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Job survey looks for gap in training WHITE CITY � Rogue Community College and other regional economic development agencies are asking for help from Rogue Valley employers in an effort to stimulate the area�s economy through work-force training and development. In collaboration with The Job Council, the Oregon Employment Department and other members of the Rogue Valley Work Force Development Council, the college will use a federal grant to survey the gap between available worker skills and employers� needs. The valley�s civilian labor force has increased by 50 percent in the last 20 years. The jobs have changed from resource-dependent industries to occupational jobs focusing on professional, technical and service sectors. Many workers don�t have the skills to get these jobs. The survey ultimately will be used to bridge the skills gap in Jackson and Josephine counties. Soon, roughly 5,000 telephone interviews with area employers will be conducted in 100 occupations, accounting for about 80 percent of the region�s jobs. Researchers are asking for the business community�s support in conducting the interviews, each of which should take about 10 minutes. "There has never been a study of this magnitude conducted in Southern Oregon," said Jim Hilton, the project�s coordinator. "It should provide tremendous support for developing the work force needed by local employees." Any business owner who would like to participate should contact Hilton in White City at 245-7928 or send an e-mail note to [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.