaires were mailed to each

enrolled Tribal member ages 18-60 whose

mailing address was located on the Flathead

Reservation. The responses comprehensively

represent every major Tribal member

demographic group studied. A complete

description of the methods used in this study

can be found in Appendix 1 of this report.

13

2% 5% 3% 4% 3% 2% 4% 3% 4% 3% 4% 3%

9% 10%

14% 16%

57% 55%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Earnings Employment

CS&KT Government

Manufacturing

Salish and KootenaiCollege

State Government

Heavy & Civil EngineeringConstruction

Federal Government

Mining, Quarrying, Oil, &Gas Extraction

Agriculture, Forestry,Fishing, & Hunting

Non-Resident Travel

Sources: Bureau of Business and Economic Research, University of Montana; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Basic Flathead Reservation Industries: Earnings and Employment 2011

Figure 1: Basic Flathead Reservation Industries

Structure of this Report Chapter 1 presents the economic profile of the

Flathead Reservation. Chapters 2-5 display the

results of the Jobs and Training Needs Survey.

Chapter 6 describes the results of the

Entrepreneur (Business Owners’) Survey.

Chapter 7 describes job training program

recommendations based on the results of this

study. Finally, the appendices of this report

document the methods used in this study as

well as copies of the survey questionnaires.

Flathead Reservation Economic

Profile This profile is divided into two sections. The first

is a graphic and tabular snapshot of the current

Flathead Reservation economy. The second is a

more in-depth, narrative description of the

economy.

Growth or decline of any economy depends on

that economy’s ability to bring in money from

outside the economy. Industries that bring

money into the economy from outside the area

and have the potential to grow the economy

are called basic industries. Basic industries

are often considered to be of central

importance to officials and business persons

interested in economic development.

The Tribal Government of the Confederated

Salish and Kootenai Tribes is the Flathead

Reservation’s dominant basic industry (see

Figure 1). The manufacturing industry is also

a key basic industry on the Flathead

Reservation. The Reservation’s

manufacturing base includes S & K

Electronics, Jore Corporation, and Ashley-

Martin Manufacturing.

Salish Kootenai College, located in Pablo,

Montana, is also a key component of the

Flathead Reservation’s basic industry

structure. The College is accredited by the

Northwest Commission on Colleges and

Universities and employs over 260 people.

14

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008-2012 American

Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

To fully understand the Flathead Reservation

economy it is important to place its basic

industry structure (depicted in Figure 1) in

context by illustrating the Reservation’s entire

industry structure. Figure 2 below shows the

entire industry structure of the Flathead

Reservation by looking at the number of

persons employed in each industry.

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal

Government is still the dominant industry on

the Flathead Reservation, even when looking at

all industries and not just basic industries. CSKT

Government is the primary difference when

comparing the Reservation industry structure to

that of the State of Montana. Local (town or

county) government is included in Figure 2 but

is not included in Figure 1. This is because Tribal

Government brings money into the community

from outside while local governments largely do

not.

Flathead Reservation Profile Total Population, 2012 28,724

% Change in Population, 2011-2012

2.7%

Median Age, 2012 39.9

% 65 or Older, 2012 16.3%

% American Indian, 2012 31.8%

% with Bachelor's Degree or Higher, 2012

23.7%

Median Household Income, 2012 $35,119

% Without Health Insurance, 2012 21.1%

Unemployment Rate, 2012 12.4%

Lived in a Different House Last Year, 2012

17.1%

Table 1: Flathead Reservation Profile

2% 9% 2%

3% 3%

4%

3%

9%

4%

5%

5%

6%

6%

4%

9%

13%

16%

15% 16%

20% 35%

11%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Flathead Reservation Montana

Tribal or Local Gov't

Trade, Transportation, & Utilties

Education & Health Services

Leisure & Hospitality

Manufacturing

Information, Finance & Real estate

Construction

Other Services

Professional & Technical Services

Ag and Mining

Federal and State Gov't

Sources: Bureau of Business and Economic Research, University of Montana; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

All Flathead Reservation Industries Compared to Montana: All Employment 2011

Figure 2: All Flathead Reservation Industries

15

Figure 3: % Lake County Wage Growth

-3.0

-2.0

-1.0

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

% G

row

th

Year

% Growth in Real (Inflation Adjusted) Lake County Wages: Actual and Forecast

Montana

Lake

Sources: UM Bureau of Business and Economic Research; IHS Economics & Country Risk (formerly HIS Global Insight, Inc.).

It is also vital to understand the employment

status of Tribal members living on the Flathead

Reservation. However, census data includes all

American Indians who claim affiliation with any

tribe, not just CSKT. Table 2 summarizes this

status. In 2013 about 2,787 American Indians

age 16 and older were employed on the

Flathead Reservation. Table 2: Employed American Indian Population

Figure 3 represents the wage experience of all

people living on the Flathead reservation. Lake

County data is used in Figure 3 because wage

data is only collected at the county level, and

because two-thirds of the Reservation is in Lake

County. The data in Figure 3 have been adjusted

for inflation. Reservation residents were hit

hard by the Great Recession during the period

from 2008 through 2011. Wages on the

Reservation declined about 1% per

year during this time. Since that

time, wages on the Reservation have

begun to slowly rebound. It is

important to note that this growth

occurred at a significantly slower

pace when compared to the State of

Montana as a whole.

American Indian Only - Employed Civilian Population

16 Years and Over on the Flathead Reservation

BBER

Estimate

2013

ACS

2012

ACS

2011

ACS

2010

ACS

2009

Male 1,450 1,397 1,329 1,402 1,239

Female 1,337 1,297 1,148 1,161 1,177

Total 2,787 2,694 2,477 2,563 2,416 Sources: UM Bureau of Business and Economic Research and U.S. Census

Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

16

Sources: Bureau of Business and Economic Research, University of Montana; Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Region 1, 2012-

2022 Projected Employment. Region 1 includes Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, and Sanders Counties.

Table 3 lists occupations that will add the most

jobs over the next 10 years. This list is very

important for CSKT economic development

officials and for job training planners.

Table 3: Western Montana Growth Jobs

Western Montana Labor Market: 30+ Annual Openings and Growth of At Least 1% Per Year

Occupation

Annual Growth Rate (%)

Total Annual

Openings

Average Wage (Year)

1. Personal Care, Child Care, Fitness Instructor, Recreation 2.4% 168 $21,460

2. Computer and Mathematical Occupations 2.2% 75 $64,770

3. Nursing, Psychiatric, and Home Health Aides 2.0% 93 $22,180

4. Health Technologists and Technicians 1.9% 138 $30,010

5. Food and Beverage Serving Workers 1.8% 457 $18,100

6. Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 1.8% 43 $28,110

7. Woodworkers (cabinet makers or finish carpenters) 1.7% 40 $28,710

8. Financial Specialists 1.6% 76 $54,440

9. Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing 1.6% 47 $46,640

10. Information and Record Clerks 1.5% 212 $24,310

11. Health Treating Practitioners (Registered Nurse) 1.5% 189 $58,840

12. Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses, Dishwashers 1.5% 90 $18,150

13. Counselors, Social Workers, and Other 1.5% 87 $38,000

14. Grounds Maintenance Workers 1.5% 55 $30,000

15. Medical Assistant, Dental Assistant, Medical Equipment Preparer, Veterinary Assistant, etc.

1.5% 43 $30,700

16. Construction Trades Workers 1.4% 197 $37,090

17. Financial Clerks 1.4% 167 $31,120

18. Building Cleaning and Pest Control Workers 1.4% 152 $22,610

19. Motor Vehicle Operators 1.4% 133 $39,430

20. Cooks and Food Preparation Workers 1.4% 127 $28,000

21. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants 1.4% 109 $27,710

22. Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 1.4% 42 $43,300

23. HVAC Mechanic, Machinery Mechanic, Medical Equipment Repair 1.3% 93 $50,180

24. Business Operations Specialists 1.3% 81 $45,420

25. Sales Representatives, Services 1.3% 53 $46,640

26. Security Guards, Ski Patrol, Transportation Screeners, etc. 1.3% 52 $22,690

27. Material Moving Workers 1.2% 89 $40,000

28. Retail Sales Workers 1.1% 515 $21,820

30. Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repair 1.1% 90 $38,520

31. Metal Workers and Plastic Workers 1.0% 33 $30,500

32. Law Enforcement Workers 1.0% 30 $47,380

17

Regional Context of the Flathead

Reservation Economy The Flathead Reservation is a rural area,

bordered on the south by Missoula, Montana’s

second largest urban trade center, and on the

north by Flathead County, one of Montana’s

fastest growing (and now fourth largest)

counties.1 Unlike many Indian reservations, the

Flathead Reservation is not isolated from the

larger state and regional economies. Located in

the center of western Montana’s dynamic

economy, the Reservation contributes to the

region’s development, just as changes in the

regional economy influence the economic

health of the Reservation.

Population Trends Recent U.S. Census Bureau data indicates that

the American Indian population of the

Reservation represents a much greater fraction

of total population than previous data

suggested. With the opening of the Reservation

to non-Tribal settlers in 1910, non-Tribal

population growth outpaced Tribal growth

during much of the 20th century. In the 1970

Census, the American Indian to non-Indian ratio

of population was approximately 1 to 5.

Tribal population growth increased in the last

40 years, most likely due to better data

collection methods according to Tribal officials.

The ratio of American Indians to non-Indians

reported in the preliminary 1990 Census count

was approximately 1 to 3. The 2000 and 2010

Census counts reported American Indians as

1 This paragraph and those that follow in Chapter 1

rely heavily on the work of Dr. Tom Power, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Montana, as published in Chapter 4 of the CSKT Comprehensive Resources Plan.

30% of the total Reservation population in 2000

and 32% in 2010.

According to census data, American Indians

now account for most of the population growth

on the Reservation. From 1990 to 2000, the

Indian population grew by 2,753, a rate of 54%,

while the non-Indian population grew by 2,160

(13%). From 2000 to 2010, the Indian

population rose by 1,255, a 16% growth rate,

while the non-Indian population increased by

932 (5%).

Narrative Description of the

Flathead Reservation Economy On the Reservation, the Confederated Salish

and Kootenai Tribes are the most significant

economic actor. Each year the Tribes spend

tens of millions of dollars locally. The Tribes

own most of the timber, range, and recreation

resources, as well as the lands where irrigation

waters originate. Tribal members own and

operate over one hundred local businesses.

The Tribal organization also operates several

businesses. In addition, it runs schools and

manages the Reservation’s electric utility, and

will soon own and operate Kerr Dam, a major

hydropower generation facility.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

own the majority of the lands within the

Reservation, including the bed and banks of the

south half of Flathead Lake and other water

bodies. The Tribal land base encompasses the

majority of the forest resources and a

significant portion of the agricultural resources

on the Reservation. It therefore provides the

underpinning for the Reservation’s basic

economic activities.

18

The Tribes administer hundreds of thousands of

acres of rangelands and pasture lands. The

Tribes own a smaller portion of the cropland on

the Reservation, however. The Flathead Indian

Irrigation Project (FIIP) serves 179,643 acres on

the Reservation of which 24,895 acres are

either owned by the Tribes or are individually-

owned Indian trust lands (Littleboy, FIIP, 2010).

Because grazing on off-Reservation federal

lands is becoming more restricted and

expensive, the importance of Tribal grazing land

to the local agricultural economy will probably

increase in coming years. Rising bid prices for

the use of Tribal grazing land already indicate

that this is happening.

Tribal land is an important source of timber for

the local forest products industry. Almost half

(46 percent) of all timber harvested in Lake

County came from lands controlled by CSKT

(UM Bureau of Business and Economic

Research, 2010).

Water Water resources on the Flathead Reservation

are extensive. They include both surface water

and ground water. Municipalities and

developments depend on ground water for

domestic use. Most surface water is used to

provide habitat for fisheries as well as irrigation.

The Flathead Indian Irrigation Project manages

the primary surface water delivery system for

agriculture on the Reservation. Originally

designed to promote the economic

development of the Tribes and individual Tribal

members, it now serves many non-Indian farms.

The headwaters, storage facilities and canals lie

on CSKT lands. Other surface water sources for

agriculture are delivered through small ditches

and canals, most of which were developed

before FIIP.

CSKT, the State of Montana, and the United

States have been working for decades to

develop a water rights settlement that will

quantify the water rights of the Confederated

Salish & Kootenai Tribes on and off the Flathead

Reservation and provide for the administration

of water rights on the Reservation. On October

3, 2012, the three governments--CSKT, the

State of Montana, and the United States--

released a draft Water Rights Compact (the

Compact) and a Unitary Administrative and

Management Ordinance (the Ordinance or Law

of Administration) for public review and

comment. After the Montana Legislature

rejected the compact in 2013, the 2015

Montana Legislature must pass the compact or

CSKT will have to file all of their water rights

claims with the Montana Court. The Court will

adjudicate those claims along with all filed

claims.

Kerr Dam CSKT leases the site of Kerr Dam to PPL

Montana. The dam annually produces four

times as much electricity as Mission Valley

Power (the local electricity utility managed by

CSKT) sells on the Reservation. The Tribes are

co-licensee with PPL Montana for the facility,

and have settled on the purchase price to buy

and take over sole operation in the year 2015.

CSKT has filed formal notice with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission regarding their

intent to acquire the Kerr Project.

Land Buy-Back CSKT recognizes the overall importance of the

land and its resources. The Flathead Indian

Reservation is one of 150 unique reservations

with fractional land interests. CSKT has

19

identified roughly 3,000 Tribal members who

share ownership of 700 unique tracts on the

Reservation. Nearly 2,000 of those shares in

land-ownership amount to less than a 5%

interest in a tract. Ten to twenty owners can

own interests in a tract that is only 1 acre in

size, or may only own the mineral rights, but

not the surface rights. This fractionated

ownership makes it impossible to manage some

of these tracts. For decades CSKT has been

buying back Reservation lands that were taken

as a result of the Flathead Allotment Act and

forced fee patent policies. CSKT has been paying

fair market value to buy back Tribal homelands,

spending millions. Under the Cobell settlement

agreement, the federal government allocated

roughly $7.4 million to purchase an estimated

38,400 acres worth of fractionated interests on

behalf of CSKT. The first offers in the Cobell

Agreement’s Land Buy-Back Program were

mailed on September 5, 2014, to CSKT Tribal

members with fractional land interests on some

Flathead Indian Reservation tracts.

The Environment as a Tribal

Economic Asset The Tribes have also sought to protect the

Tribal land base by establishing wilderness and

primitive areas and by developing regulations

and resource management plans designed to

conserve Tribal resources. During its

comprehensive planning process, the CSKT

membership set goals that emphasized the

maintenance of a healthy and productive

linkage between the Tribal land base and the

Reservation economy. In an ideal future, the

membership would prefer to see Reservation

lands used in a sustainable manner compatible

with environmental and cultural resource

protection.

There are other kinds of economic benefits as

well as many non-economic benefits that come

from CSKT’s prudent use and management of its

natural resources. A healthy natural

environment is essential if CSKT is to maintain

Tribal culture and spirituality. A clean

environment is also important to the physical

and mental well-being of Tribal members as

well as all Reservation residents.

In economic terms, a high quality natural

environment is an important stimulus to

economic development. By attracting and

holding new businesses, it provides a powerful

force for growth.

For all of these reasons CSKT has invested

considerable effort in protecting and enhancing

the natural environment of the Reservation. To

name only a few examples, CSKT:

sought and obtained a Class I Air

Quality designation for the Reservation,

the most demanding air quality status

under federal law

created and then expanded the Mission

Mountains Tribal Wilderness and the

South Fork and Mill Pocket

Kitqwanukxu’l (Lozeau) Primitive Areas

and have created a buffer zone to

protect the wilderness area

adopted and implemented a Shoreline

Protection Ordinance

adopted and implemented an Aquatic

Lands Conservation Ordinance to

protect wetlands and other aquatic

lands

20

adopted a Fisheries Management Plan

and a Water Quality Management

Ordinance

drafted and adopted the Lower

Flathead River Resource Plan to protect

that area of the Reservation

CSKT carries out interdisciplinary reviews on

natural resource management and

development activities occurring on the

Reservation to insure that the activities cause

minimal environmental damage. CSKT is also

working with the Environmental Protection

Agency regarding enforcement of federal and

Tribal air and water quality, and solid and

hazardous waste regulations on the

Reservation. Protection and enhancement of

the natural landscapes and ecosystems of the

Reservation is one of the Tribes’ highest

priorities.

21

Chapter 2: Tribal Member Employment Status, Occupations, Education and Training Experience This chapter describes the labor force,

education, and training experiences of Tribal

members ages 18-60 who responded to the

survey. Tribal government officials need this

information to evaluate impact of and plan for

future job training programs. The survey results

presented here represent the status of 771

Tribal members as of May-July 2014.

Employment Status For the purposes of this study understanding

the employment status of responding Tribal

members is vital. Almost seven of every ten

survey respondents (69.1%) were employed in

the week prior to completing the survey, while

11.2% were unemployed. The remaining 19.7%

were not in the labor force in the week prior to

completing the survey. Figure 4 illustrates the

employment status of survey respondents.

It is important to note that to be considered not

in the labor force, a respondent had to classify

themselves as all of the following:

not working in the week prior to the

survey

not on layoff from a job

not on vacation or off due to a

temporary illness or maternity leave

not having actively looked

for work for the previous four weeks

This category includes retired

persons, students, those taking care

of children or other family members,

and others who are neither working

nor seeking work. Of the 152

respondents (19.7%) who said that

they were not in the labor force, 57

said that they didn’t work within the

last year. A very similar number (58)

reported that they had not worked

for between 1 and 5 years. Thirty-seven tribal

members responded that they had not worked

for 5 or more years.

Unemployment Rate When considering only those survey

respondents who classified themselves as being

in the labor force, the unemployment rate for

Tribal members ages 18-60 was 13.9%. This rate

Figure 4: Employment Status

69.1%

11.2% 19.7%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

Employed Unemployed Not in labor force

Employment Status of Tribal Members Ages 18-60

22

is somewhat higher than the U.S. Census

Bureau’s 2008-2012 estimate of 12.4% for all

persons ages 16 and older in the labor force and

living on the Flathead Reservation.2 The survey

respondent’s unemployment rate is also higher

than the 10.8% rate for 2011 reported by

Montana Department of Labor and Industry for

all people ages 16 and older in the labor force

that lived on the Flathead Reservation.3

Average Weekly Hours Worked While it is vital to describe the employment

status of responding Tribal members, it is also

very important to know whether or not

employed Tribal members work full-time or

part-time. All other things being equal, more

hours worked results in higher income. Tribal

members who responded to the survey worked

an average of 33.3 hours in a usual week. This

average is significantly lower than the average

of 38.2 hours reported by U.S. Census Bureau

for all workers on who lived on the Flathead

Reservation in 2008-2012.4 The implication of

this difference is that Tribal members’ average

weekly number of hours worked is less than

U.S. Census Bureau’s definition of full-time

work: 35 hours per week.

Employment by Industry The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes is

the dominant employer of Tribal members ages

18-60 who responded to this survey.

2 U.S. Census Bureau, 2008-2012 American

Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 3 Montana Department of Labor and Industry,

http://www.ourfactsyourfuture.org/admin/uploadedPublications/2687_Flathead_RF08_Web.pdf, as of 2011, revised October 2013. 4 U.S. Census Bureau, 2008-2012 American


Figure 5 illustrates that nearly 3 in every 5 Tribal

members (57.6%) works for CSKT. Almost a

quarter of Tribal members (23.4%) worked for a

private or non-profit company. Salish Kootenai

College or another school employs 7.2% of

responding Tribal members. A very similar

number (6.8%) are self-employed. A small

proportion (4.0%) work for other government

agencies, or work without pay (1%), often in a

family business like a ranch.

1.0% 4.0% 6.8%

7.2%

23.4%

57.6%

0.0%

25.0%

50.0%

75.0%

100.0% CS&K Tribes

Private ornon-profitcompany

SK College orother school

Self-employed

Other local,state, orfederal gov

Workingwithout pay

Tribal Member Employment by Industry: 2014

Figure 5: Employment by Industry

http://www.ourfactsyourfuture.org/admin/uploadedPublications/2687_Flathead_RF08_Web.pdf

http://www.ourfactsyourfuture.org/admin/uploadedPublications/2687_Flathead_RF08_Web.pdf

23

Private Employers by Industry While the Confederated Salish and Kootenai

Tribal Government and Salish Kootenai College

are major employers of Tribal members, it is

also useful to examine in more detail the

private industries that employ Tribal members.

Table 4 lists the top 15 private industries that

employed Tribal members who responded to

the survey. In addition to retail establishments,

the prominent private or non-profit employers

of Tribal members included the health care

service industry, heavy and general

construction, and manufacturing.

Tribal Member Occupations The inventory of occupations of Tribal members

ages 18-60 is quite large and diverse. Table 5

below presents a list of the most common

occupations among responding Tribal members.

Table 4: Private or Non-Profit Employers

Private or Non-Profit Employers

Industry

% Employed Tribal Members

Food and drinking places 3.5%

Health care services 3.3%

Repair and maintenance services 2.3%

Heavy construction 1.7%

Electronic product manufacturing 1.7%

Wood products manufacturing 1.2%

Office admin services 1.2%

Ranching and farming 1.0%

General construction 1.0%

Forestry and logging 0.8%

Building material, garden equipment, supply

0.8%

Food and beverage stores 0.8%

Performing arts, sports and related

0.8%

Gambling, recreation, amusement 0.8%

Crop production 0.6%

Table 5: Occupations

Tribal Member Occupations Ages 18-60 % of All

Tribal Members Occupation

Building Cleaning Workers 4.0%

Nursing and Home Health Aides 2.9%

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

2.9%

Agricultural Workers 2.9%

Accountants and Auditors 2.0%

Community and Social Service Specialists

1.9%

Grounds Maintenance Workers 1.7%

Cashiers 1.7%

Cooks 1.6%

General Management Occupations 1.3%

Farmers, Ranchers 1.3%

Customer Service Representatives 1.3%

Office and Administrative Support Workers

1.3%

Education Administrators 1.2%

Bookkeeping and Accounting Clerks 1.2%

Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters 1.2%

Conservation Scientists and Foresters 1.1%

Dishwashers 1.1%

Construction Equipment Operators 1.1%

Automotive Technicians and Repairers 1.1%

Assemblers and Fabricators 1.1%

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 1.1%

Counselors 0.9%

Postsecondary Teachers 0.9%

All Other Teachers 0.9%

Waiters and Waitresses 0.9%

Electronics Assemblers 0.9%

24

The influence of the types of industries present

on the Flathead Reservation is evident in Table

4 above. Confederated Salish and Kootenai

Tribes is the dominant employer on the

Reservation, and the types of occupations

required by CSKT appear prominently in the list

of Tribal member occupations. These

occupations include general management,

clerical, and social service specialists. The

influence of Salish Kootenai College can also be

seen in in the occupational structure of the

Tribal membership. Educational administrators

and postsecondary teachers are among the

common occupations. Finally, it is important to

note the presence of several occupations that

support the health care, manufacturing and

construction industries. These occupations

include nursing aides, assemblers and

fabricators, and construction equipment

operators.

Entrepreneurship As the paragraphs above show, the most

common type of employment

found was that in which

people are employed by

another person or

organization. But the Jobs

and Training Survey also

discovered evidence that

self-employment may

become an important source

of economic opportunity for

Tribal members.

Just over one-third of all Tribal members

(34.4%) who responded to the survey said that

they were very interested in starting a new

business (see Figure 6). Another 28.6% said

that they were somewhat interested in starting

a new business. This broad level of interest in

starting a new business may be an untapped

resource for Tribal economic development.

In addition to finding a large number of Tribal

members who aspire to start a new business,

the Jobs and Training Survey found a small core

of micro-business owners among the Tribal

membership who represent job growth in

action. Micro-business owners, or self-

employed Tribal members, represent 6.8% of all

employed Tribal members. The most common

types of micro-businesses owned by Tribal

members include:

Repair and Maintenance

Animal Production

General Government Support

Specialty Trade Contractor

34.4%

28.6%

8.8% 5.2%

23.0%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

Veryinterested

Somewhatinterested

Neitherinterested

noruninterested

Somewhatuninterested

Not at allinterested

Tribal Members Interested in Starting a New Business

Figure 6: Interest in Starting a New Business

25

8.9% 18.7%

18.6%

30.3%

51.4%

38.0%

21.1% 13.0%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

CS&K TribalMembers

All AmericanIndians in MT

CS&K Tribal Member Education Attainment Ages

25+

Bachelors Degree or higher

Some college or Associates Degree

HS Diploma or GED only

Less than HS Diploma or GED

Food Services

Forestry and Logging

Educational Services

Wood Products Manufacturing, and

Performing Arts.

Education Attainment Research consistently shows that education is

one of the most important investments in

human capital that can be made. Table 6

presents a detailed illustration of the education

levels completed by Tribal members ages 18-60

who returned the survey.

In addition to the levels of education attained

as represented in Table 6, about 1 in every 10

(10.1%) Tribal members reported that they

were currently enrolled in school or college.

More than half of these Tribal members were

enrolled in undergraduate college (6.3%);

another 2.0% were seeking a graduate-level

degree. The remaining Tribal members were

seeking a GED or vocational training.

The level of education attainment reported by

Tribal members provides reason for optimism

regarding future Tribal economic prospects.

Figure 7 demonstrates that Confederated Salish

and Kootenai Tribal members who responded

Tribal Member Education Attainment: Ages 18-60

Education Attained % Tribal

Members No schooling completed 2.2%

Grade 1 through 11 5.6%

12th grade – no diploma 1.9%

Regular high school diploma 12.6%

GED or alternative credential 8.1%

Less than 1 year of college or

vocational credit 15.3%

1 or more years college or

vocational/ Job Corps credit, no

degree 22.2%

Job Corps completion 1.4%

Associate’s degree 11.4%

Bachelor’s degree 14.4%

Master’s degree 4.0%

Professional degree beyond a

bachelor’s degree 0.8%

Doctorate degree 0.3%

Table 6: Detailed Education Attainment Figure 7: Comparison of Education Attainment

26

to the survey have attained higher levels of

education than the Montana American Indian

community as a whole.5 In particular

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal

members have earned proportionately more

Bachelor’s Degrees (21.1%) than have all

American Indians in Montana (13.0%). Similarly,

a majority of CSKT members (51.4%) have

attained at least some college or vocational

education, compared with only 30.3% of all

American Indians in Montana.

Professional Licenses and

Certifications Businesses and governments require not only

education to qualify for some jobs, but also

professional licenses and certifications. A

significant proportion of Tribal members

reported that they have earned a broad range

of professional licenses or certifications.

Overall, just over one-third (36.4%) of Tribal

members said they have earned a professional

license or certification. Some of these are

combined with educational degree programs

and some are not. These certifications fall into

55 different categories ranging from National

Institute for Automotive Service exams to

Registered Nurse (R.N.) licenses to

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) or

HAZMAT certification.

Table 7 in the next column presents the most

commonly reported professional licenses or

certifications earned by Tribal members ages

18-60. The categories have been edited, but in

general they represent the original answers, as

opposed to official certification titles or terms.

5 U.S. Census Bureau, 2008-2012 American


Commercial Drivers’ Licenses (C.D.L.) are the

most common professional certification

reported (6.0%), followed by Certified Nursing

Assistants (C.N.A.) (2.7%), A.C.S.W. social work

licenses (2.1%), Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

(CPR) certification (2.1%), and teaching

certificates (2.0%).

Table 7: Licenses or Certifications

Tribal Member Licenses or Certifications

License or Certification % Tribal

Members

Commercial Driver’s License 6.0%

Certified Nursing Assistant, C.N.A. 2.7%

ACSW social work, human services 2.1%

CPR 2.1%

Primary or secondary teaching certificate

2.0%

Automotive repair certification (N.I.A.S., A.A.E., A.A.S.)

1.9%

Law enforcement 1.6%

Fire fighter training 1.6%

Computer skill certifications 1.5%

Electrical fields, Joint Apprentice and Training Committee (JATC)

1.5%

Other building trades, contractor licenses

1.1%

Dental hygiene, assistant 0.8%

Registered Nurse, R.N. 0.8%

Welding 0.8%

Native American Studies, all levels 0.7%

Carpentry 0.7%

Forklift operator 0.5%

Housing or building inspection 0.5%

Other medical services 0.5%

Cosmetology, barber 0.4%

27

General Job Skills and Job

Seeking Skills Training Received

Finally, the Jobs and Training Survey asked

Tribal members about specific types of job

seeking skills in which they have been trained;

as well as several general, job-related skills. The

presence of these skills enables Tribal members

to better succeed in finding a job or in

performing that job.

About 4 in every 10 Tribal members (41.2%)

who responded to the survey reported that

they had participated in some type of job-

related safety training. A similar proportion

(39.7%) reported having participated in job-

related technical skill training. A lower, but still

substantial number of Tribal members reported

receiving training in so-called “soft” job-related

skills. These skills include interpersonal skills

(31.4%), organizing (31.1%), and quality

improvement or customer service (27.0%). Only

about 1 in every 10 Tribal members (11.5%) said

that they received specific product sales

training.

Job seeking skills are arguably key to improving

some Tribal members’ economic well-being.

This is probably the case for unemployed Tribal

members and those who are not working and

discouraged about future employment

prospects. Table 9 provides some information

about the inventory of job seeking skills present

among Tribal members ages 18-60.

Around 3 in every 10 Tribal members reported

having received some training on resume

writing (36.4%), interviewing for jobs (30.2%),

or completing job applications (29.3%). Fewer

have received training on job search strategies

(23.8%) or career planning (22.3%). Only 13.2%

reported being trained on where to go to obtain

labor market information, which often includes

information on job openings. This relatively low

proportion of Tribal members may represent a

potential training opportunity for the Tribes.

Table 8: General Job Skills

General Job Skill: Training Received

Job Skill % Tribal

Members

Safety 41.2%

Technical skills 39.7%

Interpersonal skill 31.4%

Organizing 31.1%

Quality improvement 27.0%

Product sales 11.5%

Table 9: Job Seeking Skills

Job Seeking Skill: Training Received

Job Seeking Skill % Tribal

Members

Resume writing 36.4%

Interviewing 30.2%

Applications 29.3%

Job search strategies 23.8%

Career planning 22.3%

Labor market information 13.2%

28

Chapter 3: Tribal Member Job, Education and Training Interests This chapter describes the interests of Tribal

members ages 18-60, who responded to the

survey about future jobs, job-related training,

and education. Tribal government officials,

Salish Kootenai College, and Kicking Horse Job

Corps Center need this information to plan

future job training and education programs. The

survey results presented here represent the

interests and opinions of 771 Tribal members as

of May-July 2014.

New Job Interest More than 3 out of 5 Tribal members (62.5%)

said they are interested in looking for a new

job. Interest in a new job was substantial across

all groups. Figure 8 demonstrates that more

unemployed Tribal members (93.9%) wanted a

new job than did employed Tribal members

(58.8%), or those who were not in the labor

force (58.9%).

Tribal members expressed clear preferences

about the type of work schedule they prefer.

Table 10 illustrates those preferences. A very

large majority of Tribal members said they

prefer full-time work. More than half of Tribal

members who responded to the survey (55.3%)

wanted a new job and wanted to work full-time.

About 1 in 5 (19.0%) wanted a new job but

preferred part-time work.

Tribal members also expressed preferences

about other types of work schedules, including

permanent or temporary work and year-round

or seasonal work. In general, somewhat fewer

Tribal members expressed opinions about these

alternate work schedules. Of those who did,

more Tribal members preferred permanent or

year-round work. However, there is a significant

group of Tribal members who want a new job

and want it to be temporary (8.6%) or want a

new job and want it to be seasonal (11.2%).

Tribal Members' Preferred Type of Work Schedule

Type of work schedule

Wanted a New Job % All %

Full-time 55.3% 78.8%

Part-time 19.0% 22.6%

Permanent 34.6% 46.0%

Temporary 8.6% 9.6%

Year-round 25.9% 33.5%

Seasonal 11.2% 14.1%

Table 10: Preferred Work Schedule

6.1%

41.2% 41.1%

93.9%

58.8% 58.9%

0.0%

25.0%

50.0%

75.0%

100.0%

Unemployed Employed Not in laborforce

Tribal Member Interest in Looking for a New Job

Not interested Interested

Figure 8: Level of New Job Interest

29

40.5%

14.0%

23.4%

22.1%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Willingness to Commute Off Reservation by Desire for a

New Job

Not commute off Res & no new job

Not commute off Res & want new job

Commute off Res & no new job

Commute off Res & want new job

Commuting to Work Most Tribal members who live on the Flathead

Reservation must commute to their place of

work. Those who responded to the survey

expressed important opinions about their work

commute.

Tribal members said they were willing to

commute 30 miles one-way to work, on

average. Figure 9 illustrates the distribution of

Tribal member commuting mileage preferences

by whether or not they were interested in a

new job. The thick dark line in each red box is

the average distance a Tribal member is willing

to commute. Those who wanted a new job

were willing to commute 30 miles one-way on

average, while those who didn’t want a new job

were willing to commute 25 miles. The red box

represents the middle 50% of Tribal members in

the commuting mileage distribution. For Tribal

members who wanted a new job, the middle

50% were willing to commute between 20 and

45 miles one-way. Among those who didn’t

want a new job, the middle 50% were willing to

commute between 15 and 30 miles one-way.

For the respondents to this survey, the 30 mile

average preferred commuting distance implies

that some Tribal members were not willing to

commute off the Reservation. In fact, of all

responding Tribal members ages 18-60, 54.5%

were willing to commute off the Reservation to

work if they could return home each night,

while 45.5% were not (see Figure 10).

Figure 10: Willingness to Commute off Reservation

Figure 9: Commuting Mileage Preference

30

Job Interest by Industry The job interests expressed by Tribal members who responded to the survey reflect, to some degree, the types of industries present on the Flathead Reservation. Table 11 presents the job interests of Tribal members by industry.

Tribal members were most interested in

administrative support jobs, which are often

found in CS&K Tribal Government. Tribal

members also showed considerable interest in

the forestry/ firefighting, construction, and

food/ lodging industries.

Job Interest by Occupation Table 12 illustrates Tribal members’ most

common job interests by occupation. The

complete inventory of occupation interests is

large and diverse. Again, these occupations

reflect the largest employers of Tribal members

on the Flathead Reservation: CSKT Government

and Salish Kootenai College.

Table 11: Job Interests by Industry

Tribal Member Job Interests by Industry

Industry Interested in new job

Not interested in new job

Administrative support 20.7% 9.2%

Forestry/ fire fighting 19.4% 5.6%

Construction 18.5% 6.8%

Food/ lodging 18.2% 5.6%

Maintenance/ repair 15.9% 4.9%

Manufacturing 14.9% 4.0%

Transportation/ trucking 14.2% 4.7%

Sales 13.4% 4.5%

Social services 13.4% 4.5%

Accounting/ finance 12.4% 5.5%

Health services 10.5% 4.5%

Info technology 8.6% 2.9%

Protective services 8.1% 2.6%

Engineering 6.7% 1.6%

Personal services 6.4% 1.8%

Table 12: Occupation Interests

Tribal Member Occupation Interests

Occupation % Tribal

Members

Accountants, auditors, budget analysts 4.0%

Teachers 2.7%

Managers, general 2.3%

Supervisors of admin and support workers 2.0%

Office and admin workers 2.0%

Registered nurses 1.6%

Secretaries and admin assistants 1.6%

Forest, conservation, and logging workers 1.6%

Computer occupations 1.5%

Construction equipment operators 1.5%

Counselors 1.3%

Construction trades workers 1.2%

Human resources managers 1.1%

Other managers 1.1%

Wildlife biologists 1.1%

Cooks 1.1%

Vehicle mechanics 0.9%

31

Interest in Employers Other Than

CSKT A very large majority of Tribal members who

answered the survey (83.7%) said that they are

willing to work for an employer other than the

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. This is

true whether or not the Tribal member is

interested in looking for a new job.

Education and Training Interests The Tribal members who responded to the

survey expressed strong interest in additional,

job-related education or training. Figure 11

highlights this interest.

A majority of Tribal members (55.5%) said they

were very interested in obtaining additional job-

related education or training. An additional 26%

said that they were somewhat interested. Only

10.7% were not at all interested.

Survey respondents described their types of

education or training interest in broad

categories which are summarized in Table 13. A

plurality of Tribal members (44.1%) expressed

interest in an apprenticeship or On-the-Job

training. More than 3 in every 10 Tribal

members expressed interest in some type of

academic training (36.4%) or obtaining a

certification or licensure (34.5%). About 3 in

every 10 Tribal members (28.5%) expressed

interest in seeking some type of vocational

training.

About 1 in 10 Tribal members (9.9%) expressed

a desire to obtain an alternative high school

graduation diploma like a GED, or seek

additional education to improve their reading,

math, or English skills (10.3%).

Table 13: Type of Training Sought

Education or Training Sought by Tribal Members

Type of Education or Training

% Tribal Members

Apprenticeship or On-the-Job training 44.1%

Academic training 36.4%

Certification or licensure 34.5%

Vocational training 28.5%

Reading, math, or English skills 10.3%

GED 9.9%

55.5%

26.0%

6.5% 1.4%

10.7%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

% Tribal Members

Level of Interest in Job-Related Education or

Training

Not at all interested

Somewhat uninterested

Neither interested nor uninterested

Somewhat interested

Very interested

Figure 11: Interest in Job-Related Training

32

Education or Training Programs

of Most Interest

Tribal members’ reports of the specific, job-

related education or training programs that

interest them most are among the most useful

findings of this study. Table 14 presents the

specific education or training programs in which

Tribal members were most interested. Tribal

members’ reports were coded using the U.S.

Department of Education’s Classification of

Instructional Programs (CIP) in order to

maximize the comparability of survey answers

to existing education or training program titles.

More Tribal members (7.3%) were interested in

studying Business Administration, Management

and Operations than any other specific

program. The second most commonly sought

program (6.7%) was Commercial Vehicle

Operator training. This was followed by

Automotive Mechanics Technology (4.1%).

Three computer related programs appear

prominently on this list:

Computer and Information Sciences,

General (3.6%)

Network and System Administration/

Administrator (3.1%)

Information Technology (0.9%).

Two health care related programs are among

the most sought after programs: Registered

Nursing (2.3%) and Pharmacy (0.7%). Two

construction trades appear in the list of most

sought after programs: Carpentry (1.1%) and

Plumbing (0.9%). Of specific cultural interest,

there was a group of Tribal members (0.7%)

who expressed interest in American

Indian/Native American Studies.

Table 14: Training Program of Most Interest

Education or Training Program of Most Interest to Tribal Members

Program % Tribal

Members

Business Administration, Management and Operations 7.3%

Commercial Vehicle Operator 6.7%

Automotive Mechanics Technology 4.1%

Computer and Information Sciences, General 3.6%

Network and System Administration/ Administrator 3.1%

Registered Nursing 2.3%

Electrical and Electronics Engineering 1.5%

Social Work 1.5%

Accounting and Related Services 1.3%

Culinary Arts and Related Services 1.1%

Carpentry/Carpenter 1.1%

Information Technology 0.9%

Education, General 0.9%

Plumbing Technology/Plumber 0.9%

Forestry, General 0.8%

Law Enforcement, Fire Fighting, and Related 0.8%

American Indian/Native American Studies 0.7%

Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences 0.7%

Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations 0.5%

Human Resources Management 0.5%

High School Equivalence Certificate Program 0.5%

33

General Job Skills and Job

Seeking Skills Training Sought Tribal members were also asked about their

interest in general job skills training – customer

service and other skills needed for most jobs.

Table 15 summarizes Tribal members’ interest

in seeking additional training in general job skill

areas.

More Tribal members (44.3%) were interested

in technical skills training than any other

general job skill training area. Interestingly,

around 3 in 10 Tribal members expressed

interest in so-called “soft” skills like:

interpersonal skills (36.0%), organizing (33.3%),

and quality improvement or customer service

(27.3%). Around 2 in every 10 Tribal members

said they were interested in safety training

(23.8%), training to further develop reading,

writing or math skills (19.4%), or product sales

training (18.7%).

Additionally, Tribal members showed interest in

attending workshops to improve job seeking

skills. Table 16 illustrates Tribal members’ levels

of interest in job seeking skills training.

A substantial number of Tribal members who

completed the survey (42.0%) said they would

attend a workshop that provided training on

career planning. More than 1 out of 3 Tribal

members (34.8%) said they would attend a

training workshop on where to obtain labor

market information such as information about

job openings. A similar number (31.4%) were

interested in learning about resume writing.

Only 17.8% said they needed a training

workshop on completing job applications.

Table 15: Interest in General Job Skills Training

Tribal Member Interest in General Job Skill Training

General job skill % Tribal

Members

Technical skills 44.3%

Interpersonal skills 36.0%

Organizing (time management)

33.3%

Quality improvement, customer service

27.3%

Safety 23.8%

Reading, writing, or math skills

19.4%

Product sales 18.7%

Table 16: Interest in Job Seeking Skills Training

Tribal Member Interest in Job Seeking Skills Training

Job seeking skill % Tribal

Members

Career planning 42.0%

Labor market information 34.8%

Resume writing 31.8%

Job search strategies 24.9%

Interviewing 23.9%

Job applications 17.8%

34

Interest in Job Training Offered

by CSKT Almost 4 in every 10 Tribal members ages 18-60

who answered the survey (39.0%) said they are

very interested in participating in a new job

training program offered by the Confederated

Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Figure 12 illustrates

the distribution of interest among Tribal

members. An additional 31.3% said they are

somewhat interested in participating. Only

17.9% said that they are somewhat

uninterested or not at all interested in

participating.

Finally, to help Tribal government officials and

others make decisions about targeting

resources; Tribal members were asked which

was most important to them personally:

finding a job

obtaining additional job training, or

obtaining additional education (formal

schooling).

More than 2 out of 10 Tribal members (22.7%)

said obtaining additional education was most

important. A similar fraction (19.7%) said that

finding a job was most important, while 18.6%

said that obtaining additional job training was

most important. Nearly 4 in 10 Tribal members

(39%) said none of these options was important

to them or they chose multiple answers to the

question.

Figure 12: Interest in a New CSKT Job Training Program

39.0%

31.3%

11.8% 2.6%

15.3%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

% Tribal Members

Level of Interest in a New CSKT Job Training Program

Not at all interested

Somewhat uninterested

Neither interested nor uninterested

Somewhat interested

Very interested

35

32.4%

19.1%

17.0%

12.8%

6.7% 5.5% 6.6%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

% Tribal Members

Number of Barriers to Employment or Education Per

Tribal Household

6 +

5

4

3

2

1

0

Figure 13: Number of Barriers Per Household

Chapter 4: Barriers to Tribal Member Employment or Job Training This chapter describes barriers to Tribal

member employment or job training. The data

presented here represents the reports of 771

Tribal members ages 18-60 who responded to

the survey in May - July 2014. Tribal

government officials and Salish Kootenai

College need this information to plan future

employment growth and job training programs.

Barriers that Impede

Employment, Job Training, or

Education Table 17 describes the reported prevalence of

selected barriers to employment or education.

Having no gas money was the most commonly

reported barrier to employment or job training

that occurred in the households of Tribal

members. Nearly 4 in every 10 Tribal members

(38.0%) lived in a household that struggled with

having no gas money. More than one-quarter

(26.2%) reported that a member of their

household confronted discrimination that made

it harder to get or keep a job, job training, or

education. Very similar fractions reported living

in households that faced having:

No reliable vehicle

Poor health

Lack of child care, or a

Physical or mental disability.

Many Tribal members (see Figure 13) reported

living in a household that faced multiple

barriers that made it harder to get a job or

education. About one-third of Tribal members

(32.4%) reported living in a household that

Table 17: Barriers to Employment or Education

Barriers to Employment or Education Faced by Someone in

Tribal Member's Household

Barrier % Tribal

Members

No gas money 38.0%

Discrimination 26.2%

No reliable vehicle 25.8%

Poor health 24.5%


Physical/ mental disability 21.8%

Criminal charges/ legal trouble 15.9%

Alcohol or addiction 13.0%

Lack of elder care 5.9%

36

confronted none of the barriers listed in Table

1, and 19.1% said that their household faced

only one of the barriers. However, almost half

of all Tribal members (48.5%) said that their

household struggled with two or more of the

barriers listed in Table 17.

Tribal members were also asked whether they,

themselves, experienced selected barriers that

are more specifically related to work, job

training, or education. Table 18 lists these

barriers and the proportions of Tribal members

that experienced those barriers.

More than 4 in 10 Tribal members (43.4%) said

that a lack of money for education or training

made it harder for them, personally, to get or

keep a job, job training, or more education.

Around 3 in 10 Tribal members said they faced

a lack of computer skills, lack of education, lack

of job skills training, or lack or work experience.

About 20.2% said they lacked job search

training.

Most Important Barrier to

Employment, Job Training, or

Education The paragraphs above describe the types of

employment, education, or training barriers

faced by Tribal members. This chapter has also

illustrated the number of Tribal members who

struggle with these barriers, often more than

one at a time. It is just as important to

understand which barriers Tribal members said

were most important. Table 19 lists the barriers

that Tribal members said were most important.

Table 18: Specific Barriers

Job Training or Education-Specific Barriers Experienced by Tribal

Member

Training or education specific barrier

% Tribal Members

Lack of money for education or training 43.4%

Lack of computer skills 33.8%

Lack of education 32.9%

Lack of job skill training 30.7%

Lack of work experience 30.1%

Lack of job search training 20.2%

Table 19: Most Important Barrier

Most Important Barrier to a Job, Job Training, or Education

Problem % Tribal

Members

Lack of education 4.9%

Lack of funds or personal finances 4.5%

Discrimination within Tribe, nepotism, favoritism 4.4%

Lack of available jobs 4.3%

Lack of job training 3.7%

Disability, health 3.6%

Lack of experience 3.6%

No reliable vehicle, no reliable transportation 3.3%

Time (for training, education) 3.1%

No gas money 1.9%


Criminal charges, addiction, felony 1.5%

Age discrimination 1.1%

No driver’s license 1.1%

Discrimination, general 0.7%

Interview or resume writing skills 0.7%

Not knowing where to start, lack of information about programs 0.5%

37

39.4%

11.6%

60.6%

88.4%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Working Landline Working Cell Phone

Telephone Access: Tribal Members Ages 18-60

No Yes

Tribal members (4.9%) most often said that a

lack of education was the most important

barrier they faced when trying to get a job. A

very similar proportion (4.5%) said that a lack of

funds or personal finances was the most

important barrier stopping them from getting a

job, job training, or education. Discrimination,

nepotism, or favoritism within the Tribe was

cited by 4.4% of Tribal members as the most

important barrier they faced. A lack of available

jobs (4.3%) rounded out the top four barriers

that Tribal members said impeded them from

employment or education.

It is important to note that 4 out of 10 Tribal

members who responded to the survey (40.4%)

answered that no barrier to employment, job

training, or education was most important to

them. This implies that a large proportion of

Tribal members rate themselves as successful in

overcoming these barriers.

Telephone and Internet Access Access to a working landline telephone, a

working cellular telephone, or the internet is

very important when attempting to get or hold

a job, or obtain additional education or job

training. The paragraphs that follow examine

Tribal members’ access to these vital

communication tools.

Figure 14 describes Tribal members’ access to a

working telephone. Almost 9 out of 10 Tribal

members (88.4%) lived in a household with at

least one working cellular telephone. Only

60.6% reported living in a household with a

working landline telephone.

Figure 15 shows that 83.4% of Tribal members

who responded to the survey lived in a

household with working cellular telephone

coverage, while 16.6% did not.

Figure 15: Cell Phone Coverage and Internet Access

16.6% 33.0%

83.4% 67.0%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Working Cell PhoneCoverage

Working InternetAccess

Cell Phone Coverage and Internet Access: Tribal Members Ages 18-60

No Yes

Figure 14: Telephone Access

38

Two-thirds of Tribal members (67.0%) reported

living in a household with working internet

access in the home, while one-third (33.0%) did

not.

Travel to Work or School Finally, the ability to reliably travel to and from

work or school is vital for employment success

or completing additional education or training.

To provide information on Tribal members’

transportation status, the Jobs and Training

Survey examined Tribal members’ perceptions

about Tribal Transit and their personal motor

vehicle access.

One out of five Tribal members (21.0%) said

Tribal Transit’s limited pick-up or drop-off times

kept them from getting or keeping a job, job

training, or more education (see Table 20).

Similar numbers of Tribal members cited a lack

of consistent schedule (19.4%) or limited pick-

up or drop-off places (18.7%). Only about 1 in

10 Tribal members (11.8%) had not heard of

Tribal Transit. Note that Tribal Transit makes 18

regular stops throughout the Reservation with

daily routes to and from Pablo, Arlee, Hot

Springs, and other locations.

Figure 16 summarizes the personal motor

vehicle access of Tribal members ages 18-60

who responded to the survey. 14.4% of Tribal

members reported that they, personally, did

not have a working auto, truck, van, or

motorcycle that would reliably get them where

they need to go. In addition, 14.7% said that

they did not have a current and valid driver’s

license. It is important to note that about 8.2%

of Tribal members are without both a working

motor vehicle and a valid driver’s license. An

additional 12.7% are missing one or the other

but not both.

Figure 16: Working Vehicle or Drivers’ License

Table 20: Perceived Tribal Transit Problems

Perceived Tribal Transit Problems That Affect a Tribal Members' Job, Education,

or Job Training

Perception % Tribal

Members

Limited pick-up or drop-off times 21.0%

Lack of a consistent schedule 19.4%

Limited pick-up or drop-off places 18.7%

Unaware of Tribal Transit 11.8% 79.1%

6.5%

6.2%

8.2%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

% Tribal Members

Tribal Members' Possession of a Working Vehicle or

Valid Drivers' License

Neither carnor license

License but nocar

Car but nolicense

Car andlicense

39

Chapter 5: Gaps in the Tribal Workforce This chapter focuses on the job and education

experiences and interests of groups of Tribal

members who are underemployed or who

confront other noteworthy challenges in the

labor force. The information presented here is

summarized from the reports of 771 Tribal

members ages 18-60 who responded to the

survey in May - July 2014. Tribal government

officials, Salish Kootenai College, and others

need this information to identify training gaps

in the Tribal workforce and plan future

employment growth and job training programs.

Unemployed or Not in the Labor

Force: Ages 18-60 Perhaps the most obvious gap in the Tribal

workforce ages 18-60 is represented by the

11.2% who were unemployed and the 19.7%

who were not in the labor force. To be

considered unemployed, a survey respondent

had to report that they were:


survey



actively looking for work in the previous

four weeks.

To be considered not in the labor force a

respondent had to classify themselves as all of

the following:


survey

not on layoff from a job



not actively looking for work during the

previous four weeks.

Occupations and Education

Attained Table 21 presents the 10 most commonly

reported previous occupations among

unemployed Tribal members or those who were

not in the labor force. The majority of

occupations listed in Table 1 are low-skill or

entry-level occupations.

Table 21: Occupations of Unemployed Tribal Members

Occupations of Unemployed Tribal Members or Those Not in the Labor Force,

Ages 18-60

Rank Unemployed Not in Labor Force

1 Janitors and Cleaners Assemblers and Fabricators

2 Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters Janitors and Cleaners

3 Home Health Aides Dishwashers

4 Firefighters Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

5 Security Guards Farmers and Ranchers

6 Dishwashers Home Health Aides

7

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Cashiers

8

Bookkeeping, Accounting, Auditing Clerks


9 Gaming Cage Workers Farm Workers and Laborers

10 Farmworkers and Laborers

Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters

40

Persons with low-skill occupations like those

most common among unemployed Tribal

members may be relatively easy to employ.

However, the nature of these jobs is that they

tend to be temporary, they are often part-time,

and they are most often low wage jobs.

Figure 17 outlines the levels of education

completed by Tribal members who were

unemployed or who were not in the labor force.

The education attainment gaps present are

apparent in this chart.

Unemployed Tribal members (17.3%) or those

who were not in the labor force (17.6%) were

significantly more likely to have earned less

than a high school diploma or G.E.D. than were

all Tribal members (9.7%). On the other end of

the education spectrum, Tribal members as a

whole were much more likely to have earned at

least a Bachelor’s Degree (19.5%) than were the

unemployed (6.2%) or those who were not in

the labor force (11.3%).

Job and Education Interests Nearly all of the unemployed Tribal members

(93.9%) said that they were interested in

looking for a new job. Interestingly, almost 3 in

5 Tribal members who were not in the labor

force (58.9%) also said that they were

interested in looking for a new job.

Nearly 6 in 10 unemployed Tribal members

(59.0%) were very interested in seeking further,

job-related education or training. An additional

30.1% of unemployed Tribal members were

somewhat interested. Fewer Tribal members,

who were not in the labor force (44.8%), said

they were very interested in additional

education or training.

1 in 5 Tribal members

who were not in the

labor force (21.1%)

said they were

somewhat interested

in additional

education or job

training.

Finally, 6 in 10 Tribal

members who were

unemployed (60.2%)

said they were very

interested in

participating in a new

job training program

offered by CSKT. Only

38.1% of those not in

the labor force were

very interested.

17.3% 17.6% 9.7%

27.2% 26.1%

20.6%

37.0% 33.8%

37.4%

12.3% 11.3%

12.8%

6.2% 11.3%

19.5%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Unemployed Not in laborforce

All Tribalmembers

Education Completed by Tribal Members Ages 18-60: Unemployed or Not in Labor Force


Associates Degree or JobCorps completion

HS Diploma or GED andsome college or training


Less than HS Diploma orGED

Figure 17: Education Completed by the Unemployed

41

Unemployed Tribal members or those who

were not in the labor force reported they aspire

to occupations that are greater than entry-level

or that require more skill or education. Table 22

presents the most frequently mentioned

occupations that the unemployed or those not

in the labor force said interested them most.

Nearly all of the occupations that interest

unemployed Tribal members or those not in the

labor force require at least a G.E.D. Many

require a Bachelor’s Degree. As the data

presented in Figure 1 and Table 2 indicates,

there is a gap between the level of education

attained by unemployed Tribal members and

the level they need to reach their job goals.

Among unemployed Tribal members or those

who were not in the labor force, reports on the

education or training programs that interest

them most are particularly thought-provoking.

Table 23 presents the specific education or

training programs in which these Tribal

members were most interested.

Table 22: Occupation Interests of the Unemployed

Occupation Interests of Tribal Members: Unemployed or Not in

Labor Force

Rank Unemployed Not in Labor

Force

1 Teachers, all Managers, general

2

Food Preparation and Serving Workers

Accountants and Auditors

3 Financial Clerks Registered Nurses

4

Receptionists and Information Clerks Managers, Other

5 Managers, General Wildlife Biologists

6



7 Registered Nurses

Child, Family, and School Social Workers

8 Cooks Lawyers

9

Forest, Conservation, and Logging Workers Craft Artists

10 Farmers and Ranchers

Writers and Authors

Table 23: Education Interests of the Unemployed

Education or Training Programs of Most Interest: Unemployed or Not

in Labor Force

Rank Unemployed Not in labor

force

1

Automotive Mechanics Technology

Commercial Vehicle Operator

2 Commercial Vehicle Operator

Network and System Administration

3

Electrical and Electronics Engineering Registered Nursing

4

Business Administration, Management and Operations


5

Computer and Information Sciences, General


6 Cosmetology, Barber

Computer and Information Sciences

7 Culinary arts and related services

Carpentry/ Carpenter

8 Education, General NA

9 Social Work NA

10 Information Technology NA

42

In many cases there does appear to be logical

consistency between reports of occupation

aspirations and education program choices. For

instance: many unemployed Tribal members

reported aspiring to be a Community and Social

Service Specialist and wanted to study Social

Work. Similarly, a significant number of those

not in the labor force aspired to being a

manager and chose to study business

administration. In other instances consistency

of answers was less clear cut but this does not,

necessarily, indicate a lack of career direction. A

face-to-face conversation is needed to

determine this.

Barriers Finally, any Tribal effort to close the

workforce gaps posed by unemployed

Tribal members or by those not in the

Tribal labor force should address the

barriers these Tribal members confront.

Table 24 presents the barriers to

employment or education that

unemployed Tribal members or those who

were not in the labor force reported were

most important to them. Chapter 4

provides a more comprehensive analysis of

job barriers faced by Tribal members.

Unemployed Tribal members most often

said that a lack of work experience was the

most important barrier they faced when

trying to get a job. Tribal members who

were not in the labor force said that a

disability or their personal health was the

most important barrier they faced.

For the unemployed, a lack of education,

and a lack of job training round out the top

four most important barriers. No reliable

vehicle, a lack of job training, and a lack of work

experience are the other three most important

barriers for those who were not in the labor

force.

For a job training program to be effective

among unemployed Tribal members the

findings of this survey imply that the program

should provide not only training or education

but actual work experience. An effective

training program targeted at those who were

no longer in the labor force will need to address

the requirements of disabled Tribal members or

those with significant health challenges.

Table 24: Most Important Job Barrier to the Unemployed

Most Important Barrier to a Job, Job Training, or Education: Unemployed or Not

in Labor Force

Rank Unemployed Not in labor force

1 Lack of experience Disability, health

2 Lack of available jobs No reliable vehicle, no reliable transportation

3 Lack of education Lack of job training

4 Lack of job training Lack of experience

5 Lack of funds or personal finances Lack of child care

6 No reliable vehicle, no reliable transportation

Criminal charges, addiction, felony

7 Criminal charges, addiction, felony Lack of education

8

Discrimination within Tribes, nepotism, favoritism No driver’s license

9 Gas money Lack of available jobs

10 No driver’s license

Discrimination within Tribes, nepotism, favoritism

43

Tribal Members Near or Below

Poverty A second main workforce gap is the relatively

large proportion of Tribal members who live in

low income households when compared to

Whites. To examine this gap, the paragraphs

that follow describe Tribal members who live in

households that are below the poverty

threshold, and those who live in households

that are just above the threshold. The poverty

threshold is defined using U.S. government

standards for household poverty as of 2013.6

The data presented here use the information

gathered by the income question of the Jobs

and Training Survey. When compared to U.S.

Census Bureau data, the Jobs and Training

Survey income data appears quite reliable. The

Jobs and Training Survey found that the

median, 2013 household income for all

responding Tribal members was $29,000. The

U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community

Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates for 2008-2012

6U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,

http://www.cms.gov/. A table of thresholds by household size is in Appendix 1.

found a median household income for

American Indians living on the Flathead

Reservation of $28,284. The Job and Training

Survey median income is well within the ACS

margin of error of +/- $3,008.

One way to quantify the income gap of Tribal

members is to compare the proportion of Tribal

members who live under the poverty threshold

to Whites. Figure 18 presents the proportion of

Tribal members who live under the poverty

threshold, and compares this number to that

found in the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS for


Reservation and Whites living on the

Reservation. Nearly 2 in 5 Tribal members ages

18-60 (36.1%) lived in a household at or below

the poverty threshold according to the Jobs and

Training Survey. In contrast, about 1 in 5 Whites

(20.1%) who lived on the Flathead Reservation

ages 18-64 lived in households at or below the

threshold.

Readers may note that U.S. Census Bureau’s

2008-2012 ACS found a slightly lower

proportion of American Indians living at or

below poverty (30.2%) when compared to

the Jobs and Training Survey finding.

However, this difference is within the ACS

margin of sampling error. Readers should

also keep in mind that the ACS does not

publish the proportions of persons on the

Flathead Reservation who live in near-

poverty households, or within 101%-150%

of the poverty threshold. 20.1% 30.2% 36.1%

79.9% 69.8% 63.9%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

2008-2012 ACSWhites on Flathead

Res*

2008-2012 ACS AmIndians on Flathead

Res

2014 TribalMembers*

* Difference significant at 90% confidence level

Tribal Member Poverty: Ages 18-60

Below poverty Above poverty

Figure 18: Tribal Member Poverty

http://www.cms.gov/

44


Attained

Table 25 describes the most common

occupations of Tribal members who live in

households near or below the poverty

threshold. In this report near-poverty means

households at 101%-150% of the poverty

threshold.

Most Tribal members who lived in a household

below the poverty threshold worked in entry-

level or lower-skill occupations.

These occupations included:

Janitors

Home Health Aides

Landscaping Workers

Cashiers

Dishwashers, and

Maids.

Tribal members who lived in near-poverty

households reported working in an

interesting mix of lower-skill and higher skill

occupations. The higher skill occupations

reported by those who lived in near-

poverty included:


Teachers

Rehabilitation Counselors, and

Community and Social Service

Specialists.

The lower skill occupations reported by

near-poverty Tribal members also required

significant training, and included home

health aides, woodworking machine

operators, and truck and tractor operators.

It is apparent that most Tribal members

who live below the poverty threshold

require additional education or training to

advance beyond their entry level

occupations. However, many Tribal

members living in near-poverty households

already have significant levels of job

training.

Table 25: Occupations of Low-Income Tribal Members

Occupations of Tribal Members Near or Below Poverty: Ages 18-60

Rank 0%-100% of poverty 101%-150% of

poverty

1 Janitors and Cleaners Home Health Aides

2 Home Health Aides


3

Landscaping and Grounds Keeping Workers


4 Cashiers

Preschool, Primary, Secondary, and Special Education School Teachers

5 Dishwashers Receptionists and Information Clerks

6 Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners


7 Farmers, Ranchers

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

8 Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

9 Farmworkers and Laborers

Rehabilitation Counselors

10 Automotive Service Technicians


45

Figure 19 outlines the levels of education

completed by Tribal members who lived in

households that were near or below the

poverty threshold. The education attainment

gaps present become clear when reading this

chart.

Tribal members living below the poverty

threshold were significantly more likely to not

complete a high school diploma or G.E.D.

(16.9%) when compared to all Tribal members

(9.7%). Similarly, Tribal members living below

poverty were much more likely to report having

finished only a high school diploma or G.E.D.

(27.6%) than were all Tribal members (20.7%).

On the other end of the education continuum,

the Bachelor’s Degree (or higher) completion

rate for all Tribal members (19.4%) was twice

that reported by those below the poverty

threshold (8.1%).

Tribal members living in households that were

near the poverty threshold reported completing

more education than those living below

poverty. Half of Tribal members living in near-

poverty households (50.5%) reported

completing a high school diploma / G.E.D and

some college, compared with only 33.5% of

those below poverty. Somewhat more Tribal

members in near-poverty households

completed Bachelor’s Degrees or higher (11.7%)

compared with those in households below

poverty.

The path toward closing the education

attainment gap seems straightforward, though

certainly not easy, for Tribal members living in

households below the poverty threshold:

complete more education. However, for Tribal

members living in near-poverty households the

path is less clear. Many Tribal members who

lived in near-poverty households completed

significant levels of

education, at least a

high school diploma

or G.E.D., but often

more. This finding is

consistent with the

higher skill

occupations reported

by near-poverty

Tribal members in

Table 5 above. The

path away from

poverty for these

Tribal members may

include more than

just additional

education or job

training. 16.9% 9.0% 9.7%

27.6%

17.1% 20.7%

33.5%

50.5% 37.5%

14.0% 11.7%

12.7%

8.1% 11.7% 19.4%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

0%-100% ofpoverty

101%-150% ofpoverty

All Tribalmembers

Education Completed by Tribal Members: Near or Below Poverty

Bachelors Degree orhigher

Associates Degree or JobCorps completion

HS Diploma or GED andsome college or training


Less than HS Diploma orGED

Figure 19: Education Completed by those Near or Below the Poverty Treshold

46

Job and Education Interests Tribal members living in households near or

below poverty reported a significant level of

motivation to get a new job, job training, or

education. Four of five Tribal members living in

below-poverty households (78.3%) expressed

interest in getting a new job. A similar but

slightly lower number of Tribal members living

in near-poverty households (68.1%) said they

wanted to find a new job.

A majority of Tribal members below the poverty

threshold (54.3%) reported being very

interested in additional, job-related education

or training. Even more Tribal members who

lived in near-poverty households (61.1%) were

very interested. An additional 29.3% of Tribal

members living below poverty said they were

somewhat interested in additional education or

training. A slightly lower number of Tribal

members living in near-poverty households

(21.2%) reported that they were somewhat

interested.

Finally, almost half of Tribal members who lived

in households below the poverty threshold

(47.8%) reported that they were very interested

in participating in a new, CSKT job training

program. Almost 3 in 10 Tribal members below

poverty (29.1%) said they were somewhat

interested. More than half of Tribal members

living in near-poverty households (53.5%) were

very interested in participating in a CSKT job

training program. Another 21.9% of those in

near-poverty households were somewhat

interested.

Tribal members who lived in households near or

below poverty wanted to get jobs requiring

greater levels of skill or responsibility. Table 26

lists the most commonly cited new jobs that

most interested these Tribal members.

The jobs reported in Table 26 demonstrate that

there is an education and training gap between

the occupations Tribal members currently have

(Table 25), and occupations to which they

aspire. This is particularly true among Tribal

members who live below the poverty threshold.

Table 26: Occupation Interests of those Below Poverty

Occupation Interests of Tribal Members: Near or Below Poverty

Rank 0%-100% of

poverty 101%-150% of

poverty

1


Financial Specialists

2 Manager, General Manager, General

3 Financial Specialists

Computer Occupations, All

4

Forest, Conservation, and Logging Workers

Teachers and Instructors, All

5 Registered Nurses

Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

6 Cooks


7 Construction Trades Workers Wildlife Biologists

8 Computer Occupations, All

Counselors, Social Workers, and Other

9



10 Teachers and Instructors, All Registered Nurses

47

Table 27 presents the specific education or

training programs in which Tribal members

living in households near or below poverty were

most interested.

More Tribal members who lived in households

near or below the poverty threshold were

interested in a training program to become a

commercial vehicle operator than any other

program. There were several other programs in

which Tribal members in both low-income

groups expressed most interest. These

programs included:



Registered Nursing


General

Business

Administration, Management

and Operations

Social Work

The range of education or job

training programs in which low

income Tribal members were

most interested should provide

CSKT Tribal Government, Salish

Kootenai College, Kicking Horse

Job Corps Center, and others

reason for optimism. Many of

the programs listed in Table 7

are readily available. In

addition, the largest employers

on the Flathead Reservation

(CSKT, Salish Kootenai College,

S & K Electronics) hire people

with these skills.

Table 27: Education Interests of those Near or Below the Poverty Treshold

Education or Training Programs of Most Interest: Tribal Members Near or Below Poverty

Rank 0%-100% of poverty 101%-150% of poverty

1 Commercial Vehicle Operator Commercial Vehicle Operator

2 Automotive Mechanics Technology


3 Network and System Administration

Computer and Information Sciences, General

4 Registered Nursing Network and System Administration

5 Computer and Information Sciences, General


6

Business Administration, Management and Operations Social Work

7 Social Work Registered Nursing

8 Forestry, General Information Technology

9 Culinary Arts Law Enforcement, Firefighting, and Related

10 Electrical and Electronics Engineering Carpentry/Carpenter

48

Barriers The barriers that hold low income Tribal

members back as they try to get a job, job

training, or additional education need to be

addressed when planning future job training or

education programs. Table 28 lists the most

important barriers as reported by low income

Tribal members.

A disability or personal health was reported by

low income Tribal members as the most

important barrier that impedes them personally

from getting a job, job training, or additional

education.

Among Tribal members who lived in a

household below the poverty threshold, the

following barriers were also ranked near the

top:

Lack of education

No reliable vehicle, no reliable

transportation

Lack of experience

Discrimination within the Tribes,

nepotism, or favoritism

The top ranked barriers

according to Tribal members

who lived in near-poverty

households included:

Lack of job training

Discrimination within

the Tribes, nepotism, or

favoritism

Lack of funds

Lack of available jobs

An effective training program

targeted at low income Tribal

members should address the

requirements of the disabled

or those with health issues.

It is also important to note that

only 4.4% of all respondents

said that discrimination within

the Tribes, nepotism, or

favoritism was a concern. Tribal Personnel

Ordinance 69C prohibits supervision of an

employee who is a member of the supervisor’s

immediate family. If an applicant applied for a

position where this could be the case, the

applicant would be ineligible for the position

and would not be interviewed.

Table 28: Most Important Job Barrier to those Below the Poverty Threshold

Most Important Barrier to a Job, Job Training, or Education: Tribal Members Near or Below Poverty

Rank 0%-100% of poverty 101%-150% of poverty

1 Disability, health Disability, health

2 Lack of education Lack of job training


Discrimination within Tribes, nepotism, favoritism

4 Lack of experience Lack of funds or personal finances

5 Discrimination within Tribes, nepotism, favoritism Lack of available jobs

6 Lack of job training Lack of education

7 Lack of funds or personal finances Lack of experience

8 Lack of child care No reliable vehicle, no reliable transportation

9 No gas money Age discrimination

10 Lack of available jobs Criminal charges, addiction, felony

49

Young Adult Tribal Members This section of the report focuses on young

adult Tribal members, those ages 18-34. Much

of CSKT’s potential for achievement in the labor

force resides with its young adults. This is the

reason the following paragraphs describe the

job and education experiences, interests, and

barriers to success of young adults. The data

presented here summarize the reports of 201

young adult Tribal members who completed the

Jobs and Training Survey. Readers should note

that evaluating the survey data for workforce

achievement gaps is not always appropriate

with this group, since they are just beginning

their labor force experiences.


Attained Table 29 presents the 10 most frequently

reported occupations among Tribal members

ages 18-34. The complete inventory of

occupations held by young adult Tribal

members is quite diverse; they reported

working in a total of 73 different occupations.

Figure 20 presents the levels of education

completed by Tribal members ages 18-34 and

compares their levels of education to those of

all Montanans ages 18-34.7

Figure 20: Education Completed by Young Adults

An education attainment gap is apparent in

Figure 4. Proportionately more Tribal members

ages 18-34 (15.2%) had not completed high

school or a G.E.D. than had all Montanans ages

18-34 (11.0%). Similarly, fewer young adult

Tribal members had completed Bachelor’s

Degrees (13.7%) than had all of Montana’s

young adults.

7 U.S. Census Bureau 2008-2012 American


15.2% 11.0%

71.1% 68.8%

13.7% 20.2%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Tribal Members18-34

All Montanans 18-34

Education Completed by Tribal Members: Ages 18-34

Bachelor's degree or higher

HS diploma or GED only, or HS diploma/ GEDand some college or AA degree

Less than high school graduateTable 29: Occupations of Young Adults

Occupations of Tribal Members 18-34

Rank Occupation


2 Office and Administrative Support Workers

3 Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

4 Forest, Conservation, and Logging Workers

5 Construction Trades Workers

6 Wildlife Biologists

7 Teachers and Instructors, All

8 Registered Nurses

9 Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors

10 Community and Social Service Specialists

50

Job and Education Interests Young adult Tribal members expressed a high

level of motivation to get a new job, additional

job training, or more education. Nearly three –

quarters of young adult Tribal members (74.1%)

said they were interested in looking for a new

job. Almost two-thirds of Tribal members ages

18-34 (63.7%) said they were very interested in

seeking additional, job-related education or

training. An additional 26.4% were somewhat

interested in additional, job-related education

or training. Finally, almost half of young adult

Tribal members (49.3%) reported that they

were very interested in participating in a new

job training program offered by CSKT. Another

one-third (33.3%) said they were somewhat

interested.

Table 30 lists the future jobs that most

interested young adult Tribal members.

The high degree of consistency between young

adult Tribal members’ current occupations

(Table 9) and their desired future occupations

(Table 10) implies some level of satisfaction

with young adults’ career choices.

Table 31 describes the future education or job

training programs that most interested Tribal

members ages 18-34.

It is important to note interest among some

young adult Tribal members in seeking a High

School Equivalence Certificate Program. This

step is vital for their future employment

prospects.

Table 30: Occupation Interests of Young Adults

Education or Training Program of Interest: Tribal Members 18-34

Rank Program



3 Business Administration, Management and Operations

4 Registered Nursing



7 Social Work

8 Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related

9 Carpentry/ Carpenter

10 High School Equivalence Certificate Program

Table 31: Education Interests of Young Adults

Occupation Interests of Tribal Members 18-34

Rank Occupation



3 Construction Trades Workers


5 Registered Nurses


7 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

8 Managers, General

9 Wildlife Biologists

10 Teachers and Instructors, All

51

Barriers The barriers that impede the ability of young

adult Tribal members to get a job, job training,

or education have a particularly high impact

since so much of CSKT’s potential for success in

the labor force is found in this group. Table 32

lists the job or education barriers that Tribal

members ages 18-34 rated as most important

to them personally.

Since young adult Tribal members are just

beginning their labor force experiences, it

makes sense that the two most important

barriers cited by them were lack of job

experience and lack of education. Rounding out

the top 5 ranked barriers was:

No reliable vehicle, no reliable

transportation

Lack of child care

Lack of funds or personal finances

Female Tribal Members The last section of this chapter concentrates on

female Tribal members, ages 18-60. The female-

to-male earnings ratio for full-time, year-round

workers ages 16 and older is 0.767 (+/-0.001) in

the United States.8 This earnings gap is thought,

in part, to be due to differences in the

occupations of men and women and differences

in the education experiences of men and

women. The data examined here summarizes

responses from 412 female Tribal members. As

Figure 21 shows, the proportion of women who

responded to this survey is nearly identical to

that found by U.S. Census Bureau.

Figure 21: % Male and Female

8 Day, J.C. and Downs, B. “Examining the Gender

Earnings Gap: Occupational Differences and the Life Course.” U.S. Census Bureau: March 31, 2007. http://www.census.gov/people/io/files/GenderEarningsGap.pdf

46.5% 47.4%

53.5% 52.6%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Tribal MembersAges 18-60, 2014

Survey

American Indianson Flathead Res

Ages 18-64, 2008-2012 ACS

Sex of Tribal Members Ages 18-60

Male Female

Table 32: Most Important Job Barrier to Young Adults

Most Important Barrier to a Job, Job Training, or Education: Tribal

Members 18-34

Rank Barrier

1 Lack of experience

2 Lack of education


4 Lack of child care

5 Lack of funds or personal finances

6 Lack of available jobs

7 Discrimination within Tribes, nepotism, favoritism

8 No gas money

9 Criminal charges, addiction, felony

10 Disability, health

http://www.census.gov/people/io/files/GenderEarningsGap.pdf

http://www.census.gov/people/io/files/GenderEarningsGap.pdf

52


Attained

Table 33 presents the most frequently reported

occupations among female Tribal members.

Table 33: Occupations of Women

Occupations of Female Tribal Members

Rank Occupation


2 Accountants and Auditors

3 Home Health Aides

4 Janitors and Cleaners

5 Cashiers

6 Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

7 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

8 Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other

9 Other Management Occupations

10 Nursing Assistants

Clerical or administrative jobs dominate the list

of the top 10 occupations of female Tribal

members ages 18-60. All of the remaining

occupations among the top 10 can also be

considered “traditional” female jobs. These jobs

include:

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

Janitors and Cleaners

Home Health Aides, and

Nursing Assistants.

Figure 22 presents the levels of education

completed by female Tribal members.

Female Tribal members reported completing

higher levels of education than did males. More

women (22.7%) than men (17.6%) said they

earned a Bachelor’s Degree or more. More men

(11.2%) than women (8.6%) answered that they

had not completed a high school diploma or

G.E.D.

8.6% 11.2%

17.6% 23.3%

36.2%

38.6%

14.9%

9.2%

22.7% 17.6%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Female Male

Education Completed by Sex of Tribal Member


Associates Degree or Job Corps completion

HS Diploma or GED and some college or training


Less than HS Diploma or GED

Figure 22: Education Completed by Women

53

Job and Education Interests A significant proportion of female Tribal

members said they were motivated to get a

new job, additional job training, or more

education. Three-fifths of women (61.6%)

reported that they were interested in looking

for a new job. More than half of women (56.4%)

said they were very interested in obtaining

additional, job-related education or training.

Another quarter of women (24.8%) reported

being somewhat interested. Finally, 4 in 10

female Tribal members (40.1%) said they were

very interested in participating in a new, CSKT

job training program. Almost 3 in 10 women

(29.2%) said they were somewhat interested in

a new CSKT job training program.

Table 34 describes prospective jobs that most

interested female Tribal members.

The list of future occupations that most interest

female Tribal members shows that women are

interested in progressing toward management

positions like:

Supervisors of Office and Administrative

Support Workers

Managers, General

Administrative Services Managers

A “non-traditional” job - Forest, Conservation,

and Logging Worker - also appears in the list of

desired future occupations.

Table 35 presents those education or job

training programs that most interested female

Tribal members.

Table 35: Education Interests of Women

Education or Training Program of Interest: Female Tribal Members

Rank Program

1 Business Administration, Management and Operations


3 Registered Nursing


5 Accounting and Related Services


7 Social Work

8 Culinary Arts


10 Human Resources Management and Services

Table 34: Occupation Interests of Women

Occupation Interests of Female Tribal Members

Rank Occupation


2 Teachers and Instructors


4 Registered Nurses



7 Managers, General

8 Counselors, Social Workers, and Other


10 Administrative Services Managers

54

It is noteworthy that, of the top 10 education or

job training programs that most interested

female Tribal members, four might be

considered non-traditional. These are:



General

Commercial Vehicle Operator


Barriers Lastly, female Tribal members also face many

problems that degrade their ability to get a new

job, job training, or additional education. Table

36 displays the top 10 barriers that female

Tribal members said were most important.

Like young adult Tribal members, female Tribal

members cited a lack of job experience as the

most important barrier they confront. The

remaining barriers among the top 5 were:

Lack of available jobs

Lack of funds or personal finances

Discrimination within the Tribes,

nepotism, favoritism

Lack of education

Tribal government planners, Salish Kootenai

College, Kicking Horse Job Corps Center, and

others should consider ensuring that job

training programs developed in the future

provide students with actual work experience.

Table 36: Most Important Job Barrier to Women

Most Important Barrier to a Job, Job Training, or Education: Female

Tribal Members

Rank Barrier

1 Lack of experience

2 Lack of available jobs

3 Lack of funds or personal finances

4 Discrimination within the Tribes, nepotism, favoritism

5 Lack of education

6 Lack of time (mostly for training, education)

7 Lack of job training


9 Disability, health

10 Lack of child care

55

Chapter 6: Business Owner/ Entrepreneurial Concerns and Training Needs The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

recognized the importance of Tribal member

entrepreneurship early in the strategic planning

process. To gather more data about this vital

economic development topic, the

Entrepreneur/Business Owner Survey was

developed as a follow-up survey to the CSKT Job

and Training Needs Survey that was mailed out

to over 3,000 Tribal members in the late

spring/early summer of 2014. This follow-up

survey focused on the training needs,

characteristics, and attitudes of Tribal

entrepreneurs in more detail than was possible

in the Job and Training Needs Survey. Chapter 6

describes the results of the Entrepreneur

Survey. A detailed description of the methods

used to conduct this survey is found in

Appendix 3. The Entrepreneur/Business Owner

Survey questionnaire and topline results are

found in Appendix 4.

Current or Prospective Business

Owners The mailing list for this survey was developed

based on answers provided by respondents to

the initial CSKT Job and Training Needs Survey.

Specifically, if a respondent to the Job and

Training Needs Survey said that they were very

interested in starting a new business (Job and

Training Needs Survey question 15) or that they

currently owned a business (Job and Training

Needs Survey question 28), the respondent was

added to this follow-up survey’s mailing list.

This draft list was then supplemented by

business owners classified as Type 1 on the

CSKT Indian Preference Businesses list. (Type 1

includes CSKT member-owned businesses only.)

Seventy-five Tribal members who are

entrepreneurs or prospective entrepreneurs

responded to this follow-up survey. As Figure 23

below illustrates, the respondents to the

Business Survey were evenly divided between

current business owners and prospective

business owners.

Figure 23: Business Owner Survey Respondents

50.7% 49.3%

Business Owner Survey Respondents: N = 75

Currentbusinessowners

Prospectivebusinessowners

56

20.0%

26.7%

28.0%

35.9%

36.0%

37.4%

45.2%

50.6%

53.3%

0% 20% 40% 60%

Logistics management

Sales

Human resource management

Entrepreneurship

Accounting

Business information systems

Marketing

Business plan development

Financing

Very Interested in Business Training by Type

Training Interests Tribal entrepreneurs are interested in obtaining

additional business training. Respondents to the

Entrepreneur Survey were most interested in

training on financing, business plan

development, and marketing. Figure 24

describes the levels of interest Tribal

entrepreneurs have in obtaining additional

training.

Leasing Needs The survey indicates that an opportunity may

exist for CSKT to assist Tribal entrepreneurs by

leasing them either land for their business or

building space. Nearly four in ten respondents

(38.8%) said that they were very interested in

leasing land for their business from CSKT. An

additional 17.3% said that they were somewhat

interested.

A similar proportion, 37.3%, said that they were

very interested in leasing building space for

their business from CSKT. About 20% were

somewhat interested in leasing building space

from CSKT.

Entrepreneurs’ specific acreage or building

square footage requirements varied. However,

the most common lot size required was no

larger than five acres.

Interest Level in

Starting a New

Business Among all of the respondents,

about half (49.7%) said that they

were very interested in starting

a new business even if that

business was in addition to one

they already had. Another

quarter of respondents (26.7%)

said that they were somewhat

interested in starting a new

business even if it was in

addition to their current

business. This level of interest,

in excess of 75% of respondents, confirms that

not only the prospective business owners who

responded to the survey are interested in

starting a new business. Current Tribal

members who own businesses are also

interested in starting new businesses. These

experienced entrepreneurs who wish to grow

new businesses represent a very valuable asset

to the Tribes since sustaining a new business is

known to be very challenging.

Figure 24: Business Training Interests

57

Most Important Barrier to a New

or Expanding Business The top four responses among all respondents,

when asked to describe the most important

barrier to them for starting a business or

expanding a business, are listed below:

1. Access to capital, money, financing

(44.0%)

2. Time (9.3%)

3. Getting the Tribes to use their business,

Tribal preference, Tribal support (6.7%)

4. Business plan development (5.3%)

It is important to note that access to capital was

the dominant barrier, cited by 44.0% of

respondents. The remaining three barriers were

each mentioned by fewer than one in ten

respondents.

CSKT’s Strengths in Assisting

New or Expanding Businesses About one in ten (9.3%) respondents praised

CSKT’s use of the Indian Preference List or

lauded CSKT’s use of Tribal contractors as

something that CSKT does well to assist

business owners. Other respondents mentioned

Tribal financial support (5.3%) and business

classes offered by the Tribes or Salish Kootenai

College.

One-third of respondents (30.7%) said

specifically that they did not know what CSKT

does well to assist business owners. Since

nearly half of the respondents were aspiring

business owners this lack of knowledge about

Tribal business assistance efforts is

understandable. However, this result does

indicate a continuing need to publicize CSKT

business assistance efforts among Tribal

members.

Possible Improvements in CSKT’s

Efforts to Assist New or

Expanding Businesses The top four responses, among all respondents,

when asked to describe what CSKT should do

better to assist business owners are listed

below:

1. Increase education, training, business

plan development, and grant writing

(24.0%)

2. Provide Tribal entrepreneurs direct

financial assistance (18.7%)

3. Use/ enforce/ strengthen Indian

Preference, train CSKT departments in

existing procurement policies (18.7%)

4. Improve communication to Tribal

members about business opportunities,

who Tribal members should talk to, and

the availability of assistance (4.0%)

58

Characteristics of Tribal

Members’ Businesses The remainder of this chapter focuses on the

responses of Tribal members who currently

own businesses.

Types of Businesses Owned The following lists the most commonly owned

types of businesses among responding Tribal

members:

1. Building construction (5.3%)

2. Beef cattle ranching and farming (4.0%)

3. Food service contractor (2.7%)

4. Miscellaneous building equipment

contractor (2.7%)

5. Miscellaneous manufacturing (2.7%)

6. Environmental consulting services

(2.7%)

7. Fire protection services (2.7%)

Occupations of Business Owners The occupations of the owners of these

businesses coincide closely with the type of

business cited. Tribal members who own

businesses and responded to the survey are:

1. Construction Managers (14.7%)

2. Miscellaneous Managers (8.0%)

3. Farmers, Ranchers and other

Agricultural Managers (6.7%)

4. Food Service Managers (2.7%)

5. Miscellaneous Financial Specialists

(2.7%)

6. Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings

Workers (2.7%)

Previous Experiences of Business

Owners Experience, either in business or in

employment, seems to be a key attribute for

economic success among CSKT Tribal members.

In a result that echoes the findings of the Job

and Training Needs Survey, 63.2% of responding

business owners reported that they had prior

experience in the type of business that they

later started.

However, the survey does not provide strong

support for the assertion that growing up in a

family-owned business makes it more likely that

a Tribal member will later own their own

business. 20% of responding business owners

did grow up in a family-owned business. While

this result may hint at the influence of family-

owned businesses on entrepreneurship among

Tribal members, it is certainly not conclusive.

Indian Preference List Nearly three in every five responding business

owners (58%) said that their business is on the

CSKT Indian Preference List. The most

commonly cited reason for not being on the list

was that it was not relevant to their type of

business. This reason was mentioned by 26% of

responding business owners. Significantly fewer

business owners (8%) said that the list is not

used by the Tribes or Departments. A small

number (5%) said that they did not know how

to use the list.

59

21.0%

31.6%

47.4%

Ability to Secure Loan Repayment

No collateral

Some collateralbut not enough

Enoughcollateral

Financial Characteristics Since financing is often a key to starting and

maintaining a business, the survey examined

three specific financial characteristics of the

responding business owners.

Collateral

One vitally important aspect in financing a

business is the ability to secure loan repayment

to a lender with collateral. Unfortunately, one

in five responding business owners (21.1%)

reported that their business had no collateral

(see Figure 25). An additional 31.6% reported

that their business had some collateral but not

enough to secure the financing needed. Just

under half of Tribal business owners who

responded said that their business had enough

collateral.

Ability to Obtain Enough Financing

While 20% of responding business owners

reported that their business was currently

seeking financing, a somewhat discouraging

52.7% of responding business owners reported

that they were currently unable to obtain

enough financing to meet their business’s

needs. The two most commonly cited reasons

for this were a lack of cash flow and bad credit.

Types of Debt

Three in every five (60.0%) of all respondents

(current AND prospective business owners)

reported having a consumer loan with Tribal

Credit, a credit union, or a bank.

Figure 26 illustrates that 34.1% of responding

business owners report using business loans to

finance their firm, and even more (39.5%)

report using credit cards to finance their

business.

Figure 26: Type of Business Debt

34.1% 39.5%

0.0%

25.0%

50.0%

75.0%

100.0%

Business loan Uses credit card(s)for business

Types of Business Debt

Figure 25: Presence of Collateral

60

1%

4%

5%

5%

7%

7%

9%

11%

12%

16%

16%

33%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Lack of food, gas, and living commodities

Not on Indian preference list

Lack of trained work force

Lack of utility or communication infrastructure

Government regulations

Bonding

Lack of qualified workforce

Insurance

Affordable land or building(s)

Bidding against other firms

Preparing competitive proposals

Access to capital

Most Difficult Barriers to Business Development

Most Difficult Barriers to Business

Development Finally, respondents were asked to select the

top three most difficult barriers to the

development of their business. Figure 27

displays their responses. The three most

common responses were:

1. Access to capital (33%)

2. Bidding against other firms (16%)

3. Preparing competitive proposals (16%)

Figure 27: Most Difficult Barriers to Business Development

Taken along with other responses to the

Entrepreneur/Business Owners Survey, the

dominant response to this question implies that

CSKT should focus some business assistance on

problems associated with access to capital.

61

Chapter 7: Job Training Program Recommendations In this chapter, the authors use results from the

Job and Training Needs Survey, the

Entrepreneur (Business Owners’) Survey, and

the Flathead Reservation Economic Profile to

make initial recommendations for

development of a job training program—one of

the goals of the Project. The recommendations

consist of three broad categories:

1. Recommended occupations to target

for job training

2. Recommended job training program

characteristics, and

3. Recommendations focused on business

owners or entrepreneurs.

Please note that when this draft report was

written, the authors were still awaiting

responses to the Entrepreneur Survey.

Recommendations based on the results of this

survey are forthcoming.

Recommended Target

Occupations for Training This section presents occupations that the


Partners/Steering Committee could target or

prioritize when choosing a job training

program(s) to develop. The occupations were

chosen to give the Steering Committee the

ability to target either all Tribal members or

specific groups, such as young adults. To be

recommended, an occupation had to be:

a job that Tribal members were most

interested in pursuing

have an annual growth rate of at least

1.0% in western Montana

have at least 30 openings per year in

western Montana

pay more than $30,000 per year on

average in Montana

Table 37 presents occupation targets or

possible priorities for the general Tribal

member population ages 18-60.

Table 37: Occupation Targets for All Tribal Members

Target Occupations for All Tribal Members

Occupation

Annual Growth

Rate Annual

Openings

Average Annual Wage

Computer and Mathematical Occupations

2.2% 75 $64,770


1.6% 76 $54,440

Health Treating Practitioners (Registered Nurse)

1.5% 189 $58,840

Construction Trades Workers

1.4% 197 $37,090

Motor Vehicle Operators (truck)

1.4% 133 $39,430


1.4% 42 $43,300

Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repair

1.1% 90 $38,520

62

Table 38 presents occupation targets for

unemployed Tribal members or those who are

no longer in the labor force. This table also

presents occupation targets recommended for

Tribal members living in households below or

near the poverty threshold.

Table 39 displays occupation targets for young

adult or female Tribal members.

Table 38: Occupation Targets for Unemployed or Low-Income Tribal Members

Target Occupations for Unemployed Tribal Members or Those No Longer in

the Labor Force

Occupation

Annual Growth

Rate Annual

Openings

Average Annual Wage


1.6% 76 $54,440


1.5% 189 $58,840


1.5% 87 $38,000

Financial Clerks 1.4% 167 $31,120

Target Occupations for Tribal Members Near or Below Poverty

Computer and Mathematical Occupations

2.2% 75 $64,770


1.6% 76 $54,440


1.5% 189 $58,840


1.5% 87 $38,000


1.4% 197 $37,090


1.4% 42 $43,300

Table 39: Occupation Targets for Young Adult or Female Tribal Members

Target Occupations for Young Adult Tribal Members Ages 18-34

Occupation

Annual Growth

Rate Annual

Openings

Average Annual Wage


1.6% 76 $54,440


1.5% 189 $58,840


1.4% 197 $37,090


1.4% 42 $43,300

Target Occupations for Female Tribal Members


1.6% 76 $54,440


1.5% 189 $58,840


1.5% 87 $38,000


1.4% 42 $43,300

63

The frequently recommended target

occupation-- Financial Specialists, U.S.

Department of Labor Standard Occupation

Code 13-2000--refers to a group of occupations

that includes:


Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate

Budget Analysts

Financial Analysts and Advisors

Credit Counselors

Loan Officers, and

Tax Examiners and Preparers

BBER recommends that CSKT consider

expanding current High School Equivalence

Certificate Programs (formerly known as G.E.D.

programs). Expanded participation in and

completion of a High School Equivalence

Certificate program will have a significant

impact across the Tribal member population.

This impact will perhaps be greatest among the

15.2% of Tribal members ages 18-34 who have

not yet completed high school or a High School

Equivalence Certificate Program.

Recommended Job Training

Program Characteristics The Job and Training Needs Survey’s

examination of barriers that impede Tribal

members’ ability to get a job, job training, or

additional education, yielded many important

observations for Tribal Government, Salish

Kootenai College, Kicking Horse Job Corps

Center and others. Three of those observations

are highlighted here:

1. Any new job training program should

provide actual experience that Tribal

members can use on a job application

or resume. Lack of job experience is one

of the leading barriers faced by Tribal

members.

2. Accommodations for Tribal members

with disabilities or health problems

should be a priority in developing any

new job training program. While such

accommodations are required by law,

the survey results demonstrate that

they cannot be overemphasized. Any

new job training program may also

need to inform prospective trainees

that helpful and useful

accommodations are in place.

3. CSKT should take concrete steps where

possible to encourage employers to

create full-time jobs when new jobs are

added. The gap between the average

number of weekly hours worked by

Tribal members (33.3 hours) and all

workers on the Flathead Reservation

(38.2 hours) represents sizable forgone

wages.

Recommendations Focused on

Business Owners or

Entrepreneurs A majority of the recommendations focused on

business owners or entrepreneurs will be

published after the Business Owners’ Survey is

completed. However, one result from the Jobs

and Training Survey is particularly relevant here.

The CSKT Economic Development Office and

Steering Committee recommends further

development of a program to train and assist

Tribal members who want to start a new

business or expand an existing micro-business.

64

More than one-third of Tribal members ages

18-60 said that they are very interested in

starting a new business. This could become an

important source of economic opportunity for

Tribal members

Appendix I: 1

Appendix 1: Job and Training Needs Survey Methodological Summary

Questionnaire Design The Job and Training Needs Survey

questionnaire was developed by the Bureau of

Business and Economic Research (BBER), the

Confederated Salish and Kootenai

Tribes (CSKT), and other Sustainable Economic

Development Project partners. CSKT was the

final approval authority for the questionnaire

and all other mail survey materials.

BBER extensively pre-tested the draft

questionnaire using a two-step process. First,

BBER conducted in-depth cognitive interviews

with six Tribal members. 9 Cognitive interviews

are an intensive, 1-1.5 hour examination of the

cognitive processes respondents use to answer

each question. The interviews employ

retrospective and concurrent “think aloud”

strategies in which respondents are asked to

talk about their answers with a survey specialist

while completing the survey. Some respondents

make errors that are caused by habits of mind

or question wording when reporting attitudes

and behavior. Cognitive interviewing examines

the common thinking habits respondents use

when recalling and reporting attitudes and

behaviors. This gives questionnaire designers

the opportunity to tailor questions to the way

people think.

9 Presser, Stanley, et. al. eds. 2004. Methods for

Testing and Evaluating Questionnaires. New York: John Wiley & Sons. p. 24.

Following revisions based on cognitive interview

results and consultation with CSKT, the

questionnaire was further refined through a

full-scale field test. The field test was

administered to a sample of 100 Tribal

members. The field test verified all survey

systems, including the mail processing, data

capture and data export functions. BBER

reviewed returned field test questionnaires to

determine whether the questionnaire or other

mailing materials needed further modification.

CSKT then approved the final questionnaire

draft.

Survey Administration No sample was drawn for this survey. Rather,

BBER administered the questionnaire by mail to

all adult, enrolled Tribal members ages 18-60

whose mailing addresses were on the Flathead

Reservation as of April 2014. The mailing list

was supplied by CSKT. The survey was

administered from May through July 2014.

BBER printed, assembled, and mailed all printed

correspondence to the Tribal members

surveyed. The content of all correspondence

was pre-approved by CKST.

The first mailing was a pre-survey notification

letter that was signed by the Tribal Chairman.

The primary purpose of the pre-notice letter

was to provide a positive and timely notice that

the recipient would be receiving a request to

help with an important study. It was brief,

personalized, positively worded, and aimed at

building anticipation rather than providing the

Appendix I: 2

details or conditions for participation in the

survey. A secondary purpose of the pre-notice

was to determine how many of the sampled

addresses were undeliverable. Undeliverable

addresses were corrected by BBER if possible,

and a second pre-notice was then mailed.

The survey’s second contact with respondents

was the questionnaire packet. The packet was

mailed first class about one week after the pre-

notice. The packet consisted of a cover letter,

the questionnaire, a return envelope, and a

token of appreciation. The cover letter was one

page in length and was printed on CSKT

letterhead and signed by the Tribal Chairman.

The questionnaire was in booklet format with

an attractive cover. A commemorative postage

stamp was placed on the return envelope. Each

of the potential respondents received a $2.00

bill in the mail packet. This token of

appreciation has been shown in repeated,

rigorous experimental evaluations to increase

survey response rates between 10 and 20

percentage points. For more information on

survey incentives please see Dillman et al

Internet, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The

Tailored Design Method, 3rd edition, pages 274-

275 in particular.

This survey’s next correspondence to Tribal

members was a postcard thank you/reminder.

The postcard was mailed one week after the

questionnaire packet was mailed. The primary

purpose of the postcard was to jog the memory

of respondents who had not yet responded. A

secondary purpose was to thank those who had

responded.

BBER followed the thank you/reminder

postcard with a second questionnaire packet

mailing to only those respondents who had not

yet responded. This mailing followed the

postcard by between one and two weeks. The

physical look of this mailing and the content of

the cover letter varied from the previous

correspondence in order to maximize response.

Tribal members completed 771 questionnaires.

BBER documented survey status in a manner

that allowed calculation and reporting of a

response rate. The response rate is:

I / (I+P+NC+R+NI)

Where

I = completed interviews

P = partial interviews

NC = noncontacted but known eligible

R = refused eligible

NI = other non-completed.10

The final response rate for this survey was

26.8%. Table 40 summarizes the data collection

results for each Tribal member included in the

study.

10

The American Association for Public Opinion Research. 2011. Standard Definitions: Final Dispositions of Case Codes and Outcome Rates for Surveys. 7th edition. AAPOR.

Final Survey Outcomes Number Status

3,051 Mailed

771 Completed

11 Refused

10 Non-completion due to disability

143 Bad addresses

16 Non-completion due to respondent being under age

2,100 Not completed

Table 40: Final Survey Outcomes

Appendix I: 3

The 771 survey responses thoroughly represent

the Tribal member demographic groups

studied. The data cited below demonstrate this.

As Figure 28 shows, the proportion of men and

women who responded to this survey is nearly

identical to that found by the U.S. Census

Bureau.

Figure 28: % Male and Female

The Job and Training Needs Survey found that

the median 2013 household income for all

responding Tribal members was $29,000. The

U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community

Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates for 2008-2012

found a median household income for


Reservation of $28,284. The Job and Training

Needs Survey median income is well within the

ACS margin of error of +/- $3,008. In fact, the

Job and Training Needs Survey median income

is almost identical to the ACS.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2008-2012 ACS found

a slightly lower proportion of American Indians

on the Flathead Reservation living at or below

poverty (30.2%) when compared to the Job and

Training Needs Survey (36.1%). However, this

small difference is also within the ACS

estimate’s margin of sampling error.

When this report refers to U.S. Census Bureau

numbers for American Indians on the Flathead

Reservation, that reference includes members

of other tribes as well as others who self-

identify as American Indians. The Job and

Training Needs Survey included only enrolled

Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d’Oreille Tribal

members.

The total number of survey responses from key

groups of Tribal members was very good, and

was more than enough for valid analysis. Table

41 summarizes the number of survey responses

from key groups of Tribal members.

Table 41: Total Survey Responses from Key Groups

Total Response from Key Tribal Member Groups

# Respondents Key Analysis Group

771 All Tribal members Ages 18-60

412 Women

389 Near or below poverty

238 Unemployed or not in the labor force

201 Young adults ages 18-34

46.5% 47.4%

53.5% 52.6%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Tribal MembersAges 18-60, 2014

Survey

American Indianson Flathead Res

Ages 18-64, 2008-2012 ACS

Sex of Tribal Members Ages 18-60

Male Female

Appendix I: 4

Data Set Preparation Following receipt of the survey responses, the

data were coded by BBER survey research

professionals. BBER then selected a random

sample of 10% of the entered cases for manual

verification of coding accuracy. The data

entered were also inspected to insure no

duplicate cases were included and to correct

any coding typos. Appropriate data labels were

added to the data set. Because of the reliability

of the data collected, BBER chose not to

calculate or use post-stratification weights.

Post-stratification weights are used by some

data analysts to adjust their data to better

reflect the population they studied. Again, BBER

did not need to adjust the CSKT survey data

because of the excellent cross-section of the

population that responded to the survey.

Appropriate composite variables and flags were

added to the data set to facilitate the analysis

process.

BBER used the following classification systems

to code specific, open-ended questions. To code

the industry in which a Tribal member worked,

BBER used the North American Industry

Classification System (NAICS) version 2012. This

industry classification system is the standard

used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying

business establishments. It is found at this link:

http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/

To code the occupations reported by Tribal

members, BBER used the 2010 Standard

Occupational Classification (SOC) system. The

SOC system is used by Federal statistical

agencies to classify workers into occupational

categories. It is found at this link:

http://www.bls.gov/soc/

To code education or training programs cited by

Tribal members, BBER used the 2010

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP).

CIP provides a taxonomic scheme that supports

the accurate tracking and reporting of fields of

study and program completions activity. CIP is

maintained by the U.S. Department of

Education's National Center for Education

Statistics (NCES). It is found at this link:

http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Default.aspx?

y=55

To code the poverty status of Tribal members,

BBER used the 2013 Poverty Guidelines

published by the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services in the Federal Register on

January 24, 2013. They are found at this link:

http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/13poverty.cfm

The poverty guidelines used are also furnished

in Table 42 below.

Table 42: 2013 Poverty Guidelines

Annual Household Income Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous

States: 2013

Persons in family /household Poverty guideline

1 $11,490

2 15,510

3 19,530

4 23,550

5 27,570

6 31,590

7 35,610

8 39,630

For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $4,020 for each additional person.

http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/

http://www.bls.gov/soc/

http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Default.aspx?y=55

http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Default.aspx?y=55

http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/13poverty.cfm

Appendix I: 5

Analysis BBER conducted a statistical analysis of the

survey data using statistical analysis computer

software (SPSS version 22, Copyright 2013, IBM

Corporation). BBER analyzed the data collected

using frequencies, cross-tabulations, and

standard measures of central tendency (mean,

median, mode).

Appendix II: 1

Appendix 2: Job and Training Needs Survey Questionnaire and Top-Line Results

Percentages are based on 771 completed surveys. 1. Are you, yourself, interested in looking for a new job, or not? Please answer EVEN IF you are currently employed.

☐Interested 61.1%

☐Not interested 36.6% Missing 2.3%

2. What type(s) of job interests you most? Mark (X) in each box that applies.

☐Full-time 78.5%

☐Part-time 22.6%

☐Permanent 45.7%

☐Temporary 9.4%

☐Year-round 33.4%

☐Seasonal 14.4%

☐None of these/

not applicable to me 8.6% 3. How many miles are you, yourself, willing to commute (one-way) to work?

__________ Miles one way Median = 30 miles one-way

4. Are you willing to work off of the Flathead Reservation if you can commute home each day, or not?

☐Willing to commute off the Reservation 53.3%

☐Not willing to commute off the Reservation 44.3% Missing 2.4%

5. Are you willing to work for an employer OTHER THAN the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, or not?

☐Willing to work for someone other than CSKT 83.7%

☐Not willing to work for someone other than CSKT 13.0% Missing 3.3%

Appendix II: 2

6. Please indicate the area(s) of your career interests. Mark (X) in each box that applies.

☐None of these/not applicable to me 6.7%

☐Administrative support (clerical, software manager, office manager) 30.1%

☐Maintenance/repair (auto, appliance, equipment, welding) 21.1%

☐Health services (physician, nursing, dentist, technicians, aides) 15.1%

☐Construction (heavy equipment, carpentry, electrician, plumbing, HVAC) 25.3%

☐Transportation/trucking (drivers, dispatch, loaders, logistics) 19.3%

☐Sales (wholesale, retail) 17.9%

☐Accounting/finance (audit, CPA, bookkeeping, banking) 17.8%

☐Engineering (drafting, building, surveying) 8.7%

☐Manufacturing (food, wood products, machine, crafts) 18.9%

☐Forestry/logging/firefighting (working in the woods) 25.0%

☐Food/lodging (hotel, restaurants, bars) 23.8%

☐Information technology (computer hardware, software, repair) 11.5%

☐Protective services (law enforcement, emergency services) 10.8%

☐Social services (family services, youth programs, shelters) 17.8%

☐Personal services (barber shop, beauty salon) 8.2%

☐Other, specify below: 19.7%

_____________________________ _____________________________

_____________________________ 7. What particular kind of work are you, yourself interested in doing? Print in the grey area below. For example: registered nurse, personnel manager, teacher, laborer, working in the woods, accountant, etc.

_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

☐None of these/not applicable to me 8. Which of these, if any, is MOST important to you personally? Mark (X) one box.

☐Finding a job 19.7%

☐Obtaining additional job training 18.6%

☐Obtaining additional education (formal schooling) 22.8%

☐None of these/not applicable to me 23.3% Multiple responses 14.5% Missing 1.1%

Appendix II: 3

9. How interested are you in job-related education or training? Mark (X) ONE box.

☐Very interested 55.0%

☐Somewhat interested 25.7%

☐Neither interested nor uninterested 6.4%

☐Somewhat uninterested 1.3%

☐Not at all interested 10.6% Missing 1.0%

10. If you are at all interested, please indicate below the type(s) of education and training in which you are interested. Mark (X) in each box that applies.

☐GED (High School Equivalency Diploma) 9.9%

☐Reading, math, or English skills 10.3%

☐Vocational training in a craft or trade 28.5%

☐Academic training at a college or business school 36.4%

☐Apprenticeship or On-the-Job training 44.1%

☐Certification or licensure 34.5%

☐Not interested 16.7% 11. What particular kind of education or training are you, yourself MOST interested in? Print in the grey area below. For example: registered nurse program, heavy equipment operator training, computer network administration, automotive repair, or carpentry, plumbing, electrical trades.

_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

☐None of these/not applicable to me 12. Please indicate below if you are interested in job skills training in any of these areas. Mark (X) in each box that applies.

☐Reading, writing, or math skills 19.4%

☐Product sales (marketing, sales training) 18.7%

☐Interpersonal skills (leadership, career dev.) 36.0%

☐Organizing (problem solving, time management) 33.3%

☐Quality improvement (customer service) 27.3%

☐Technical skills (computer skills, trade skills) 44.3%

☐Safety (health or safety training) 23.8%

☐Other, specify ______________________________________ 6.6%

☐None of these/not applicable to me 21.8%

Appendix II: 4

13. What type of job seeking workshop would you attend if it was offered? Mark (X) in each box that applies.

☐Applications - help filling out job applications 17.8%

☐Interviewing - learn tips for job interviews 23.9%

☐Resume writing - learn to write an effective resume 31.8%

☐Job search strategies - effective techniques for finding your next job 24.9%

☐Career planning (outlining future goals in areas of interest) 42.0%

☐Labor market information – finding which businesses are hiring and which are not 34.8%

14. How interested are you, if at all, in participating in a new job training program offered by The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes? Mark (X) ONE box.






15. How interested are you, if at all, in starting a new business?






16. LAST WEEK, did you, yourself work for pay at a job or business?

☐Yes 64.7%

☐No – Did not work or retired 34.0% Missing 1.3%

(IF Q16 is No) 17. LAST WEEK, did you, yourself do ANY work for pay, even for as little as one hour?

☐Yes 2.8%

☐No 28.6% Missing or skipped 68.6%

(IF Q16 and 17 both No) 18. LAST WEEK, were you, yourself on layoff from a job?

☐Yes 1.7%


Appendix II: 5

(IF Q16 and 17 both No) 19. LAST WEEK, were you, yourself TEMPORARILY absent from a job or business?

☐Yes, on vacation, temporary illness, maternity leave, other family/personal reasons, bad weather, etc. 1.5%


(IF Q16 and 17 both No) 20. During the LAST 4 WEEKS, were you, yourself ACTIVELY looking for work?

☐Yes 9.6%


(IF Q16 and 17 both No) 21. When did you, yourself last work, even for a few days?

☐Within the past 12 months 11.6%

☐1 to 5 years ago 8.2%

☐Over 5 years ago or never worked 4.4% Missing or skipped 75.8%

22. During the PAST 12 MONTHS in the weeks that you worked, how MANY HOURS did you, yourself usually WORK EACH WEEK?

__________ Usual hours worked each WEEK 33.2 hours = mean hours worked weekly

Enter “0” if you did not work in the last 12 months. 23. Were you, yourself primarily…? Mark (X) ONE box for your primary employment.

☐an employee of a PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT company or business, or of an individual, for wages, salary, or commissions? 19.5%

☐an employee of a PRIVATE NOT-FOR-PROFIT, tax-exempt, or charitable organization? 2.4%

☐an employee of the CONFEDERATED SALISH & KOOTENAI TRIBES? 49.6%

☐an employee of an Educational Institution? 5.6%

☐a local GOVERNMENT employee (city, county, etc.)? 0.9%

☐a state GOVERNMENT employee? 0.8%

☐a Federal GOVERNMENT employee? 2.4%

☐SELF-EMPLOYED in own business, professional practice, or farm? 8.1%

☐working WITHOUT PAY in family business or farm? 2.6%

➔For whom did you work without pay?

_____________________________ Missing 8.1% 24. Print the name of your current or last employer, company, or business, in the grey area below: If

now on active duty in the Armed Forces, mark (X) this box ➔☐ and print the branch of the Armed Forces below.

_____________________________ _____________________________

Appendix II: 6

25. What kind of business or industry was this? Describe the activity at the location where you were employed in the grey area below. For example: Tribal government, hospital, newspaper publishing, mail order house, auto engine repair, or bank, etc.

_____________________________ _____________________________

26. Is this business or industry mainly? Mark (X) ONE box.

☐Manufacturing? 5.9%

☐Wholesale trade? 1.7%

☐Retail trade? 7.1%

☐Other (agriculture, construction, service, government, etc.)? 68.0% Missing 17.3%

27. What kind of work were you, yourself doing? Print in the grey area below. For example: registered nurse, heavy equipment operator training, computer network administration, automotive repair, or carpentry, plumbing, electrical trades.

_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ 28. Do you own your own business either as your main job or as a secondary job?

☐Yes 11.5%

☐No 88.5%

29. At any time IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS, have you, yourself attended school or college? Include only schooling which leads to a high school diploma, GED, or a college degree.

☐No, have not attended in the last 3 months 88.1%

☐Yes, public school, public college 9.6%

☐Yes, private school, private college, home school 0.5% Missing 1.8%

(IF Q29 = Attending School) 30. What grade or level are you attending? Mark (X) ONE box.

☐Grade 9 through 12 7.1%

☐GED or alternative credential program 6.0%

☐Vocational, technical school or Job Corps 4.8%

☐College undergraduate years (freshman to senior) 56.0%

☐Graduate or professional school beyond a bachelor’s degree (for example: MA or PhD program, or medical or law school) 17.9% Missing 8.2%

Appendix II: 7

31. What is your main area or subject that you are studying? Print in the grey boxes below.

_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ 32. What is the highest degree or level of school you, yourself have COMPLETED? Mark (X) ONE box. If currently enrolled, mark the previous grade or highest degree received. NO SCHOOLING COMPLETED

☐No schooling completed 2.2% GRADE 1 THROUGH GRADE 12

☐Grade 1 through 11 5.5%

☐12th grade – NO DIPLOMA 1.9% HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE

☐Regular high school diploma 12.4%

☐GED or alternative credential 7.9%

COLLEGE OR SOME COLLEGE, VOCATIONAL/ TECHNICAL SCHOOL

☐Some college or vocational/ Job Corps credit, but less than 1 year of college or vocational credit 15.1%

☐1 or more years of college or vocational/ Job Corps credit, no degree 21.8%

☐Job Corps completion 1.3%

☐Associate’s degree (for example: AA, AS) 11.2%

☐Bachelor’s degree (for example: BA, BS) 14.1% AFTER BACHELOR’S DEGREE

☐Master’s degree (for example: MA, MS, MEng, MEd, MSW, MBA) 3.9%

☐Professional degree beyond a bachelor’s degree (for example: MD, DDS, DVM, LLB, JD) 0.8%

☐Doctorate degree (for example: PhD, EdD) 0.3% Missing 1.6%

33. What, if any, professional certifications or licenses have you COMPLETED at any time? Please print in the grey boxes below.

_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Appendix II: 8

34. Have you ever received any job skills training in any of the following areas? Mark (X) in each box that applies.

☐Product sales (marketing, sales training) 11.5%

☐Interpersonal skills (leadership, career development) 31.4%

☐Organizing (problem solving, time management) 31.1%

☐Quality improvement (customer service) 27.0%

☐Technical skills (computer skills, trade skills) 39.7%

☐Safety (health or safety training) 41.2%

☐Other, specify: _____________________________ 10.7%

☐None 35. Have you ever received any training in the following job-seeking skills? Mark (X) in each box that applies.

☐Applications - help filling out job applications 29.3%

☐Interviewing - learn tips for job interviews 30.2%

☐Resume writing - learn to write an effective resume 36.4%

☐Job search strategies - effective techniques for finding your next job 23.8%

☐Career planning - outlining future goals in areas of interest 22.3%

☐Labor market information – finding which businesses are hiring and which are not 13.2%

☐ None 51.2% 36. Which (if any) of the following problems - that might be faced by anyone in your household but not necessarily by you - make it harder for you to get or keep a job, job training, or more education? Mark (X) ONE box on each line.

Yes No

a. Discrimination? .................... ☐ ☐ 26.2% Yes 73.8% No

b. Poor health? ........................ ☐ ☐ 24.5% Yes 75.5% No

c. Physical/ mental disability? . ☐ ☐ 21.8% Yes 78.2% No

d. Lack of child care? ............... ☐ ☐ 22.9% Yes 77.1% No

e. Lack of elder care? ............... ☐ ☐ 5.9% Yes 94.1% No f. Criminal charges/

legal trouble? ....................... ☐ ☐ 15.9% Yes 84.1% No

g. Alcohol or addiction? ........... ☐ ☐ 13.0% Yes 87.0% No

h. No reliable vehicle? ............. ☐ ☐ 25.8% Yes 74.2% No

i. No gas money? ..................... ☐ ☐ 38.0% Yes 62.0% No

Appendix II: 9

37. Which (if any) of the following job training and education-related problems make it harder for you to get or keep a job, job training, or more education? Mark (X) ONE box on each line. Yes No

a. Lack of education? ............... ☐ ☐ 32.9% Yes 67.1% No

b. Lack of work experience? .... ☐ ☐ 30.1% Yes 69.9% No

c. Lack of job skill training? ...... ☐ ☐ 30.7% Yes 69.3% No

d. Lack of job search training? . ☐ ☐ 20.2% Yes 79.8% No e. Lack of money for

education or training? ......... ☐ ☐ 43.4% Yes 56.6% No

f. Lack of computer skills? ....... ☐ ☐ 33.8% Yes 66.2% No 38. Regarding Tribal Transit on the Flathead Reservation do any of the following keep you, yourself from getting or keeping a job, job training, or more education? Mark (X) ONE box on each line. Yes No

a. Limited pick-up or drop-off times? ..... ☐ ☐ 21.0% Yes 79.0% No

b. Limited pick-up or drop-off places? ... ☐ ☐ 18.7% Yes 81.3% No

c. Lack of a consistent schedule? ........... ☐ ☐ 19.4% Yes 80.6% No

d. Unaware of Tribal Transit? .. .............. ☐ ☐ 11.8% Yes 88.2% No 39. Which (if any) problem is the most important one that you run into when trying to get a job, job training, or education? Print the problem in the grey area below, otherwise mark (X) in the box.

_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

☐None 40. Is there at least one telephone INSIDE your house, apartment, or mobile home that is currently working and is NOT a cell phone?

☐Yes 60.6%

☐No 39.4%

41. Do you or does anyone in your family have a working cell phone at this time? Please include a pre-paid phone only if it currently has minutes available.

☐Yes 88.4%

☐No 11.6% 42. Is there working cell phone coverage at your house, apartment, or mobile home?

☐Yes 83.4%

☐No 16.6%

43. Do you or your family in this residence have internet access through a computer at your house, apartment, or mobile home? Please do not include smart phones or mobile devices.

☐Yes 67.0%

☐No 33.0%

Appendix II: 10

44. Do you personally have a working auto, truck, van, or motorcycle that will reliably get you where you need to go, or not?

☐I have a working motor vehicle 85.0%

☐I do not have a working motor vehicle 14.2% Missing 0.8%

45. Do you, yourself have a current and valid driver’s license, or not?

☐I have a current, valid driver’s license 84.5%

☐I don’t have a current, valid driver’s license 14.5% Missing 1.0%

46. How many people currently live in your house, apartment, or mobile home?

____ Number of people Median = 3 persons

47. How many income earners currently live in this house?

____ Number of income earners Median = 1 person

48. What is your age? Please print the number of years in the grey box below.

____ Years old Median = 46 years old

49. What was your total household income FROM ALL SOURCES in the calendar year 2013? Print income in the grey box below. Please include:

Wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, or tips,

Self-employment income (business or farm),

Interest, dividends, rental income,

Social security or railroad retirement,

Supplemental Security Income,

Any public assistance,

Non-wage or salary Tribal payments,

Retirement or pensions,

Any other source of income regularly received such as Veterans’ payments, unemployment compensation, child support, or alimony.

$ _______________________ 2013 income $29,000 = median household income

Appendix II: 11

50. Of the possible business development priorities for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, listed below, which should be the top three priorities? Please mark (X) up to three (3) of the highest priorities. Top Three Priorities(*)

☐Improve transportation infrastructure such as roads, rail, or air 10.4%

☐Improve communication infrastructure such as high speed internet, cell phone coverage 11.8%

☐Improve utility infrastructure such as water

quantity, sewage treatment, waste disposal, access to natural gas, or low cost power 17.2%

☐Develop or support businesses that take advantage of tourism 15.6%

☐Develop or support businesses that utilize natural resource extraction 8.2%

☐Develop or support businesses that are in or in support of the health care industry 16.6%

☐Attract businesses to the Reservation 23.3%*

☐Develop Tribally-owned agriculture businesses 18.4%

☐Develop or support businesses that support the arts, entertainment, or recreation 11.8%

☐Provide financial support to individuals that are starting their own business 24.6%*

☐Provide technical assistance, research, and development support for small businesses 14.7%

☐Develop new energy projects 12.4%

☐Increase the Tribes’ gaming activities / venues 20.9%*

☐Develop or support retail businesses that sell food, clothing, gas, or other consumer products 19.5%

☐Develop a real estate management and development business 4.0%

Appendix III: 1

Appendix 3: Entrepreneur/Business Owner Survey Methodological Summary

The Entrepreneur/Business Owner Survey is a

follow-up survey to the Confederated Salish and

Kootenai Tribes’ (CSKT) Job and Training Needs

Survey that was mailed out to over 3,000 Tribal

members in the late Spring/early summer of

2014.

Questionnaire Design The questionnaire for this survey was designed

to be a self-administered booklet transmitted to

respondents by mail. The questionnaire was

developed by the Bureau of Business and

Economic Research (BBER) and the CSKT


Partners/Steering Committee, under the

supervision of Ms. Janet Camel of the CSKT

Economic Development Office. CSKT was the

final approval authority for the questionnaire

language.

Survey Administration The mailing list for this survey was developed

based on answers provided by respondents to

the initial CSKT Jobs and Training Survey.

Specifically, if a respondent to the Jobs and

Training Survey said that they were very

interested in starting a new business (Jobs and

Training Survey question 15) or that they

currently owned a business (Jobs and Training

Survey question 28); the respondent was added

to this follow-up survey’s mailing list. This draft

list was then supplemented by business owners

classified as Type 1 on the CSKT Indian

Preference Businesses list. The survey was

administered by BBER from August through

October 2014.

BBER printed, assembled, and mailed all printed

correspondence to the Tribal members

surveyed. The content of all correspondence

was pre-approved by CSKT.

The first mailing was the questionnaire packet.

The packet was mailed first class. The packet

consisted of a cover letter, the questionnaire,

and a return envelope. The cover letter was one

page in length and was printed on CSKT

letterhead and signed by the Tribal Chairman.

The questionnaire was in booklet form with an

attractive cover. A commemorative postage

stamp was placed on the return envelope.

This survey’s next correspondence to Tribal

members was a postcard thank you/reminder.

The postcard was mailed one week after the

questionnaire packet was mailed. The primary

purpose of the postcard was to jog the memory

of respondents who had not yet responded. A

secondary purpose was to thank those who had

responded.

Final Survey Outcomes

Number Status

350 Mailed

75 Completed

1 Bad addresses

274 Not completed

Appendix III: 2

Tribal entrepreneurs completed 75

questionnaires. BBER documented survey status

in a manner that allowed calculation and

reporting of a response rate. The response rate

is:

I / (I+P+NC+R+NI)

Where

I = completed surveys

P = partial surveys

NC = noncontacted but known eligible

R = refused eligible

NI = other non-completed.

The final response rate for this survey was

21.5%.

Data Set Preparation Following receipt of the survey responses, the

data were coded by BBER survey research

professionals. BBER then selected a random

sample of 10% of the entered cases for manual

verification of coding accuracy. The data

entered were also inspected to insure no

duplicate cases were included and to correct

any coding typos. Appropriate data labels were

added to the data set. Appropriate composite

variables and flags were added to the data set

to facilitate the analysis process.

Analysis BBER conducted a statistical analysis of the

survey data using statistical analysis computer

software (SPSS version 22, Copyright 2013, IBM

Corporation). BBER analyzed the data collected

using frequencies, cross-tabulations, and

standard measures of central tendency (mean,

median, mode).

Appendix IV: 1

Appendix 4: Entrepreneur/Business Owner Survey Questionnaire and Top-Line Results

Percentages are based on 75 completed questionnaires.

1. How interested are you, if at all, in receiving training in the following business subject areas?

a. Business plan development training? Mark (X) ONE box.





☐Not at all interested 9.3%

Missing 2.7%

b. Marketing training? Mark (X) ONE box.






Missing 2.7%

c. Financing training? Mark (X) ONE box.






Missing 2.7%

Appendix IV: 2

d. Entrepreneurship training? Mark (X) ONE box.






Missing 2.7%

e. Accounting training? Mark (X) ONE box.






Missing 2.7%

f. Human resource management training? Mark (X) ONE box.






Missing 2.7%

g. Logistics or supply chain management training? Mark (X) ONE box.






Missing 2.7%

h. Business information systems training? Mark (X) ONE box.






Missing 1.3%

Appendix IV: 3

i. Sales training? Mark (X) ONE box.






Missing 1.3%

2. How interested are you, if at all, in leasing land for your business from Confederated Salish and

Kootenai Tribes? Mark (X) ONE box.






Missing 1.3%

3. How interested are you, if at all, in leasing building space for your business from Confederated

Salish and Kootenai Tribes? Mark (X) ONE box.






Missing 2.7%

4. If you need land or space, do you know about how much land or building space your business

needs? Please describe how much space or land you need in the space below.

Top three responses:

Both Land and Structures 9.3%

Up to five acres 8.0%

One to two acres 6.7%

5. Do you own your own business either as your main job or as a secondary job?

☐Yes 50.7%

☐No 48.0%

Missing 1.3%

Appendix IV: 4

6. How interested are you, if at all, in starting a new business? This could be in addition to one you

have now or to replace one you have now.






7. If you own a business, does your business currently have collateral that you can use to help obtain

financing for your business, or not? Collateral here means a financial, property, or other asset that can be used

to secure repayment of a loan. Mark (X) ONE box.

☐My business currently has no collateral 10.7%

☐My business currently has some collateral but not enough to obtain financing needed 16.0%

☐My business currently has enough collateral to obtain financing needed 24.0%

☐I don’t own a business 49.3%

8. If you own a business, is your business currently seeking additional financing through loans or

investment, or not? Mark (X) ONE box.

☐My business is currently seeking financing 10.7%

☐My business is not currently seeking financing 40.0%


9. If you own a business, would you say that you can currently obtain enough financing to meet your

business’s needs, or that you can’t obtain enough financing currently to meet your business’s needs?

Mark (X) ONE box.

☐I CAN currently obtain enough financing to meet my business’s needs 22.7%

☐I CAN’T currently obtain enough financing to meet my business’s needs 26.7%


Missing 1.3%

9a. What is the main reason for your answer to question 9 above? Please write your answer on

the lines below.

Top three responses:

Can’t make payments, no cash flow 5.3%

Good credit 5.3%

Bad credit 5.3%

Appendix IV: 5

10. Do you, yourself, currently have a bank account, or not?

☐I DO currently have a bank account 96.0%

☐I DON’T currently have a bank account 4.0%

11. Do you, yourself, currently have a consumer loan with Tribal Credit, a credit union, or a bank, or

not?

☐I DO currently have a consumer loan 60.0%

☐I DON’T currently have a consumer loan 38.7%

Missing 1.3%

12. If you own a business, do you or does your business currently have a business loan with Tribal

Credit, a credit union, or a bank, or not?

☐I or my business DO currently have a business loan 17.3%

☐I or my business DON’T currently have a business loan 33.4%


13. If you own a business, do you currently use a credit card(s) for your business or not?

☐I DO currently use a credit card(s) for my business 20.0%

☐I DON’T currently use a credit card(s) for my business 60.0%

Missing 20.0%

14. If you own a business, is your business on the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Indian

Preference List, or not? Mark (X) ONE box.

☐My business is on the Indian Preference List 29.4%

☐My business is not on the Indian Preference List 21.3%


14a. If your business is not on the Indian Preference List, why is it not on the list? Please write

your answer on the lines below.

Top four responses:

Not relevant to business 13.3%

List is not followed by Tribes or Departments 4.0%

Do not know how to do so 2.7%

Intend to do so 2.7%

Appendix IV: 6

15. If you own a business, what is the name of your main business? Please print the name in the grey

area below:

_____________________________ Not reported to maintain respondent confidentiality.

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________ ☐I don’t own a business

16. If you own a business, what kind of business is this? Please describe the activity in the grey area

below. For example: Retail food store, home building, newspaper publishing, mail order house, auto engine

repair, or bank, etc.

Top seven responses:

Construction of Buildings 5.3%

Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming 4.0%

Food Service Contractors 2.7%

Miscellaneous Building Equipment Contractors 2.7%

Miscellaneous Manufacturing 2.7%

Environmental Consulting Services 2.7%

Fire Protection 2.7%

17. If you own a business, is this business mainly? Mark (X) ONE box.

☐Manufacturing? 5.3%

☐Wholesale trade? 1.3%

☐Retail trade? 13.3%

☐Other (agriculture, construction, service, etc.)? 29.4%


Missing 1.3%

18. If you own a business, what kinds of work do you, yourself do in this business? Print in the grey area

below. For example: registered nurse, heavy equipment operator, computer network administration, automotive

repair, or carpentry, plumbing, electrical trades.

Top six responses:

Construction Managers 14.7%

Miscellaneous Managers 8.0%

Farmers, Ranchers and other Agricultural Managers 6.7%

Food Service Managers 2.7%

Miscellaneous Financial Specialists 2.7%

Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers 2.7%

Appendix IV: 7

19. If you own a business: before you started this business, did you grow up in a family-owned

business, or not?

☐I DID grow up in a family-owned business 10.7%

☐I DIDN’T grow up in a family-owned business 40.0%


20. If you own a business, did you have experience in the main business you have now prior to

starting the business, or not?

☐I DID have experience prior to starting this business 32.0%

☐I DIDN’T have experience prior to starting this business 18.7%


21. If you own a business, of the barriers listed below, what are the most difficult barriers to the

development of your business? Please mark (X) up to three (3) of the most important barriers that confront

your business(es).

Top three responses (*)

☐I don’t own a business .......................................................................... 49%

☐Access to capital ................................................................................... 33%*

☐Government regulations ...................................................................... 7%

☐Bonding ................................................................................................ 7%

☐Affordable land or building(s) .............................................................. 12%

☐Insurance .............................................................................................. 11%

☐Licensing ............................................................................................... 0%

☐Not on Indian preference list ............................................................... 4%

☐Lack of affordable housing ................................................................... 0%

☐Lack of food, gas, and living commodities ............................................ 1%

☐Lack of trained work force .................................................................... 5%

☐Lack of qualified workforce

(experience, drivers’ licenses, drug/alcohol free, etc.) ............................ 9%

☐Lack of or poor transportation infrastructure

(roads, road maintenance, rail, air transportation) ................................. 0%

☐Lack of utility infrastructure (affordable electricity,

access to natural gas, quality water, sewage, waste disposal) ................ 0%

☐Lack of utility communication infrastructure

(high speed internet, phones, cell phone coverage) ................................ 5%

☐Bidding against other firms .................................................................. 16%*

☐Preparing competitive proposals ......................................................... 16%*

Appendix IV: 8

22. What is the most important barrier to you starting a new business or expanding a current

business? Please write your answer on the lines below.

Top four responses:

Capital, access to capital, money, financing 44.0%

Time 9.3%

Tribes use business, preference, Tribal support 6.7%

Business plan development 5.3%

23. What do the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes do well to assist business owners? Please

write your answer on the lines below.

Top five responses:

Don’t know what they do to assist 30.7%

Nothing, do not help, not much 13.3%

Indian Preference, using Tribal contractors, Tribes use our business 9.3%

Financial 5.3%

Business classes 4.0%

24. What should the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes do better to assist business owners?

Please write your answer on the lines below.

Top four responses:

Education, training, business plan development, grant application writing 24.0%

Financial 18.7%

Use/enforce/strengthen Indian Preference, train departments in procurement policies 18.7%

Communicate to members opportunities and who to talk to, availability for assistance 4.0%

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes thank you for your time and effort!

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Sustainable ... Salish and Kootenai Tribes Sustainable...

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