Vantage Point3/24/2009 How to Cope With Technical Staff Shortages Despite the adverse economic situation, a shortage of technically skilled workers is still a prevailing challenge in Europe and the U.S. Technical staff and engineers are in especially high demand. According to a survey conducted by , 83% of Austrian companies, for example, have problems finding suitably qualified employees. The only long-term solution is training and education. For production and technical jobs, vocational training and apprenticeships are well-established traditions in Austria and Germany. The vocational training system provides solid on and off-the-job training for young people in hundreds of occupations. Now is the time to modernize this system and make it more attractive to both employers and students. One suggestion: There should be more flexibility and a broader perspective, such as easier access to higher education for the apprentices. Companies that provide vocational training are acting in their own self-interest. Last year, for instance, NKE Austria and a national training institute set up a workshop offering more than 50 apprentice positions in the metalworking industry. This will certainly help secure skilled workers over the long term for our own company, as well as for others in the region. Our goal is a 10% share of apprentices in the workforce, which we recently attained by adding seven more apprentices, two of them young women in highly technical occupations. That is significant because women are another key factor in tackling the skills shortage. Women scientists, engineers, and technicians often must juggle job pressures and long hours with unrelenting family obligations. Thus, it's not surprising that more than half eventually quit midcareer, according to research published last year in the . Innovative companies can help themselves by providing women engineers and technicians the training and mentoring needed to jump-start stalled careers, or start new ones.
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Information technology (IT) staffing services provide temporary or permanent workers who troubleshoot and repair computers, operate help desks, and support voice and data networks.
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Instructional seminars and training services include non-credit programs; courses or seminars in engineering, science, technology, management, and other specialized subject areas; and production operation or application-specific training.
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A company's greatest asset can be highly skilled employees. Increase the efficiency and performance of your company with Swagelok Training and Education. Our current programs include training in...
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Topics of Interest
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