2023 Skills Gap Analysis Now Available for Download
Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, in partnership with Northeast Iowa Community College, has completed the annual Greater Dubuque Skills Gap Analysis. The purpose of the Skills Gap Analysis is to provide economic developers, workforce developers, and educators with information on projected workforce shortages and to identify strategies to mitigate these gaps. Following the report release each year, Greater Dubuque Development evaluates which career pathway certificate programs will be included in the Opportunity Dubuque program, and thus receiving tuition, coaching, and other supports from Dubuque Works funders.
Skills gaps in the context of the annual report are defined as the difference between the annual openings in a particular occupation compared to the annual completions in an associated skill training program (e.g. certificate, diploma, degree, etc.). The top 20 regional skills gaps for occupations with a median hourly wage of $15 or more and not requiring substantial years of experience in the field to obtain the position are as follows:
Our 2023 Skills Gap Analysis covers the Greater Dubuque region, centered around the Dubuque Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), defined by the Office of Management and Budget as, “urban areas in the United States centered on an urban cluster with a population of 50,000 or more.” Dubuque’s MSA is the same as Dubuque County, with the report expanded to reflect the Greater Dubuque region which consists of Dubuque County and the six adjacent counties, including Clayton (IA), Delaware (IA), Grant (WI), Jackson (IA), Jones (IA), Jo Daviess (IL).
The report calls out the Greater Dubuque region’s top eight industries, based on total employment levels, as follows:
- Health Care & Social Assistance
- Manufacturing
- Educational Services
- Retail Trade
- Accommodation & Food Services
- Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services
- Transportation and Warehousing
- Finance and Insurance
Highlighted in the analysis are the following key findings which are explained in greater depth in the full report:
- Dubuque County and its Greater Dubuque region are witnessing a job growth rate that outpaces the increase in the working-age population.
- Education attainment is growing, and the trend is projected to continue.
- Each of the top 8 industries have a “skills gap” critical to growth in the region.
- The college population is a crucial talent pool for recruitment.
- There remains a large demand for entry level labor in many of our largest industries.
Greater Dubuque Development is engaged in several targeted strategies with partners to make progress on the goal of growing the region’s skilled workforce and addressing the top skills gaps in the region:
- Increase recruitment, completion, and employment outcomes of Opportunity Dubuque graduates.
- Grow opportunities for career exposure and exploration to high demand occupations in area primary schools.
- Mitigate transportation barriers for workforce, college students, and those seeking skilled training.
- Increase engagement with local college students, increase retention of local college students, and recruitment regional college graduates with in-demand skills.
More on the programs and actions related to these strategies are outlined in further detail on page 2 of the report, followed by population and demographic information, labor market overview, employment levels, unemployment rates, income and wage comparisons, industry call outs and growth projections. Click here to download the complete 2023 Skills Gap Analysis.
Throughout 2024, Greater Dubuque Development will vet this data with employers’ experience on the ground in our InfoAction visits and as well as with our Board of Directors, Future Leadership Team, Dubuque Works network, and others. Where skills gaps persist, we will continue to work with our higher education institutions to enhance or develop programs to create the workforce pipelines to meet employer needs. Our annual Skills Gap Analysis effort and the action we take based on the data it presents, is just one way we seek to deliver on the promise that YOU can be great here.
For more information about the 2023 Skills Gap Analysis, contact Nic Hockenberry, Director of Workforce Programming, 563-557-9049 or nicolash@greaterdubuque.org.
