[248] Employers’ needs, graduates’ skills in focus on ‘MTSU On the Record’

MURFREESBORO — The next edition of the “MTSU On the Record” radio program seeks to identify the workforce skills of the future and how college students are preparing to meet the challenge.

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. Tim Graeff, director of MTSU’s Office of Consumer Research, will air from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, and from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 28, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org).

Graeff and three colleagues, including Dr. Don Roy, an MTSU marketing professor, supervised focus group interviews of employers in fall 2012 and spring 2013 to find out what they are seeing and not seeing in today’s job applicants.

Six different focus group sessions were conducted, one for each of MTSU’s academic colleges, in order for participants who spoke the same professional language to communicate about their specific needs.

Generally, the employers ranked work ethic, oral communication and motivation as the three skills they value most highly in prospective employees.

“They’re looking for potential employees who really want to be employed there, who really have a love for that job and a love for that career,” Graeff said. “You could summarize it by saying that the most important ‘ability’ is availability and reliability.”

The results of the interviews were presented at the Marketing Management Association’s spring 2014 meetings in Chicago.

To listen to previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, go to http://www.mtsunews.com/ontherecord/.

For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.