A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR RELEASE            Contact:  David Thomas (202) 401-1579 (ED)    November 2, 1995             Bonnie Friedman (202) 219-6871 (DOL)

"We have known for some time that well-defined job skills are key to success in the workplace," Reich said. "Now we have concrete evidence of specific skill areas which contribute to productivity."

"As educators restructure America's high schools to make the important link between school and work, this study can help assure that the right skills are being taught and learned," Riley said.

The initial phase of the National Job Analysis Study, conducted by researchers at American College Testing, shows that customer service, computer skills and safeguarding information are among the most important and frequently performed activities in the workplace today. Other highly rated areas include scheduling and managing work activities and providing information to other people.

Based on a survey of 12,000 workers in 6,000 organizations, the study reviewed more than 200 common activities that contribute to productivity on the job. Job areas selected represented 164 of the fastest growing occupations in the country. The study is funded jointly by the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor.

Workers participating in the survey were asked whether an activity is performed as part of their occupation, how important the activity is to their productivity and how frequently the activity is performed during the course of their job.

Approximately 3,000 workers from 1,600 work organizations returned completed surveys.

Of the occupations represented, secretaries returned the largest number of surveys (191), followed by registered nurses (115), college faculty (100), secondary school teachers (98) and bookkeeping/accounting clerks (92). Responses were also received from engineers, postal carriers, salespersons, education administrators, librarians, bank tellers, auto mechanics, freight movers, machine operators and police officers.

According to the survey results, approximately 82 percent of respondents said they listened to customers as part of their job, and they rated this behavior as the most important and most frequent of the activities listed on the survey.

Also rated highly were the abilities associated with using a computer to locate, process, or communicate information; scheduling work activities; providing information; determining the priority of work activities; collaborating with people in other departments; judging the importance, quality and accuracy of information; and coordinating one's own work activities with the activities of others.

Researchers, educators and business leaders are reviewing the results of the survey to identify activities considered most critical to the respondents. A modified list based on the results will be sent to a second sample of 6,000 workers in similar occupations in 3,000 organizations.

This second phase of the study, scheduled to get underway early next year, will also include an "environmental" questionnaire to be sent to business executives to identify workplaces that use high-performance practices such as focus on quality and customer satisfaction, flexible culture and openness to change, leadership with clear vision, information sharing and other factors.

With the data from these two surveys, researchers will be able to identify the work activities that are critical in the most competitive business environments in the nation. Results will provide the basis for a system of job profiles directly connected to curricula taught in the nation's schools.

"Once completed, this study will provide a new language for setting priorities in job training across occupations," said Reich. "It will help people move into the workforce, make transitions from one job to another and monitor shifts in work requirements and skills over time."