On Aug. 27, the Crawford Partnership released its first State of the Workforce Report based on the online survey it launched on July 8. The report presents and summarizes the responses to the 30-question survey by 49 representatives of local businesses that employ almost 5,200 employees, or more than a quarter of Crawford County’s workforce.
The survey asked companies about employee recruitment, retention, growth and investment, as well as their familiarity, experience, and satisfaction with various workforce programs. The report can be viewed or downloaded at www.crawfordpartnership.org/2024sowd/.
The report provides positive information on recent and potential economic development, with 30 companies reporting $29 million in new investment over the past year and the creation of 145 new jobs. Companies are also considering an additional $9 million in investment and 104 new jobs. When asked what the biggest obstacles to growth are, finding motivated, qualified workers emerged as the most popular answer.
The report provides insight on the scope of this challenge, stating, “One of the most pressing issues is the difficulty in recruiting employees, with companies reporting 280 open positions, reflecting a widespread struggle to find qualified candidates. Satisfaction with recruitment efforts was notably mixed, with many employers citing a lack of available, skilled applicants as a primary obstacle. Additionally, factors such as a lack of interest in positions, long or night shifts, and poor follow-up from applicants were frequently mentioned as barriers to successful recruitment.”
The report continues, discussing employee retention and training programs and stating, “While employee retention appears to be less of a concern, with the majority of employers reporting an annual turnover rate of 10% or less, competitive pay remains a critical factor in retaining workers, particularly in lower-wage, unskilled positions. Despite acknowledging the importance of training and development in maintaining a skilled workforce, there is a notable gap in the utilization of available training programs and grants.”
Companies that have participated in these programs show high levels of satisfaction, with external training, training grants, and youth-based programs all receiving 4.1 out of 5.0 ratings. Most of the participants, however, have not made use of these programs, with almost 60 percent never accessing training grants and most participants not involved in work-based learning programs for youth.
Sarah Herrle, interim executive director for the Crawford Partnership, was grateful for the strong response to the survey.
“We will be reaching out individually to all these businesses to ensure they are familiar with all the available resources to assist with open positions, external training, and building a talent pipeline,” Herrle said. “Our workforce development manager, Lisa Marcum, will work in coordination with our other partners to accomplish this in the next few months.”
Submitted by the Crawford Partnership.
