Tidewater Community College Selects SkillsNET to Assist in Workforce Training Needs with Hampton Roads and National Maritime and Transportation Firms

WAXAHACHIE, TX January 2007 -

Tidewater Community College (TCC) will be conducting a Work Force Training Needs Survey with local Hampton Roads and National Maritime and Transportation firms. The survey is being administered through a web based system provided by SkillsNET Enterprises, LTD., located in Waxahachie, Texas. SkillsNET maintains a remote office in Norfolk, Virginia

The survey is being conducted to support research for a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to develop technical education support for emerging and/or growing industries in the United States. The Hampton Roads area expects to increase the amount of shipping by 1.5 million tons of goods over the next couple of years, making it one the largest port facilities on the East coast. New port facilities are already under construction or are being expanded. This growth will bring new jobs requiring a skilled labor force to maintain the shipping and transportation industry that performs the movement of vast amounts of goods into and out of the port area efficiently.

Tidewater Community College’s Workforce Development Office Maritime and Ship Repair Center is working diligently with local industry to be ready to support the training and education needs of this expanding industry. SkillsNET Enterprises, LTD., a recognized leader in web based job and workforce analysis, was chosen to assist TCC in this effort and follow-up job analysis in connection with this effort and others. SkillsNET’s web based capabilities have provided TCC with the ability to field a survey in about half the time normal paper surveys require and will have the data available for analysis immediately, saving time and manpower costs for the project. SkillsNET and TCC are also contributing partners on the Naval Shipbuilding Research Project funded through the Naval Sea Systems Command.

About SkillsNET
SkillsNET provides a revolutionary tool suite and consulting service, which allows enterprises to rapidly capture work, worker, and workplace skill data elements (SkillObjects®) and their relationship to performance. The SkillsNET methodology allows employers to capture their workforce environment through web-based applications with minimal worker and capital investment. Highly trained Skills Analysts and Industrial and Organizational Psychologists, available on-site or via phone, assist the employee and employer through the data collection process. At the end of the process, employers receive a detailed analysis of the skill base required in their workforce, the level of skill in the current workforce, and the performance standards needed to operate in today's dynamic environment. SkillsNET methodology is aligned with the Department of Labor O*NET taxonomy. For additional information please visit www.skillsnet.com.