Most industrial distributors agree that there is a critical need for affordable, qualified, entry-level employees, according to recent survey results released by the Power Transmission Distributors Assn. Foundation. Of the 416 companies that responded to the association's Industrial Distribution Salesperson Survey, more than three quarters (78 percent) reported that finding qualified inside sales/customer service employees is an issue.

Respondents included distributors of electrical; gases and welding supplies; HVAC; hydraulics; industrial automation; maintenance and janitorial supplies; mill supplies; pipe, valves and fittings; plastics; pneumatics; power transmission/motion control; and safety and security equipment.

Other highlights of the survey include: nearly 75 percent of all companies responded that they would recruit new employees from an industrial distribution program at the community college or technical school level; more than 65 percent said they would use such a program for current employee development; and 62 percent of respondents indicated that they did not have a defined career path for their inside sales/customer service representatives.

'As clearly demonstrated in the survey responses, all types of industrial distributors face the critical challenge of finding qualified, affordable, entry-level employees,' said Mary Sue Lyon, executive vice president of the PTDA Foundation.

The results also validate the Foundation's ongoing workforce development initiative, Industrial Careers Pathway, for which the Foundation partnered with 18 associations that serve the distribution channel. Recognizing that most companies hire locally and that ensuring an ongoing supply of talented candidates requires local workforce development, the Foundation is working with community colleges, vocational and technical schools across the United States and Canada to teach the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in industrial distribution to potential and current employees.