Los Angeles Area Chamber of
Commerce and University of Phoenix
Study Compares Employers' and Workforce's Most Valued Skills,
Education Attributes
LOS ANGELES, May 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the workforce is
transformed by technology and global competition, the results of a
new study by the Los Angeles Area
Chamber of Commerce and University of
Phoenix provide insight into the academic criteria for
success in the 21st century workplace.
The Life in the 21st Century Workforce study found that local
employers place a premium on employees with strong interpersonal
communication and teamwork abilities, whereas those currently
employed or seeking employment undervalue the importance of these
skills. While employees believe that past work experience and
critical thinking skills are the most important factors in hiring
decisions, employers rank people management and communications
skills even higher.
"We know that a quality education system is paramount to meeting
Los Angeles' future workforce
needs and making our region a cornerstone of the 21st century
global economy," said Gary Toebben,
President and CEO, Los Angeles
Area Chamber of Commerce. "Through this partnership with
University of Phoenix, we have gained
deeper insight into the skills and qualities that employers are
looking for when making hiring and promotion decisions, and how
that differs from opinions held by workers. This information will
be extremely valuable in our collaborative work with Los Angeles educators on how we prepare our
students and develop those critical skills for the future."
Los Angeles workforce and
employers agree that a college education and continuing education
is critical to success in the workplace, with a strong majority of
employers saying their company pays for a portion or all of
employees' education. As the skills needed in the world's
marketplace increasingly require higher education and a more
advanced and practical skill set, University
of Phoenix will continue to offer innovative pathways for
Americans to meet their professional and personal goals through
high quality education.
"For more than 30 years University of
Phoenix has provided students with a practical, flexible and
relevant education, which includes partnering with leading
employers to meet America's workforce needs," said Dr. Bill Pepicello, president of University of Phoenix. "This research underscores
that continuing education is vital for the success of employers and
individuals in the workplace. It also provides us with another tool
to tailor our degree programs to ensure students are learning
real-world skills to help them succeed."
Among the key findings of the Life in the 21st Century Workforce
study:
Education is critical to ensuring workers have the skills
necessary to advance.
- About three-quarters of both Los
Angeles employers and workers overwhelmingly agree that a
college education and continuing education is critical to success
in the workplace.
- Employers (63 percent) say that they are more likely to promote
an employee with a college degree.
Practical learning is agreed upon as most important aspects of a
post-secondary degree program.
- Employers say the most important attribute is an emphasis on
practical learning experiences that emphasize real life problems
(23 percent) and on people management and communication skills (18
percent).
- Workforce agree with employers that practical learning
experiences are most important (16 percent), and add that a
flexible schedule such as classes in the evenings, weekends or
online are also most important (17 percent) – only 16 percent of
employers agreed.
Employers and workforce place importance on different skill sets
in hiring new workers.
- Employers emphasize team work – with collaboration and
interpersonal communication listed as the top two skills for
potential employees.
- Workforce say the ability to learn new skills and critical
thinking are the most important competencies for new hires.
People management and communication skills are as important as
past work experience in employer's decisions to hire workers, and
most important in promotions.
- Employers are split on whether people management and
communications skills (38 percent) or past work experience (36
percent) is the most important factor when making hiring
decisions.
- Workforce feel that past work experience (43 percent) is the
most important factor; recognize that experience will get them in
the door but people skills will move their career forward.
There's a mixed mood in Los
Angeles regarding the direction of the city: workforce is
pessimistic, while employers are more optimistic.
- Workforce (52 percent) see the city as moving in the wrong
direction; only 36 percent of employers agree, while 50 percent
consider LA to be heading in the right direction.
ABOUT THE SURVEY
The findings presented here are part of a multi-audience
research project sponsored by the University
of Phoenix. Telephone interviews were conducted among a
random sampling of 100 Los Angeles
area business executives, 500 Los Angeles workforce members 18-54
years of age, and 500 national workforce members from April 12-30, 2011. The sampling error for the
business executives sample is +/- 9.8 percentages points at the 95
percent confidence interval and for the workforce samples is +/-
4.4 percentage points. Survey interviewing and analysis were
completed by APCO Insight, an international opinion research and
consulting firm.
ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX
University of Phoenix is constantly
innovating to help students balance education and life in a rapidly
changing world. Through flexible schedules, challenging courses and
interactive learning, students achieve personal and career
aspirations without putting their lives on hold. As the flagship
university of Apollo Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: APOL), University of Phoenix serves a diverse student
population, offering associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral
degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S.
as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit
phoenix.edu.
ABOUT LOS ANGELES AREA CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of
Commerce represents the interests of business in L.A. County.
Founded in 1888, the Chamber promotes a prosperous economy and
quality of life in the Los Angeles
region. For more information, visit www.lachamber.com.
In addition, the L.A. Area Chamber convened local and national
companies and organizations to develop a roadmap for educating the
21st century workforce in the region. This framework is based on a
national framework outlined by the Partnership for 21st Century
Skills, a leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st
century skills into education. For more information on the
framework, click here.
SOURCE University of Phoenix