Oakland County has commissioned a regional survey of employers, asking them what skills and abilities they require of potential employees wanting jobs in the rapidly-evolving connected/autonomous vehicle industry.
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson Tuesday announced the launch of the connected/autonomous vehicle Skills Needs Assessment Project, which will identify the knowledge, skills and abilities – from the employer’s perspective – necessary for job seekers to succeed in the industry.
“Rather than just jump into the fray, we are attempting with this survey to find out from the prospective employers what skills they are looking for in this highly technical field,” Patterson said. “Instead of guessing what they want, why not ask them what they need?”
The survey is expected to begin by late July and results are expected to be available by the end of the year, said Jennifer Llewellyn, manager of the Oakland County Michigan Works! division. Original equipment manufacturers, suppliers and information technology are among the companies likely to be surveyed. Those companies wishing to participate or with questions about the project should contact Llewellyn at llewellynj@oakgov.com.
The connected/autonomous vehicle Skills Needs Assessment Project (SNAP) is the fourth in a series of employer job surveys commissioned by Oakland County. SNAP began in 2009 with a study of skills and knowledge required for jobs in the Emerging Sectors®, which identifies top growth sectors in the region such as medical, communications, information technology and advanced materials. A second study was completed in 2013 on advanced manufacturing. The most recent was completed in 2014 identified the challenges and job opportunities facing area health systems. The first three reports are available online at under the “Business” section of www.AdvantageOakland.com.
The survey will be conducted by EdEn Inc., a Rochester-based research firm which produced the first three surveys. The project emanated from a recommendation of the Oakland County Business Roundtable Workforce & Education Committee and is funded by Oakland County and the Oakland County Workforce Development Board through a grant from the Michigan’s Workforce Development Agency and the U.S. Department of Labor.
During his 2014 State of the County speech, Patterson announced the formation of a connected vehicle task force to implement a countywide connected vehicle ecosystem. The county is home to dozens of major research and development facilities for many of the global companies operating in the driver-less vehicle space including Autoliv, Continental, Denso, Delphi, Google, Lear, Nissan, P3, and Valeo.
“The technology and the workforce for the autonomous vehicles are all right here,” said Irene Spanos, director of economic development for the county. “The study results will help shape K-12, college and university curriculum and content, giving real-time employer-driven information to students and parents to help them make career decisions and have a real chance for success.”
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