A Northeast Kingdom Collaborative survey of employers and employees in the region this spring found a hunger for more professional development opportunities. This echoes what we heard from participants in our three summer 2018 Leadership Summits.
90% of employers surveyed said they had funding for professional development and were willing to pay employees for training during the work day
62% of employees surveyed said they were interested in advancing their careers
Continuing education helps keep our region nimble. At its best, it provides fulfillment and advancement for residents, while meeting our businesses’ and nonprofits’ ever-changing needs.
Fortunately, the Northeast Kingdom is already a rich environment for lifelong learning. A growing list of schools, organizations and centers host classes and trainings across the region throughout the year. Convened by the NEK Collaborative, these providers are now working together more than ever before to market and align their offerings, using the survey’s findings about the interests of employers and their employees.
Our survey indicated that:
Employers were most interested in:
- Inclusion, diversity, and equity
- Training supervisors/managers
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Project management
- Effective communication
- Telling your story: media and communications
- Stress at work
- Conflict management
- Computer-related courses
Employees were most interested in:
- Avoiding burnout
- Stress at work
- Transforming your team (how to inspire and lead your team)
- Setting goals and tracking success
- Conflict management
- Facilitating great meetings
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Effective communication
- Leadership styles
Who did we survey: Two separate surveys were sent to employers and employees. 21 business owners and organizational leaders responded out of 40 sent. 133 of their employees responded to the employee survey.
How to get involved: This working group of educational providers is continuing to meet regularly and intends to survey employers and employees on a regular basis. If you would like to be added to our list, please contact, katherine@nekcollaborative.org.
