Workers’ Education Not Adequate, Employers Say

About two-thirds of the largest employers in the Los Angeles area said in a survey released Monday that they are unsatisfied with the competency and educational training of entry-level workers.

The results of the Los Angeles area survey resembled those of a nationwide poll conducted earlier this year and highlight the need for education reform and programs for the 70% of young people who do not earn college degrees, said the National Alliance of Business, a nonprofit group that commissioned the surveys.

“It gives you a sense of how serious the problem is,” said William Kolberg, president of the NAB, which is holding its annual convention in Los Angeles and which plans to conduct other regional work force surveys.

Based on interviews with 257 executives in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the survey found that 63% were unsatisfied with the overall competency of entry-level employees; 65% were unsatisfied with workers’ educational training and 48% were unsatisfied with the ability of workers to be retrained.

Nearly 50% of the executives said they must interview more people to find a qualified candidate than they did five years ago. Most of those surveyed also agreed that math and reading skills of entry-level workers have deteriorated in the past five years.

“When you have such a small number are that are very pleased . . . that clearly demonstrates the depth of the problem,” said John Fairbank of Fairbank, Bregman & Maullin, a Santa Monica-based research firm.

In response to a question unique to the Los Angeles survey, a large portion--46%--were unsatisfied with the English language skills of entry level employees. But the dissatisfaction with English-language skills “wasn’t as dramatic a problem as the educational levels,” Fairbank said.