WORKFORCE: Employers, what do you need?

In response to Rod Gramer’s My Turn article on July 27, I agree that there is a valid concern about the low percentage of people in the Idaho workforce with adequate education or training. What Mr. Gramer failed to mention, is what type of education/training the employers of Idaho need from their prospective employees. This information would translate into a better understanding of what education our high school graduates should pursue.

There is no reason for anyone to pursue a four-year degree if their intended career field requires only specialized training or certification. Students entering an institution of higher learning need to know why they are heading down that educational path.

Our high school counseling and career guidance staff are doing their best to inform students of what it might take to enter a particular field. However, we have no idea of the needs of Idaho employers. They hear almost weekly from institutions of higher learning, but virtually nothing from prospective employers.

Business leaders, let the educators know what you need so that we can inform the students. Given that roughly 55% of all Idaho private sector business employees are in companies that employ fewer than 100 people, and well over half of those companies have fewer than 20 employees, this will likely be difficult to accomplish.

If individuals such as Mr. Gramer and the leadership of the state of Idaho want the number of Idahoans in the workforce who hold higher education degrees or certificates to increase, then they need to do a much better job of informing students what training to pursue in order to be gainfully employed within the state.

RICK JONES

Rathdrum