Greater Miami Chamber to survey employers’ workforce needs

The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce is rolling out a workforce survey directed at a large sample of businesses in the county to analyze what are they seeking in their employees.

The community-wide survey would be a snapshot of the workers needed today and how the current workforce is performing, said Alfred Sanchez, CEO of the chamber, which is South Florida’s first and longest-sustaining business development organization. The survey will go out by the end of April and results are to be ready around September or October, Mr. Sanchez said.

The survey would ask business leaders, “decision-makers, CEOs, top-level managers, human resources folks, and people who are really in the know, in terms of what is going on in the industry” what kinds of people skills, technical skills and learning skills we need to anticipate from the future workforce, said Mr. Sanchez.

“The world has changed quite a bit, especially here in Miami,” he said. “That change is going to keep up at a rapid pace, and our higher education institutions, as well as our public education, are looking for feedback from the business community, in terms of what is it that they’re looking for 10 or 20 years down the road.”

In addition, he added, the survey will serve universities and colleges to build curriculums and be sure student graduates are prepared to take on the jobs that are here, without having to move outside of the community, “which has been something that has happened to us in the past.”

“We’ve got a growing tech sector and a growing information and knowledge-based sector here,” he said. “We need to produce the people who are going to fill those jobs.”

The survey is to be advertised by the chamber’s partners, including The Beacon Council, the county’s partnership in economic development; Miami Dade College and the local universities; newspapers and other community partners, he said.

“We really want to get a big sample of businesses across all different industries,” he said, “to be able to give our universities the best information possible for them to utilize in creating their future curriculums.”