By RANDY CROUCH

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — An Upper Peninsula-wide labor market study found that the U.P. is home to a robust pool of engineering talent, but retaining that talent continues to be an issue.

The study, released Wednesday by the U.P. Collaborative Development Council is the first U.P.-wide labor market study and was conducted by TIP Strategies, Inc.

The study includes a county-by-county analysis of wages, benefits, workforce shortages, commuter trends, barriers to employment and more.

The study finds that the U.P. has experienced a decline in population over the past four decades and expects that trend to continue for the upcoming decades. The study says that it is challenging for the region to attract new investment due to the lack of quality in the labor pool.

“Although higher education is vital to talent development, career and technical education is equally important. The lack of skilled workers, from electricians to nursing assistants to administrative staff, impedes the ability of local businesses to grow,” the report said. “The demand for talent simply exceeds the supply. This comes as no surprise to business leaders, economic development professionals and workforce development associates working in the region, but how to address the situation is the challenge.”

The report finds that the high amount of engineering talent in the Upper Peninsula comes from the pipeline created by the three major U.P. colleges: Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University and Lake Superior State University and finds that 25% of all degrees in the area are engineering degrees, with mechanical engineering leading the way.

While the aforementioned issue of talent retention remains an issue, the study suggests some possible solutions to the issue.

“Combatting these trends will require the proactive attraction of new talent to the U.P.,” the report said. “Targeting efforts should focus on remote workers, individuals with ties to the area and those with the skills to fill high-demand occupations. Investments in quality of place, from infrastructure to cultural amenities are necessary to attract and retain workers.”

Those issues are also impacted by wages in the area.

“While the U.P. enjoys a lower cost of living than the national average, the household thresholds for making a living wage vary greatly by the composition and size of the household,” the report states. “A single adult without children can earn $32,000 annually and make ends meet, but that number more than doubles to $67,000 if that single adult has a child at home.

“Across the U.P., many of the most in-demand occupations do not pay (nor advertise) a median living wage for a prototypical family of two working parents with two children.”

Many of these issues may be commonly known to impact U.P. business, but having the data is valuable, according to InvestUP CEO Marty Fittante.

“With the positive, albeit modest population trends the U.P. has experienced over the last two years, this study is timely as it provides both a macro and micro view of the U.P. economy to employ meaningful workforce strategies to build upon the momentum of the Upper Peninsula is presently experiencing,” Fittante said in a press release.

The full report can be read online at www.investupmi.com and click on UP Data Center.

Randy Crouch can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 542. His email address is rcrouch@miningjournal.net.