Griffin Technologies doesn’t have a problem finding computer science majors with Kansas University in its back yard, according to Bennett Griffin, president of Griffin Technologies.

But when it comes to business owners in search of technical labor, some struggle to find employees.

“Of course, we have problems finding skilled labor,” said Tom Nelson, president of Nelson Machine and Tool, 2205 Haskell Ave. “Being a college community we offer a lot of white-collar workers. The schools just don’t provide those blue-collar ones.”

There is a need to develop a skilled labor work force, according to the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce’s 2004 Business Retention Report. The survey confirmed there was a need for a more technical work force. As a result, the USD 497 Administrative Task Force Regarding Technical Education was formed. Researchers are in their final stage of identifying what can be done to improve the availability of skilled labor in Lawrence.

Researchers from the KU Policy Research Institute began working on the project in November and have already surveyed more than 200 employers. They analyzed the availability of technical training at schools that offer specific training, such as Johnson County Community College, Kaw Valley Technical School and Kansas City Community College.

They also identified communities with models of training programs worth emulating, said Joshua Rosenbloom, director of the Center for Economic and Business Analysis at KU and co-investigator for the study. Researchers studied college towns similar to Lawrence, such as Lincoln, Neb., and Ames, Iowa.

“We want to see how we stack up to competitors,” said Charles Krider, research investigator. “One clear disadvantage that Lawrence has is that we don’t have a post-secondary technical training center of any kind. The question is whether those schools will serve or can serve Douglas County, or will they will stay in their own community?”

Not all this training is purely technical. Employers also are in search of employees with numeracy, leadership and literacy skills, Rosenbloom said. But in order to improve productivity and remain competitive, these businesses must have a trained work force of skilled labor employees, Krider said. Some employers have resulted to in-house training.

“It’s a night and day difference between a skilled labor with a degree and one you have to train yourself,” Nelson said. “We need more schools willing to offer some type of training programs around here.”

Results of the survey were to be released this spring, Rosenbloom said.