Appendix A Preliminary Results from Athena Institute Clean Tech Study
Why is it difficult to hire those positions? • Lack of experience (numerous responses) • Unqualified SEC experience • New field of engineering • Lack of cleantech/sustainability backgrounds in candidates • Little local experience in area • Smaller selection pool in the Pacific Northwest • Strong market in Portland and the overall shortage of candidates in the Salem area • Hard to find all skills in same person • Hard to get people to our location • High demand in the industries, 80’s and 90’s cutbacks are having long term consequences • Qualified candidates don’t tend to live near the city • Size of organization • Specialty trade with limited salary for position • Salary scale we are able to pay • Lack of interest in craft • Qualified graphic designers are in higher demand • Rapid growth hard to attract workers to “expensive” region • Booming economy, shrinking labor force • Meth problem in Portland as well as the difficulty of getting a talented person to work with their hands and get dirty anymore • Communications professionals – those with excellent written skills and deeper understanding of environmental issues— are hard to come by Do they Engage in Internship or Co-Operative Training Programs with Trade Schools, Colleges or Universities to employ students as part of their program requirements? 60% Yes I do participate 22% No, lack of time & resources 10% No, lack of information on specific programs and contacts
50
4%
No, local trade schools, colleges or universities not available
4%
No, I do not think it would be useful