Colleges IDENTIFIERS Employer Needs

This paper presents two policy issues related to the topic of workforce preparation. While changes in the structures and requirement of jobs in the postwar economy have created a need for a more skilled workforce, at the same time, corporations have become increasingly reluctant to invest in training and education for youth and for their own employees. This study examines how such structural changes affect the skills required of workers and the extent to which firms help develop those skills. The authors conducted case studies to learn the corporate restructuring process, how the process impacted workforce skill levels and development, ways that firms developed the skill levels of their workers, and what the resulting implications are for skill development strategies and public policy. The industries chosen for the study were insurance companies and the medical imaging equipment industry, representing service and manufacturing. Among the study's findings is that employers now hire on the basis of a person'