BALTIMORE – If you’re a small-business
owner who is having difficulty finding key talent, you’re not alone. Despite
high unemployment, there is a shortage of qualified people in a wide range of
occupations in the Baltimore area and across the country. Several key trends
suggest these skills gaps are going to get worse.

According to a report last week in the New York Times, the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development indicates that the skill
level of the labor force in the U.S. has fallen well behind that of our peer
countries. Most people know we lag in science, technology, engineering and math
(the "STEM" areas), but the OECD report also shows we’re behind in
basic literacy and problem-solving skills as well. Many of my small business
clients, frustrated with the caliber of applicants they see, could have told
you this. Challenging jobs to fill don’t just include the well known shortages
in IT occupations, they range from truck drivers to mechanics, customer
service, sales personnel and travel agents.

The kinds of skill shortages identified in the OECD report
will be made worse by a couple of "good news" trends – – a return of
manufacturing to the U.S. and increasing signs Americans want to buy “made in
America” products. While we’re not going to see the manufacturing levels we saw
in the decades between World War II and 1990, cheaper energy here, lower labor
costs and increasing problems with overseas manufacturing are encouraging many
multinational companies to manufacture goods in the U.S.

Small-business owners can’t fix the problems in our
educational system or fill skills gaps on their own, but you don’t have to be a
big publicly held company with lots of dollars to spend on training and
development to take some creative actions to grow your own labor supply.

As demand has picked up for American textiles and apparel, a
group of manufacturers in Minnesota have created a partnership with a nonprofit
organization and a local technical college to create a six-month training
program for industrial sewers. The course prepares its graduates to begin
three-week rotations on the factory floors of the manufacturers in the
coalition.

Closer to home, I’ve got two small business clients in
Maryland who are thinking strategically and taking creative steps to address
their future work force needs. Jay Ellenby, the CEO of Safe Harbors Travel
Group, has developed a training program for people who want to become travel
agents. His company makes a small profit on the program, but more importantly,
he increases the supply of travel agents and has the ability to select the best
for his own business after they’ve gained some experience.

Another example is a software services company I work with
that is developing a career ladder manual. When finished, the manual will give
every one of the company’s 45 employees the opportunity to plan the progressions
of their careers, identify the additional training, education and experience
they need to advance and take the steps necessary to progress. Not only will
the career ladder manual help develop the supply of in-demand I.T.
professionals, it should help with retention.

With some strategic thinking and creativity, small
businesses in a wide range of sectors can help themselves solve the skills gap.
With the lead times involved, and the gap getting bigger, it’s time to get
started.