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Narrative: The Greenville/Greene County Partnership utilizes an effective research tool, called a Gap Analysis, to determine the discrepancies between area employers needs as compared to the impressions of local high school students and their educators. A volunteer team comprised of area business personnel, educators, placement staff and other interested community members was assembled to determine county-specific needs as related to employers. These issues, coupled with the Educational Quality Workforce National Employer Survey conducted in 1995 by the University of Pennsylvania, provided the basis for what was to become the Gap Analysis survey instrument. A Gap Analysis work team completed the creation, implementation, and analysis of the survey (the work team would highly recommend that anyone completing a similar process hire an evaluator to complete the actual data analysis). The final instrument was comprised of three separate questionnaires, each designed to gather and cross match information from three areas of perception: employer needs, 11th grade student perceptions of those needs, and secondary teachers' comprehension of employer needs. Significant gaps were determined in the following areas: pay and job levels; benefits; hiring criteria; attendance; skills and training; and character traits. They are currently completing the second round of the Gap Analysis.
It Works! The Greenville/Greene County Partnership has been able to utilize the findings in a variety of ways. Not surprisingly, the analysis information supported the development of new programming and the expansion of current programming to address the gap areas. The actual completion of the analysis also had a series of positive "side effects" including improved communication between the schools and employers, increased commitment of current partners, and utilization of the report findings in the classroom as an effective engagement tool for the School-to-Career initiative.
Contact:
Suzanne Richey
Program Director, Partners in Education
115 Academy Street
Greenville, TN 37743
423/638-4111 Voice
423/638-5345 Fax
E-mail: suzannerichey@xtn.net