The skills that Chippewa Valley employers need and the skills potential workers have don’t always line up, leaving a gap that hinders the local economy. That’s the gist of a new report by the Eau Claire Economic Development Corp. called Narrowing the Skills Gap: A Regional Workforce Initiative. What kinds of jobs are falling into the gap? The list is tech heavy, including occupations like computer programmers, computer-controlled machine operators, diesel technicians, mechanical and electrical engineers, health care procedure coders, information systems workers, nurses, and welders. After identifying problems, the report proposes a five-point plan of action: gathering local labor marking information more quickly; communicating that data better; reducing barriers for economically challenged students (such as microgrants); developing a regional strategy to recruit workers who have skills not taught locally; and knocking down impediments to getting students (and adults) to explore careers and gain work experience. Now that the report’s out, the EDC and its partners will be working to implement the recommendations. To check out the full report, go to here.