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Skilled Workers: Will We Have Enough? <br /> <br />Can Minnesota manufacturers hire and <br />retain adequately skilled workc,'s? <br />This is a question of considc,'ablc impor- <br />tance to thc state's manufacturing sector, <br />whose future competi- <br />tiveness will be deter- <br />mined largely by thc <br />skills and technological <br />orientation of its work- <br />[orcc. <br /> According to the <br />findings of a prdiminary <br />study conducted by the <br />University oJ' Minneso- <br />ta at I)uluth, Center for <br />Economic Development state-based <br />manufacturers arc indeed experiencing <br />workhncc problems. [See Viewpoint, <br />page 2S, for related story.] <br /> Thc study ftmdcd lw the Northwest <br />Area Fotmdation and Minnesota Tech- <br />,~,,l,,g~,lnc. mcludcda~u,~c~ ofmo~c <br />Than 1,20~ manulacturing firms around <br />the state. The companies were selected at <br />random from six regions ~Northwcst, <br />Northeast, (:tnt ral, Twin (:ides, South- <br />west, alld ~outhcast. CompaHics were <br /> <br />grouped according to <br />gross revenues: small (less <br />than 55 million), medium <br />[55 million to $50 mil- <br />lion), and large (greater <br />than 550 million). <br /> Among thc survcy's <br />t~ndiugs: <br /> · }tall thc manufac- <br />turers surveyed statcwidc <br />have had dit:Gculty hMng <br /> <br />skilled workers xvithin thc past few years. <br />ThcprobJcm is much morescvcrc <br />medium sized companies, 73 pcrcclll <br />which reported hMng difficulties, <br />p.~:'cd with 57 percent of thc I,u'gc corn- <br />panics and 42 percent ot thc small <br />c,,mpanics. Nlanufacturcrs in thc North <br />eastern region have had thc least trouble <br />hiring skilled workers, with only <br />Iht'cc companies in that pat't of thc state <br />reporting hidng problems. <br /> · Kcta' ~' ~g sk'llcd workers <br />a problem for thc surveyed companies. <br /> <br />DIFFICULTY HIRING SKILLED WORKERS BY REGION <br /> <br />No <br /> <br />Yes <br /> <br />Still, almost a I,m~th ~,i ti,cra said Illcv <br />have some difficuhv holding on to skilled <br /> <br />acute in thc N,)l'thxvcsl, where 39 J)t'l'k't'lll <br />of thc manutacturcrs surveyed said they <br />have bccn ad vc rsclx aft'cci cd. M cd iu m <br /> <br />trouble hiring new skilled workers, .dso <br /> <br />lng them (37 percent). By comparison, <br />23 percent of thc small ctmIp.l~lics and <br /> <br />~)uJv 15 pc['ccnl ~)t lilt <br />large firms reported <br />~clculi~m dillicuhics. <br /> · 'l'hc lack ~1 skilled <br />%v( )l'kCl'S ar( )LI nd l J lc state' <br />is hU]'Ling ma]~tlJaclt[r- <br />ing pi ()duclivity. Nearly h.df (-17 percent) <br />t)f thc c()fnpa,fics surveyed said that <br />dm'tivi~v has bccn adversely at'footed by a <br />shortage of skilled labor. 'l'Jfis is espcci~d- <br />Iv thc case with medium sized <br /> <br />SATISFACTION WITH SKILLS OF CURRENT WORKFORCE <br /> <br />Satisfied <br /> <br />Dissatisfied <br /> <br />26 MINNESOTA TECHNOLOGY SU,',.IMI I~. L~)95 / {;L,tAI'II'-. BY l~,'.,',,ll~ S'II I'-~l ICIIT <br /> i <br /> <br /> <br />