Arizona Association for Economic Development, Technology Workforce Survey
- 1. Arizona’s Technology Workforce: Issues, Opportunities, and Competitive Pressures Steven G. Zylstra President + CEO Arizona Technology Council Thursday, May 10, 2012 Arizona Association for Economic Development Join the Conversation
- 2. Arizona’s Technology Workforce: Issues, Opportunities, and Competitive Pressures The purpose of including primary research in the Study was to really hear – from the source - whether Arizona employers face difficulty attracting the scientists and engineers they need (and, if they do, where that difficulty lies). • Primary research: Employer Survey and Interviews • 172 individuals from a total of 141 Arizona employers responded completely to the survey. Those respondents employ 21,259 science & engineering workers in Arizona. • Follow-up interviews were conducted with 47 individuals at 33 firms (all survey respondents) • Primary research also included interviews with universities, community colleges, and workforce development and training agencies Join the Conversation
- 3. Employer Survey and Interviews One of the questions we wanted to know was, where are Arizona’s technology employees coming from? Join the Conversation
- 4. Employer Survey and Interviews One of the questions we wanted to know was, where are Arizona’s technology employees coming from? Join the Conversation
- 5. Employer Survey and Interviews What do Arizona’s technology employers look for in science & engineering job candidates? Experience Matters – A Lot. Join the Conversation
- 6. Employer Survey and Interviews What do Arizona’s technology employers look for in science & engineering job candidates? Education Matters Too. Join the Conversation
- 7. Employer Survey and Interviews So that’s a snapshot of where Arizona employers get their scientists and engineers, and the qualifications they’re looking for. How easy is it to find those employees? Join the Conversation
- 8. Employer Survey and Interviews What Was Not Behind that Difficulty? • It’s not that Arizona institutions don’t graduate enough technology workers. Nor is it that there aren’t enough technology workers in Arizona. • It’s not that people don’t want to move to Arizona. Good news! Despite what might be popular conception, Arizona is not a repellent of technology talent. Join the Conversation
- 9. Employer Survey and Interviews What Was Behind that Difficulty? • Technology Industry Concentration (we’re no Silicon Valley) • Restrictions/prohibitions on Hiring Non-US Citizens • Relatively Lower Wages • By Far the Biggest Issue: Finding Scientists and Engineers with at Least Two Years of Highly Relevant Experience Join the Conversation
- 10. Supply-Side Interviews In addition to the demand-side primary research we did (the surveys and interviews), we also wanted to get a first-hand sense of the supply side. So we interviewed leaders from the state’s universities, workforce development agencies, and community colleges. • Among all three supplier groups, there is really a wealth of programs available to help supply scientists and engineers to Arizona’s employers. • Yet the employers don’t report taking advantage of those programs. • There is a very clear disconnect between what the employers said about available “supply” programs and what the suppliers themselves reported. Join the Conversation
- 11. Moving Forward – Thoughts, Ideas Companies may need to increase their willingness to grow talent within and/or hire a greater percentage of recent graduates who have hands-on experience through internships and capstone-like courses. There is a disconnect between the suppliers and demanders of technology talent. There is tremendous opportunity here in simply better connecting suppliers and demanders. Join the Conversation
- 12. Questions & Answers If you would like to contact Steve directly, please email him at [email protected]. Join the Conversation