Technology, communication keys to new jobs

Employees in the 21st century need to have a platform of high technology computer skills and the ability to continue learning, according to local and national labor experts.

Rapid advances in the technology field and the information revolution will continue to apply pressure to workers to increase their skill levels in order to compete for good paying jobs.

Chuck Stewart, director of the Rock Island Tri-County Consortium, said the number of truly unskilled jobs continues to drop and the demand for employees with basic computer familiarity is increasing.

``We need to look at employment trends as they are expected to be across the county and what we have found is jobs are getting more technical all the time'' Mr. Stewart said. ``The smallest little retail store around has a computer in the back room. Basic computer skills like keyboarding and Windows, basic computer literacy is what they need and is what will increase. There are very few pencil and paper operations anymore.''

Continuing education is also vital for employees in the new century. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, students completing high school rose from 78 percent in 1971 to 87 percent in 1997. The percentage of high school graduates with some college increased nearly 50 percent, from 44 percent in 1971 to 65 percent in 1997. The percentage of high school graduates with four or more years of college rose from 22 percent to 32 percent during that same time.

Jobs demanding at least a bachelor's degree accounted for 21 percent of employment in 1996 and will account for 23 percent in 2006.

The five fastest-growing occupations, through at least 2008, will be computer-

related, according to the latest Labor Department projections, with health care professionals rounding out the top 10 spots.

Another important aspect, according to Augustana career counselor Tim Anderson, will be what a potential employee can do with that computer savvy.

``Everyone is going to need technology training,'' Mr. Anderson said. ``But we still see lots of employers looking for communication skills, leadership and

interpersonal skills that are needed to take companies to the next step.''

``For some time now, computer science students have fielded many offers if they are out looking at all, but along with that we have had a lot of students go to consulting firms with technical skills and problem-solving skills and they have been doing real well.''

``Beyond computers, we are seeing more and more of some of the more traditional liberal arts majors, people with training in communication arts, using technical skills but applying their computer ability through communications and writing skills.''

Just as important to the marketplace are workers who can offer the most basic skills to employers on the lower end of the wage scale. According to a recent study by the American Management Association, in Manhattan, 36 percent of job applicants tested by major U.S. corporations in 1998 lacked sufficient reading and math skills to do the job they sought, up from 23 percent in 1997 and 19 percent in 1996.

Mr. Stewart said they have found a pressing need for remedial training to help workers find jobs.

``Often we see a situation where entry level skills are lacking'' Mr. Stewart said. ``They need the type of thing that will get them to a level to take the technology training, that's the type of thing we try to work on.''

The increase in skilled labor will also push institutions such as community colleges, four-year colleges and training programs to offer places for employees to learn new skills.

``The community colleges are prepared to handle a lot of this change,'' Mr. Stewart said. ``We've seen them develop new programs and seeking out grant dollars to make the changes needed for the workplace. We also see the community colleges really emphasizing a lot more entry level type courses for people to take and a lot more remedial training as well.''

Mr. Stewart said on-the-job training will have to change to meet the needs of workers looking to advance their skills. It would also benefit employers.

``There are some companies out there that are keenly aware of this and are gearing up to do this,'' Mr. Stewart said. ``One of the big changes we have seen is in the federal law, which recognizes the value of workplace training and will allow federal money to be used in the workplace for training people who are already working.''

``It makes the person more promotable to employers and gives employers access to money to train workers. Right now, it is a tight labor market and in some areas there are just not enough workers, which is why this is all the more important to make current employees as productive as they can be.''