Everyone who is employable is employed. Ben Garlich
Low unemployment may not seem like a problem, but in Middlefield Village, it is holding economic development back.
Leslie Gambosi, village economic development director, said Wednesday young men and women are not being hired in local industry because they don’t have what it takes to hold a job.
“They don’t have soft skills,” she told the village economic development committee, adding companies are having a hard time hiring and training people because many new hires don’t seem motivated to come to work on time and often can’t read well or do simple math.
“It’s a huge problem,” she said.
Lakeland Community College has a program to teach soft skills to employees and Gambosi said she is working on a plan for youth ages 12 through 17 to spend a day at various businesses so they understand what a workplace environment is like and what is expected of employees.
Gambosi said she has been meeting with representatives from 15 of the area’s largest employers to determine their needs. Finding and keeping qualified employees is at the top of their list, she said.
“I appreciate their candidness,” Gambosi said, adding the survey is taking time. She is coordinating with Geauga County Job and Family Services on the project.
There seems to be a growing number of retirees moving back to Geauga County, she said. Employers might be able to arrange with them to teach the soft skills to new hires.
“(Soft skills) aren’t something kids pick up at school if they don’t learn them at home,” said committee member Kim Breyley.
Mayor Ben Garlich, sitting in on the meeting, said at Dillen Corp. the practice is to hire people in a temporary capacity to see how they work out. Those who show promise are often hired, but some companies need more workers than they have, he said.
“We have a great labor force,” Garlich said, adding businesses don’t like to hire people without the basic skills.
“Everyone who is employable is employed,”?he said.
Enlarging the pool of available workers is important to economic development in the village, Garlich said.
The Chem Technologies expansion at state routes 528 and 87 is progressing and a couple of more business projects are in the works, he said.
“I think the next couple of years is going to be good,” Garlich said, adding the village can look forward to an increase in employment.
The committee also discussed how to find businesses interested in moving to Middlefield Village.
Gambosi said the village could advertise in a regional magazine or work with a website that helps businesses find promising sites.
