GREENFIELD — What skills and knowledge do Pioneer Valley employers look for when they’re looking to hire new employees?
According to a survey conducted by Greenfield Community College this spring, four out of five of the 125 businesses, municipalities and nonprofits included in the project said they’d like to see candidates with good oral communication skills, ethical judgment and decision-making, the ability to work effectively with others in teams, the ability to apply knowledge and skills to real-world settings, and critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills.
The survey, according to a press release, was modeled after a national study conducted by Hart Research Associates on behalf of the Association of American Colleges & Universities. It was sent to Pioneer Valley employers on the members lists of the Franklin County, Northampton and Amherst chambers of commerce. It presented 17 skill and knowledge areas and asked respondents to indicate how important it is that the new college graduates they employ exhibit proficiency in each.
Those skills represent the skills that are reinforced through the full trajectory of a student’s college experience, the release said.
“A liberal arts foundation in the curriculum is evident in the general education courses embedded in most degree programs, and in the General Education Abilities, a map of liberal education skills against which all programs are assessed annually,” the release read. “All of the outcomes identified by Pioneer Valley employers as ‘very important’ are reflected in Greenfield Community College’s General Education Abilities.
Recently, GCC students participated in the national Community College Survey of Student Engagement and were asked how much their experience at GCC has contributed to their knowledge, skills and personal development in a number of areas similar to those on the employer survey, the release said.
“A majority of respondents indicated that their time at GCC has contributed “quite a bit” or “very much” to their abilities to write and speak clearly and effectively, think critically and analytically, and work effectively with others,” the release said.
GCC President Bob Pura said the college plans to use the results of the survey to help guide its program planning.
“Greenfield Community College thanks employers in the Pioneer Valley for their participation in this effort,” Pura remarked. “Input such as this helps the college understand how issues in higher education that garner national attention play out at the local level. GCC will use this information to inform its programming and planning so as to best serve students while being responsive to the needs of area employers and the community.”
You can reach Tom Relihan at: 413-772-0261 ext 264,
or trelihan@recorder.com.