Many Wilmington-area employers are looking for workers with a four-year degree or another credential and mastery of soft skills such as communication and problem-solving, according to a recently released workforce survey.

The survey, completed by Triangle-based RTI International, found a range of workforce needs across the 11 industries surveyed. The results were presented Wednesday during a talent and workforce event hosted by the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.

Michael Hogan, a research economist with RTI International, emphasized the importance of studying each of North Carolina’s labor markets individually.

“This state … has a number of very unique assets and very unique labor markets,” he said, “and so what we see happening on the coast here in North Carolina is not going to be exactly the same that you'll see in the Triangle, in the Triad, in Charlotte, in Asheville.”

This survey received responses from 372 Wilmington-area employers between May and August. Overall, the survey showed some of the highest growth projections the nonprofit has seen since 2017, Hogan said. 

Approximately 76% of the respondents said they expected to grow their businesses over the next three years. The highest levels of workforce growth were reported in the IT, construction, health care and life sciences industries.

The restaurant, lodging and hospitality services and retail sectors, in contrast, are showing signs of slowing down.

“They're projecting slower growth, which to us is an indicator that they've reached a point of kind of post-pandemic stability,” Hogan said. “Many of the tourism-based industries in the region have reached kind of a new normal.”

Overall, the survey found four-year degrees are still in high demand across several sectors although some employers are accepting a wider range of employee training credentials. Obstacles to attracting and retaining employees in the Cape Fear region include affordable housing, wage competition and the high cost of childcare.

Wednesday’s workforce event featured a panel discussion that centered around education and workforce training. It included leaders from New Hanover County Schools, Cape Fear Community College and the University of North Carolina Wilmington along with representatives of the health care, manufacturing and technology sectors.

New Hanover County Schools Superintendent Charles Foust said the schools system is working to implement programs that expose students to careers and skills they can to help shape their future.

“What we're trying to do is to give students opportunities, so they don't get to high school … and not know or not have access to a trade or a skill,” Foust said.

Jim Morton, president of Cape Fear Community College, said his institution has put an emphasis on listening to employers and the skills they need prospective workers to have. It’s that collaboration between the college and employers that’s helped shape many of its apprenticeship programs and classes, he said.

Industry representatives emphasized the need for collaboration between companies within the same industry to highlight workforce needs and to adapt to changing conditions.

During the event, the chamber also publicly debuted its North Carolina's Career Coast initiative, a branding effort aimed at drawing new workers to the area. Chamber leaders worked with Development Counsellors International (DCI), a New York City-based marketing firm that specializes in economic development campaigns. 

A new website allows workers considering a move to the Cape Fear to explore the region’s industries, lifestyle and housing costs through a cost of living calculator. It also includes a job board, allowing area employers to reach a broader audience.