Port Authority Discusses Shortage of Skilled Workers

During the month of September the Port Authorities and Chamber of Commerce for Muskingum and Guernsey Counties conducted a survey to determine to extent of the reported shortage of skilled workers.

The survey found numerous positions in need of skilled employees. One of the most common reasons employers are having difficulties filling those positions is a lack of experienced candidates. Mike Jacoby, of the Port Authority, said that in the next month they hope to meet with the industry council for the area and determine what their interest are for addressing this problem.

"Are they willing to consider new approaches to work studies, co-ops to internships, to taking a good employee off the floor basically and sending he or she to get trained for part of the week, or part of the month."

Jacoby said that they hope to be able to find some grant money for this process to help employers who could be paying full wages in addition to training.

"We’d like to find a way where we can match people with getting more training and work experience at the same time and hopefully find some incentive, grant money to subsidize the cost of that."

Other issues that are affecting the skilled work force are wage competition and available employees want to live and work somewhere else.