To help workforce development leaders identify gaps and strengthen our region’s talent pipeline, Western North Carolina businesses are encouraged to participate in the State of Our Workforce: Western NC survey before it closes on May 31, 2022.
“Data from the State of Our Workforce survey will be our blueprint for building a stronger, more diverse talent pipeline in Western North Carolina,” said Kit Cramer, President and CEO of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. “If you’re an employer or if you’re in a leadership role with an employer in our area, please weigh in on your workforce needs by completing the survey this week.”
To date, more than 630 respondents have completed the State of Our Workforce: Western NC survey. Organizations leading the effort seek to collect 750 responses by the time the survey closes on May 31, 2022. Employers and business leaders in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Polk, Madison, McDowell, Rutherford, Transylvania, and Yancey Counties are encouraged to participate.
The survey should be completed by an individual at each employer who is most informed about the organization’s current and future hiring needs, which is usually a chief executive, director of human resources, or small business owner. The survey asks employer participants to indicate which skills, credentials, and training they need most in current and prospective workers.
To encourage a strong response rate, survey respondents may provide their email addresses to be entered to win a raffle prize from a local business. The sooner the survey is completed, the more chances the survey responder will have to win one of the two remaining raffle prizes, with a limit of one raffle win per participant. More information about the remaining raffle items is available in the survey introduction.
The State of Our Workforce: Western NC survey was also conducted in 2018 and produced insights on employer hiring practices and workforce needs that have informed various workforce development initiatives.
The 2022 State of Our Workforce: Western NC workforce analysis is led in partnership among the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, and the Land of Sky P-20 Council, with dozens of additional partners including economic development organizations, community colleges, and local governments from across the 10-county survey area lending support to promote participation. The survey is being operated by RTI International, a non-profit research, development and technical services firm located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
To learn more, visit the 2022 State of Our Workforce: Western NC landing page.