Skill Gap | Arizona | 77 percent employers say “very difficult” or “somewhat difficult” to find qualified computer scientists

According to federal figures, there were nearly 3.5 million job openings in the U.S. in February. About 700,000 of them were in the West.

With nearly 262,000 Arizonans looking for work, why don’t the jobs and the prospective workers match up?

In everyday terms, the economy needs more software programmers and physical therapists and skilled lab techs than it used to, and fewer construction workers. It needs more skilled workers, but in the Phoenix metro area only 27 percent of the population age 25 and older earned a bachelor’s degree, much lower than comparable areas such as Seattle or Denver.

One business group’s survey suggests it’s hard for employers to find highly skilled workers in Arizona, particularly in science and technology. A 2011 survey commissioned by the Arizona Technology Council found nearly 77 percent of 141 Arizona employers surveyed said it was “very difficult” or “somewhat difficult” to find qualified computer scientists.

Source:

via Skill gap frustrating to employers and workers.

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