Achieving Business Results through Literacy and Education:

A local snapshot!

Meg Poag, Executive Director

PO Box 41567Austin, Texas 78704

(512) 320-4505www.willread.org

mpoag@willread.org

Work-Based EducationEmployer Needs Assessment

• Focused on the following industries– Manufacturing– Professional and technical services– Retail trade, including grocery stores– Health care– Information technology

• 48 employers submitted responses

Responses regarding prospective workers…

Are you having difficulty filling jobs due to. . .

• Lack of English-language literacy skills: 56.7% Reading, writing, speaking, listening and mathematics in English

• Lack of soft skills: 50.0%Participating as a team member, teaching others, serving clients or customers, negotiation

• Lack of technical skills: 50.0% Using machines and/or computers to monitor or perform tasks

• Lack of basic education/literacy skills: 43.3%Reading, writing, speaking, listening and mathematics

Would it be useful to have pre-employment training?

76.2

23.8

0

20

40

60

80

100

Yes(n = 32)

No(n = 10)

Responses regarding incumbent workers…

What kinds of training would benefit your current employees?

• Soft skills: 73.7%Participating as a team member, teaching others, serving clients or customers, negotiation

• English-language literacy skills: 57.9% Reading, writing, speaking, listening and mathematics in English

• Technical skills: 52.6% Using machines and/or computers to monitor or perform tasks

• Basic literacy skills: 42.1%Reading, writing, speaking, listening and mathematics

Employer Need + Values

Which statements are true about your company? (Top 5 Responses)

Employer Needs

Good Communication Skills for front-line workers.

Front-line workers are in key customer contact roles.

Employer Values

General training philosophy.

Internal promotions in hiring practices.

Tuition reimbursement program in place.

Common Ground: Opportunities to address

employer needs.

To what extent would you be willing to invest in training?

• Offer classes during work hours: 76.0%

• Paying an organization to provide classes or training for employees: 60.0%

• Providing child care for classes: 4.0%

• Transportation to the classes: 8.0%

Consider the possibilities…

Challenge: Consider ways you could collaborate to address the workforce education needs in Central Texas.

–No matter how BIG or small!