By Eleanor Kennedy
The Workforce Investment Board is surveying Lynchburg area business leaders to find out more about their hiring and training practices and better assess the needs of the region’s business community.
The Workforce Investment Board, a member of the Region 2000 local government partnership, provides programming and support for both employers and employees in the area.
Brian Davis, the board’s director, said the survey is one way the board is trying to get more “real-time, contemporary” data from employers as it develops a new strategic plan.
“What better way than to actually ask the employers what they need instead of us trying to guess,” Davis said.
The survey, available now on the board’s website, www.region2000works.com, asks employers about the number of positions they have open, hiring patterns, what they look for in employees and what challenges they face.
There’s no set timeline for closing the survey and drafting the strategic plan yet, Davis said, but the process will take several months.
The answers from the survey will be used to shape future policies, programs and services.
“It’s a simple supply-and demand,” Davis said, “making sure our workforce, which is the supply, is meeting the demand needs of employers.”