Aug 24, 2007

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Jennifer Berg (239) 338-3161

Area Surveys Will Help Evaluate the Local Workforce

Fort Myers, Fla. (August 24, 2007)- The Horizon Council of Lee County has engaged The Wadley-Donovan Group, a premier national corporate location and economic development consulting firm, to conduct a comprehensive labor market study and inventory of education and training assets for Lee County.  Local residents and businesses are being called on to help.  Surveys were mailed earlier this week to employers and surveys will be conducted with residents beginning this weekend and running from August 25-29, 2007.
  
"We need the assistance of both residents and employers throughout the county to ensure that we are able to maintain and develop an adequate supply of skilled workers to support the continued growth of Lee County employers, states Regina Smith, Executive Director of the Economic Development Office of Lee County.

The Horizon Council is asking that employers watch for and complete a confidential survey that will be mailed to them. They are also requesting that residents spend a few minutes with surveyors who will be conducting interviews in strategic retail locations throughout Lee County.

The questionnaire for the employer survey will be mailed out today and local businesses will be asked to mail back their responses or answer the survey online at http://www.wadley-donovan.com.

The parallel household survey, geared toward the county's residents will be conducted on August 25-29, 2007 at various retail locations, selected for their strategic locations throughout the county. These local retail businesses will be asked to participate by allowing professional surveyors to conduct brief interviews at their location.

These surveys will help identify key workforce information including:

.  Skills and characteristics of the labor force
.  Any untapped labor force segments and the degree of underemployment
.  Labor demand and supply
.  Workforce concerns and perceived barriers to participation
.  Training and advancement demand and availability
.  What our challenges are to maintaining and enhancing our workforce

The Horizon Council's objective is to better understand the local labor market in order to align workforce, training, and education resources with employer requirements. The goal of this study is to present a clear picture of the labor market that will assist existing companies in developing expansion and human resource strategies, and help educators and workforce training providers meet the needs of local employers.

Once the study is complete it will be available through the Economic Development Office of Lee County (EDO).  For future updates on this report and other Economic Development initiatives you can visit www.leecountybusiness.com where you can also register for a monthly e-mail newsletter.  Businesses can also call the EDO regarding any additional business resources at (239) 338-3161.
  
The Economic Development Office of Lee County works to attract new and diversified businesses resulting in high-wage, high-skilled jobs; retains and encourages the expansion of existing businesses; and improves the overall business environment in Lee County.  www.LeeCountyBusiness.com.

The Horizon Council of Lee County,  is a 62-member public-private organization that advises the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on economic development issues.  The Economic Development Office of Lee County serves as staff to the Horizon Council.

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