Workforce Development Challenges - Business Survey
To help the Santa Maria Valley Chamber better understand community challenges around workforce development, please take a few minutes and fill out the survey below.
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1.
Name:
(Required.)
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2.
Title:
(Required.)
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3.
Business/Organization:
(Required.)
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4.
Email:
(Required.)
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5.
Phone:
(Required.)
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6.
Industry:
(Required.)
Technology
Agriculture
Aerospace
Healthcare
Manufacturing/Engineering
Hospitality
Trades (plumbing, electrical, etc.)
Arts and Culture
Other (please specify)
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7.
Does your business have an internship or apprenticeship program?
(Required.)
Yes
No
8.
If "yes" to the above question, please specify (check all that apply)
High school interns
Community college interns
University interns
Paid
Unpaid
9.
How many interns did your business have in 2023 (to the best of your knowledge)?
10.
Briefly describe any concerns you have related to intern/apprentice readiness:
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11.
Are there senior employees in your company who might be interested in suggesting topics for continuing education, providing material for curricula, and/or potentially teaching courses for their area of expertise?
(Required.)
Yes
No
If yes, please provide name & contact information below:
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12.
How often does your business engage with local schools for educational purposes?
(Required.)
Frequently (monthly or more often)
Occasionally (a few times a year)
Rarely (once a year or less)
Never
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13.
In what ways does your business currently partner with local schools? (Select all that apply)
(Required.)
Internship programs
Job shadowing opportunities
Guest speakers
Field trips to businesses
Career fairs
Donations or sponsorships
Other (please specify)
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14.
What are the biggest challenges in establishing and maintaining partnerships with local schools? (select all that apply)
(Required.)
Lack of interest from schools
Insufficient time or resources to manage partnerships
Difficulty aligning school and business goals
Lack of communication or contacts
Other (please specify)
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15.
From your personal experience, please specify any talent gaps you see in your business related to soft skills:
(Required.)
Reliability
Professionalism
Communication
Team interaction
Creativity
Leadership
Other (please specify)
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16.
From your personal experience, please specify any talent gaps you see in your business related to technical skills:
(Required.)
Production Line Operators
Technicians (Mechanical, Technical, etc.)
Engineers (Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Aerospace, etc.)
Project Managers
Computer Science
IT/Network/Cybersecurity
Leadership Development
Marketing
Administration
Accounting/Finance
Other (please specify)
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17.
How effective do you believe these partnerships are in preparing students for the workforce?
(Required.)
Extremely effective
Very effective
Neutral
Ineffective
Very Ineffective
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18.
What specific activities or programs would you like to see more of through business-school partnerships? (select all that apply)
(Required.)
More internship opportunities
Enhanced job shadowing programs
Regular guest lectures from industry professionals
Collaborative project-based learning
Mentorship programs
Other (please specify)
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19.
How satisfied are you with the opportunities your business has to engage with the local education community?
(Required.)
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neutral
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
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20.
What resources or support do you need from schools to enhance student learning and career readiness?
(Required.)
Better communication and coordination
More structured programs and curricula
Access to student performance data
Opportunities to participate in curriculum development
Other (please specify)
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21.
Do you conduct or sponsor employee training programs?
(Required.)
Yes
No
22.
If you answered "yes" to the above question, what programs do you offer?
In house training programs
Outsourced training
Collaborate with local educators
Other (please specify)
23.
If you answered "no" to question 21, why is this not something you offer?
No need for emp training
No time/bandwidth to organize training
Collaborate with local educators
Too expensive
Other (please specify)
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24.
How many open positions does your company currently have?
(Required.)
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25.
How can schools better support your efforts in preparing students for the workforce? (Select all that apply)
(Required.)
Providing more internship and job shadowing opportunities
Involving businesses in curriculum development
Facilitating more collaborative projects
Other (please specify)
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26.
Local assistance, including funding, is available for businesses looking to upskill existing employees, hire new employees, or provide on-the-job training or temporary employment. Would you like to learn more about funding and other resources available?
(Required.)
Yes
No
If interested, please provide your contact information (if different from above):
27.
What are the key skills or qualifications local businesses have identified as necessary for future employees?
28.
How can businesses and schools work together to better align education with local workforce needs?
29.
In what ways can the Chamber support our local schools in preparing students for the workforce?
30.
Any additional comments you would like to include?
