An Analysis of Skills and Knowledge Needed by Firms in the Indianapolis, Indiana MSA

A study was conducted to determine employers' perceptions of the technical and personal skills and knowledge needed by business and industry in the Indianapolis area. A survey instrument, requesting employers to rate the importance of 17 technical skills and 13 personal skills and to describe the nature of the work at their firms, was distributed to 500 firms. Study findings, based on a 30% response rate, included the following: (1) the five top ranked technical skills were good working habits, overall quality of work, communication skills, organizational skills, and problem-solving skills; (2) the five top ranked personal skills were attendance, attitude toward job, ability to follow instructions, punctuality, and ability to learn; (3) a high school education was indicated as the minimal level of acceptable education by 55% of the respondents; (4) 65.7% of the respondents felt that jobs in their field were becoming broader in scope; (5) 68.3% indicated that the number of skilled jobs would increase; and (6) approximately 35% indicated that the availability of educational opportunities was somewhat important to a company's decision to do business in a certain community. A literature review on economic trends and the skills and knowledge that will be needed by employees in the future, and the survey instrument are included in the study report. (EJV)