HMO Elk ‘Joitn _ .35.. l I AU momma“ mrwsa UNI... It! 2...: 0‘” ”WM“ 8 “I: wt... 3 m... .i... am” vi um”. w: On.“ a s 0.1.... 0 P03 ‘7"; 3 'z6 . . at: \éé A? 57 fr .4 b T: w. E. F: ' , 'er 19$ 01‘ ”A.’ D n I AT L 1:; A Sum Y SF 15mm. J' pn- .h (L. fl 83R BEST?! _: __:7 :_::: PLACE N RETURN BOX to romovo this checkout from your record. TO AVOID FINES return on or bdoro duo duo. DATE DUE DATE DUE DATE DUE ll MSU Is An Afflnnofivo Action/Equal Opportunity Inflation m plus-9.1 KNEPPER COLLECTION BUSINESS LlBRARY A SURVEY OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES IN SELECTED DISTRIBUTIVE OCCUPATIONS m SAGINAW, MICHIGAN AN ABSTRACT OF THE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECT BY DONALD EFREMOFF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SUMMER 1967 Statement of the Problem This study is designed to determdne the employment opportunities that are available in the Saginaw area for high school graduates in selected distributive occupations. Procedures The survey was conducted by means of the structured interview guide technique. The interview guide sheets were completed by the managers of the following types of business firms: banks, department stores, discount stores, hotels and motels. shoe stores. specialty stores, supermarkets, end variety stores. Employers of the above firms were interviewed personally by the researcher during the period from February to May 1967. These firms were selected because they are most frequently used by the general public. Findings From the thirty-two distributive outlets that were initially contacted, twenty-three firms indicated a high interest in hiring high school graduates for positions available in such areas as: sales. office, management, maintenance, and other. Over three~fourths of the firms interviewed also indicated a definite preference for hiring those high school graduates that have had distributive cooperative training, as compared to those high school graduates who have had little or none of this type of training. The study points out that positions are available to the high school graduates particularly in such areas as sales and office. Twenty-one firms stated that they were anticipating business expan- sion in the near future, which further proves that the opportunities are definitely available to the high school graduate in the field of distribution. The majority of firms contacted were very positive in their praise of the job the high schools were doing in preparing the high school graduates for the world of work. It is significant to point out that thirty-two firms were contacted and they completed the interview guide. The responses to the various questions proved to be useful for the development and improvement of classroom procedures and techniques to better aid in the vocational preparation of the high school student for his possible lifetime vocation. It must be pointed out that not enough distributive(retsil) firms were intervieeed to produce any absolute conclusion. The sample was not wholly representative of the total retail field. This study was also limited to the Saginaw, Michigan, ares. A SURVEY OF EMPLOYER-IT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILUJLE TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES IN SELECTED DISTRIBUTIVE OCCUPATIONS m SAG mew, MICHIGAN . AN INDEPENDENT STUDY SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREI‘IL‘I‘TTS OF EDUCATION 883 AND MASTEE‘ OF ARTS DMREE BY DONALD EFREMUFP SLTEIER 19 67 TABLE OF CONT ENTS Page LIST OF TABLES iii Chapter I. INTROWCTIONO00.000.00.00...0......OOOOCOOOOOIOOOOOOCOCOOOQ 1 Statement of the Problem 1 Purpose of the Study 1 Assumptions 1 Delimitation: 2 Definition of Terms 2 II. REVIm or LITERAWREOOOOOOOOO0.00.00.00.000...00.00.00.0000 5 III. METHODSANDPROCEDURESOOO0.00...OOOOOOOCOO‘OOOOOOOOOOOO0.00. 9 Methods 9 Procedures . 9 Limitations 10 IV. PRESENTATION AND‘ARALYSIS OF THE DATAooooooooo.....ooooooo. II V. SUMMARY. CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMEHDATIONSoooo...oo.oooo..o.. 21 summary 21 Conclusions 21 Recommendations 23 BIBLIOGRAPHY ” 25 APPENDIX A ‘ - 28 Letter to Selected Business Firms 29 Interview Guide For: 30 APPENDIX B 34 List of Firms Furnishing Data for Study 35 ii Table LIST OF TABLES Occupational Breakdown of Employees Within 8118111888 Firms InterViewedssssssssssossssossssssssss Extent of Interest of the Employers in Various Types of Distributive getlets in Hiring High School GraduateBOOOOOIOOOOOOCOOCOOOOOOO0.00.000.00.000...0.0.0.0.. Responses of Employers in Firms Indicating the Preference of Hiring High School Graduates with Distributive COOPBI'SCIVe Training. so 0 s s s o s s s s o s s s s o o s s s s s s 0 Responses of Firms Regarding the Use of Pro-Employment Tests for Selecting Potential Employeea."snuuunu........'...n.u........ Responses of Firms Concerning the Use of Personal Interviews for Securing Patential Employeess0.0000000000000000.sssssssssossssssssss Responses of Firms Concerning the Use of Outside References When Considering the Potential Employeesuununu.....................o... Responses of-Pirms Naming Five Characteristics Considered to be _ Esamtial for ‘ Patefltial Employee..uuo...o.............o Responses of Firms as to What Occu- pational Positions srs Open to the High SChOOl Graduate’ at T1“ Of SurveYsssosssssssossossssosssss iii Page 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 U a Q Q . v - o . § . 9 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Statement 2; Problem The problem of this study was to determine the employment oppor- tunities that are available for our high school graduates in selected distributive occupations and to determine the skills and training necessary for these selected distributive occupations. This study will be confined to the distributive businesses located in the Saginaw area. I Pugose 2.1. Problem The purposes of this study were: 1) To determine what employment Opportunities are available for the high school graduate in the Saginaw area. 2) To determine the necessary skills and training required for the selected distributive occupations. éssggptions The following assumptions were made: 1) That the techniques of employing structured interview sheets, personal interviews. and the review of current literature are legitimate instruments for determining the occupational needs of high school youth. 2) That a need exists for an evaluation of the job opportunities available for high school youth in the Saginaw area. 3) That high schools are not meeting the needs of high school youth in preparing them for the world of work. 4) That a survey can aid in improving and expanding the present vocational education program in preparing youth for the world of work. altimitations 1) This study was limited to the 1960-1966 high school graduates of the Saginaw schools located in Saginaw, Michigan. 2) This study was limited to eight selected types of distributive outlets located in Saginaw. Michigan. gatinition 3g germs For the purpose of this study, the following were defined: ‘ Distributive Education - a program providing instruction in marketing and merchandising for those engaged in retailing, wholesaling, and service businesses. gisgribution - those activities involved in the movement of goods from producer to consumer and changes in their ownership. ngperative Ogggpagionel grainigg - a program in which the employer. school. student. and parent cooperate in the training a! the student for occupational work experience with classroom instruction under the super- vision of a teacher-coordinator who is occupationally competent in the training area. Outlets - retailers according to the merchandise line carried and service organisations according to the type of service they render. §ales Position - positions within a retail organisation in which an employee exercises "face to face" contact with the consumer public, whether- it be for the searing of a product or a service. Eanagement Positions - positions whithin any organisation which are concerned with the planning, administration, and'work assigned to the respective departments concerned. .§5;;;g - the ability to use one's knowledge effectively; technical proficiency; or a deveIOped or acquired ability. grainigg . a continous and organised process, dealing‘with changes anticipated for the future as wall as those changes currently taking place within the world of work. Vocational Education - education specifically designed to prepare persons for gainful employment and to keep them.up-to-date in their chosen occupations. It is of less than college grade and includes agriculture, business, distribution, home economics, and training and industrial pursuits. £3553 - are establishments for the custody, loan, exchange, or issue of money, for the extension of credit, etc. Department Stores . operate on a multiline basis, feature all kinds of clothing,,homn furnishings, and piece goods. Discount Stores . carry a wide variety of general merchandise, most of which is sold on a self-service basis at prices considerably below those of traditional stores selling the same goods. Hotels and ggtels - building or inn that provides lodging and lusually meals for the public, especially for transients. Specialty §h02s(3tores) . carry narrow lines of merchandise such as millinery, jewelry, flowers, etc. Supermarkets - large food stores that operate primarily on a self- service basis. Their lines are generally classified as groceries, meats, baked goods, dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables, and frozen goods. Variety Stores - are those stores with a multiline type operation, but they concentrate on lower price lines and emphasize open display of all their stocks. Service Industries . institutions that sell services such as: advertising agencies, amsement enterprises, banks, hotels and motels, insurance companies, real estate companies, stock brokerages, etc. CHAPTER II REVIEW 0? RELATED LITERATURE An employer is someone'who hires people for jobs. But few people think of employers in such simple terms. They think instead of firms or corporations, companies or trusts, as though the employer were a build- ing or a letterhead instead of a human being. It should also be remembered that the world of work is not made up solely of machines and money, but mainly it is composed of people. Employers are just like everyone else, except for the job they do. They vary in their attitudes and opinions, their likes and dislikes, their'ways of doing things, and their reason for doing them. Since these employers are human beings, they each look for different characteristics in potential employees. Moak found in his study that the four most common characteristics for employee success were honesty, ability to get along with other people, sense of responsibility, and loyalty to the firm.1 The field of distribution is one of the nation's three leading economic activities, along‘with production and agriculture. The goods or services sold by one salesman represents paychecks to other men and women on farms and in factories and offices; since,unless goods or services are sold to consumers, our economic system is not complete. Un- less a product is sold, the plant that sakes it cannot keep operating. Production and distribution together yield wages. With these'wages, W 1Barry J. hoak, WA Study to Determine Which Personal Traits are Necessary for Success in Retailing in Flint, Michigan," (unpublished Master‘s disse.tation, Michigan State University, 1966), p. ll. peeple can buy more goods. Industries expand to meet economic needs by employing more workers and thus paying more wages.2 There are many predictions that between 1960 and 1970, the growth in the labor force pet-\year will rise by over 1% million people of various age groups seeking full or part-time jobs. Estimations are that there will be 87 million peeple assuming full time employment, of'which approxi- mately 26 million will be young workers entering the labor markst(eo,000 to 50,000 young people each week).3 Mason and Haines in their book Cooperative Occupational Education, stated that from 1960 to 1975, the labor force will grow even faster than the population as a whole because of the large number of young people reaching working age.‘ The education of these 26 million young workers met match the needs of a growing economy. From the current trends it appears that even high school graduates with adequate vocational preparation will find it diffi- cult to sewre jobs, which means that the schools amst offer a wider variety of on-the-job training situations. It has become apparent to those studying contemporary labor market trends and contamorary vocat- ional education practices that new and broader approaches to the training of youth are needed.5 The types of training(vocationa1 preparation) that young people should receive if they are to be successful in their pursuit of mnployment hinges largely on the types of jobs that are or will be z"Your Opportunities in Distribution," potions; Associapiog of flgnugacpurers, (New York, 1955). p. 5. 3Benjamin c. Willis, "Vocational Education in the Years Ahead, " Amergcan.zoca§ional Journal (February, 1963), p. 37. 4Ralph 3. Mason and Peter G. Heines, Cooperative Occupational Educapion and Work gaperience in the gprriculum (Danville, ll inois: Interstate Press, 1965), p. 10. 50.8. Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare, "Vocational Education in the Heat Decade, ” Office of Education, Washington, D. 0., 1961. available. The field of distribution has hundreds of thousands of jobs available for applicants‘with the right skills in such areas as: sales, merchan- dising, buying, storing, financing, traffic management, accounting, personnel, control, and operation. It is not necessary for a person to always sell a product; he or she may be involved in the transaction of some fore.o£ service as a teller at a bank, waitress at a restaurant, desk clerk at a hotel or ‘motel. During the 1965-75 decade, employment in sales occupations is ex- pected to rise fairly rapidly~~approximately 250,000 per year.6 Retail selling is one of the few fields innwhich an employea‘with initiative and ability nay be selected for promotion, regardless of his education.7 service industries will be among the fastest growing industries during the next ten years. About one-half more workers will be replayed in this industry in 1975 than in 1964.8 The above predictions are based on a growing and healthy economy in.which people have money to spend and thus rely on other people's service. The implications for distributive education in accord'with the pre- dictions made indicate a healthy environment of. opportunity for those high school graduates who can acquire the needed skills and abilities. This study has delineated what the prospective employers desire in the way of skills and ability on the part of the high school graduate. 6u.s. Dept. of Labor, Occupational gpglook Handbook; 1966-67. U. 8. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. 0., p. 306. 7ggid, p. 303. albld. Pa 14s Similar studies have been accomplished and will properly be continued to enable the acquisition of up-to-date data to influence curriculum offerings . CHAPTER III METHODS AND PROCEDURES neghods The survey was conducted by means of the structured interviu guide technique. These interview sheets were coupleted by the managers of the business firms contacted. The distributive outlets were grouped homogeneously into eight classifications as listed below according to their method of Operation Procedure Ewloyers from each type of distributive outlet were interviewed personally by the researcher during the period from February to Key 1967. Although there were some interview scheduling disadvantages in using this method, it is the opinion of the researcher that for this particular study the advantages outwaighed the disadvantages. For trample, because of employers’ lack of uninterrupted time, the structured interview sheets could not be completed during the interviews. Consequently, the inter- view form was kept by the firm contacted and completed and returned later. The researcher's schedule of interviews included at least four of 1 each of the following types of businesses located in the Saginaw area: 1) Banks 5) Shoe Stores .‘ \ 2) Department Stores 6) Specialty Stores \ 3) Discount Stores 7) Supermarkets 4) Hotels and Hotels 8) Variety Stores 10 The above were selected because they are most frequently used by the general public. This survey was conducted with the managers and/or qualified representatives of the personnel departments of the business concerns listed above. Limitations The researcher contacted managers and personnel directors and spent an extensive amount of time at each interview to assure that their judgments were as accurate as possible. and therefore, valid for making any conclusions. The outcomes of this study were limited because of geographic location and the limited experience of the researcher in conducting the interviews . CI—IAPTER IV PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE DATA A total of thirty-two personal interviews were.made by the re- searcher of the distributive outlets mentioned on page 9 in chapter 111 of this study. lieny of the distributive outlets were contacted several times in order to meet with the qualified representatives of the personnel departments. The employees of the respective distributive outlets interviewed were placed into the following five classifications: office. sales, management. maintenance, and other. The largest areas of job opportun- ities open to the high school graduates were sales personnel. office personnel. and other(Table 1). Banks. which sell a service, employ more office personnel while hotels and motels, which also sell a service. employ more people in maintenance and other categories due to the nature of their operation. In response to the question, “To what extent are you interested in hiring high school graduates for the categories of 3 office, sales, management. maintenance, and others 7", it was found that 23 or 72 per cent of the total number of distributive outlets interviewed indicated e high interest in the hiring of high school graduates for these positions (Table 2). As indicated in Table 3, over three-fourths of the firms interviewed indicated a definite preference for hiring those high school graduates with distributive cooperative training. .14" 1.. . .ll'llil! l2 IABLEl GgCUPAIIOEflg EM 0? EWQYEEg WIZHEE BUSL‘IESS ELLE INJERVLWEQ paganism BREAKDOWN as was 0mm mas or no. or no. or so. or so. or so. or ggmzs gnsnvmmn m Mi. gamma W m Banks 265 188 . 111 55 37 Department Stores 96 296 " 77 9 56 Discount Stores 25 185 56 15 37 Hotels a Motels 14 12 17 26 218 Shoe Stores : 5 25 12 l 3 Specialty Stores 54 231 51 17 61 Supermarkets 17 205 24 6 18 Variety Stores 17 11s 10 S 20 TOTAL 493 ‘l.256 358 134 450 There‘were three out of thirty-two firms that gave negative responses to the possibility of hiring those high school graduatea'vith dis- 1 tributive cooperative training. They felt that they had a negative attitude and'vere unmotivated.rhese firms preferred to hire those*vith little or no training in this area because they have their own training programs. two firms had non-commital attitudes and thus gave no opinion concerning this question(Table 3). When questioned as to whether or not they require a presumploymont test of their potential employees, most firms did not use thennbut the difference between those that did and those that did not was amall(Teble 4). These firms were also asked to indicate if they required a personal interview'with potential euployecs(Tahle 5). All but one said yes to 13 this question. It was interesting to note that ninety-seven per cent of the firms responded that personal interviews were required of all job categories. TABLE 2 EXTBET OF INTEREST OF THE EH?LUYE;S IN VARIOUS TYPES OF DISTRIBUTIVE OUTLETS " KIGH SCdOC GRADEATC ..__.___L.L._TYP35 0 r was 2:19.11 1.011 W 21211 Banks 3 l 0 0 Department Stores 2 2 0 0 Discount Stores 2 2 0 0 Hotels and Hotels 3 l O 0 Shoe Stores 3 l 0 0 Specialty Stores 4 0 O O Supermarkets 4 0 0 0 Variety Stores 2 1 1 0 TOTAL 23 8 1 O The researcher was interested in finding the references used by the firms interviewedflable 6). A majority of firms carpi-seed that the use of personal references was their nest important tool of employee select- ion, followed by the use of police and school records. It was interesting to find that only one of the banks did use police files as a source where all of the discount stores did refer to this facet. It was also very interesting to note that all of the banks checked school records j and the credit bureau as they felt that these were the most important - 4 ‘ . .. .4 4 4 I . - - . Q . - — - - o 1 ‘4 1 . , "I s A y o .‘ A - - V ’ I w 1 ,. y ' , ,L .1 I‘ ' ‘ “. " L‘ I n ' v .r v - r ,. 4.. . - 1 - . . . . - n. .- - r...‘ . o - s.— c. - U . .. I . par ‘ ’s . ‘4 , ' . . .- J— ' a . ' 7 L c ‘ 4 ' I J 4 -1 ‘ o ‘ . 1 _ , I I . 1‘ ' .1 ' ,7 to them. All of the thirty-two distributive outlets contacted relied on more than one or two references in their employee selection. TABLE 3 RESPONSES or BEL-CHEERS IN FIRMS INDICATING THE PREFERENCE or ammo 111011 3911001. evenness 91m Disrnznunvs 91109511111171 11191111111: QISTRIBUTIVE CCGPERATIVE ERAINIEC QEPLO‘fERS are. 133mg YES “23:1“ :19 cannot Banks 3 l 0 Department Stores 4 0 0 Discount Stores 4 0 0 Hotels and Morals 3 1 0 Shoe Stores 2 l 1 Specialty Stores 3 O l Supermarkets 4 0 0 Variety Stores 4 0 0 TOTAL , 27 3 2 In an attempt to learn the principal characteristics that an em- ployer looks for when seeking potential employees, the employer was asked to list five. The researcher discovered that there was a definite vari- ation between the different organizations contacted. A composite list use made according to their importance as listed below: (Table 7) Appearance; Attitude; Personality; Ambition; Reliability; Honesty; Ability; and Communication's skill. The researcher's results to this question seems to be very similiar to the conclusion drawn by the study of Harry J. Monk.(see footnote 1). The establishments that handled or served foods seemed to emphasize I’ll-[Pl .I 1 . . < J 1.! ,Mrflhfifidfigfin Room a.— Noou M.— 4488.. 15 Nn u NnN n museum hoowus> Nn .— NmN n ouoxhgsmmm Nun e No 0 oououm hunewooem Nam e No 0 oououm nomm NHN e No Q swoon: was uuouom Run m Re a sououm ucooouwn Rn u NMN n museum umoauummoa Rn a Man n madam E0 Mm.“ award.“ EEO mum Mum—5‘53 nmszaemenfl ”ED 805 8 mBme Mmb 9.8:“ we mmE mmmiwsafi 12. .EHOA @380de w. 3MB swarmsrmglumm ho mm: BE. Qfifififimmd magnum ho mmmzomqmmd .9 Sara 16 H n AmMHZH H sameneshomsm sououm nuanwuonm museum comm odouoz use ououom canon, unsoonwn sonoum ucoauuemnn emcee Oil n.‘ I’ltlsllv -a'tfo ' y l7 :3 co u-c -O N O N 53.9.". MHNNMNF‘ N muUMDOW wage «anemone ear—INMNNO to ~e en co to ta to a manage me q suosnesuonsm sououm suaswooem sououm norm «annex use swouom concum unsoosam sououm unosfihunon canon mmmmmnmmuwmmmm. . _ o l . 1 t r i ' a I t) 1st. «4 .1-.. \I h 1. es. s .llsl 511110.. v1..‘I14 t...- qi9I‘plcsc... Iv. ll. I . 1.: I." k e. .. I uvl .ss 1'. r . l l L . ' . - x A 1 4 o 1 1 c u .111. it: 1". ,l s. us. ‘0‘! 1..§.\..| ..II 3!. . .tsll.!..lh..\ .! . !.1 leI|.|.I‘ OI]... .‘Isl w - ....,1..1....,....u . 1.13.. .9; Is tfllrss’lsl Huyllzy 18x , . n 2 , ml“ 1....in 18 .333 no; anon 3 was .huzaaussoassu .Pust gouache" Jason—sens .soosvuudoo Just on woos .uotirsn .510: .hssausso .3333... Jackson“ .ssseuuous 95.3. sign—33g .huuzns .5233 "pursues.“ a: opens 23 he assesses snot urns 333.3332“. use? 3 3 3 on «a 53.8. a o a a n 3.38 Deans» e .n a c e sauna-sauna o o N N c ssuouu Dungeon» a . .— N n c season some a u o n o 338. a 338 N N d n n 8.43» assess:— « u u n c Issue insane « n a n n is... «Gunman? Nah 32‘s.. gum ho magma! has 1.11! 1 Ma. .. v1. . . in .4. .. a ; flail? Q‘ . no. . t 1. . . .. .0311...“ jog- 7.”. I'fi‘. 19 a need for good health on the part of those applying for employment. The business employers were also asked to indicate'what occu- pationsl(employment) positions they usually had Open for the high school graduates(Tabls 8). As one might expect. the predominant area of Job Opportunities was in the sales area. Two of the distributive outlets contacted indicated no availability of jobs because they have had little or no employee turnover. TABLE 8 RESPONSES OP FIRMS AS TO WHAT OCCUPATIONAL POSITIONS ARE USUALLY 0P TYPES OF FIRMS SALES MANAGEMENT SURVEYEQ §2§IIIONS POSEI§ON§ Banks 1 0 Department Stores k 1 Discount Stores 3 1 Hotel and Motel 4 0 Shoe Stores 4 1 Specialty Stores 3 O Supermarkets 4 0 Variety Stores 4 l TOTAL 27 4 When asked the question, "Does your organization have a continuous turnover of employees?". twenty-four firms said yes. They tended to be in the following Job categories--sales and office. Not one of these firms indicated any turnover in the management area of their organisation. Eight firms indicated that they experienced little or no turnover among their employees. ts sl"!«..l§..'\ this... .30.... o. J. .filflfl’fli‘m me.‘ .133 .d. ”Jisjwwr- br‘ .ul...| 20 During the interview with the employers, the researcher discussed what their opinions were concerning the preparation of the high school graduates for selected distributive occupations. Approximately twenty firms replied in the positive, stating that they had good experience with high school graduates trained in this area and found that they adapted easier to their methods and procedures of business Operation. Ten firms gave a negative response with such coments as: high school graduates need more training and prparation, need more on-the-Job training, and less emphasis on theory but snore emphasis on job development. Two of the firms gave absolutely no Opinion concerning this question. In closing the interview with the various firms, the researcher was concerned with their attitude toward the schools and how well students are prepared for the world of work. To the question, ”In your opinion, do the high schools prepare the high school graduates for selected dis- tributive occupations?" Weary firms responded with yes, ten firms said no, and We firms had definitely no Opinion. The replies fell into eight general areas of cements: l) The need for closer cooperation between schools and business with more use of resource persons. projects. con- mnity surveys, etc.; 2) The need for encouragement of students to take better advantage of the Opportunities available during their high school careers; 3) the need for more emphasis placed in such areas as: psycholoy, sociology, and training in public relations so that students can better meet the public; lb) The need to sell the Opportunities and advancements that are possible in the field of distribution; 5) The need to stress earlier "on-the-job training" for students. There were four personnel managers who had non-comital attitudes yet seemed to be satis- fied with the preparation afforded by the schools. I.|..uJI. . n .. 4. Ir“. a'!‘.. L .L luv-estul' ....\\or’ . CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECORMENDATIONS Susan. the primary purpose of the study was to determine what employment opportunities are available for the high school graduates in selected distributive occupations. Data was collected from thirty-two distributive outlets located in the Saginaw area. The method used in making this study was the structured inter- view sheets and personal interviews with qualified personnel of the various firms contacted. Each employer was asked to complete the questions contained on the interview guide to the best of their ability and knowledge. Conclusions. This study proved both interesting and helpful to those of us connected with the vocational education programs of the Saginaw area high schools. However. it mat be restated that the reader should draw no inferences from the data due to the fact that the majority of employers were retail outlets. Thirty-two firms were contacted and they consented the interview guide. the distributive outlets were grouped into the following eight categories: banks, department stores. discount stores, hotels and motels, shoe stores. specialty stores, super- markets. and variety stores. The employee occupations were grouped into five categories, the responses showed that sales, Office, and other were the leading areas of employment . ... .n . l. til-3". . . .e-Iia .| .9 I730.... 1.! 14 vi. Q ..|a: , . a. a ‘l..l|-....v.... it. 33$}, a. V . .l‘ilr sly} - (I ‘5»- .22 This study magnifies the fact that the firms interviewed have a very high interest in hiring high school graduates. Over half of the firms interviewed indicated a preference of hiring high school graduates with distributive cooperative training. The law firms that replied negatively to the hiring of high school graduates*with this training said that they felt that these students were either unmotivated or had a negative attitude toward work in general. The use of presemployment tests seemed to indicate a lack of no importance by the firms interviewed as one or their means or employee selection. but this area was going to be critically considered in the future. a Personal interviews'were found to be the primary tool of employee selection by the businesses interviewed in this survey. The references used by the firms in the order of their importance were: personal references, followed by police records, scholastic records, attendance records, and credit bureau reports. The leading areas of employment usually open to the high school graduates were sale; positions followed by office positions. Twentyeona out of thirty-two firms said that they are anticipating business expansion in the near future in the Saginaw area. Several of those that said no as pertaining to the Saginaw area but would be expand- ing across the state and nation. Twantyefour firms said they had a continous turnover of employees in sales. The majority of firms interviewed stated that the high schools do an adequate job of preparing their graduates for selected distributive occupations. u? 41 . ‘ -. .tl ‘ I ... .‘ . u. . :.J . ,0 10.3% .Ix‘. .‘O‘,. .4... 4“-.. . 7:... J. is» .N’ .a.4 i 1. -1 . Juntie 3.: A. v 8. -IIJI 23 The suggestions made by the firms as to how the high schools could better prepare the students for the‘world of work fell under the follow- ing six headings: 1) School Business soaperstion. 2) Encouragement of students. 3) Social science education. 4) Emphasis on Opportunities and advancement. 5) More vocational guidance and counseling. 6) Earlier on-the-job training, by the eleventh grade. Recommendagigng l) A more comprehensive evaluation of the vocational curriculum is necessary to meet the needs of the students as well as the needs of business. The field of retailing is rapidly changing and consequently the schools must be up-to-date in their teaching techniques, ideas. etc. 2) In order to more adequately prepare high school graduates for selected distributive occupations, a more diverse curriculum including a wider variety of offerings should be deve10ped to meet the individual need of each student enrolled in this particular field of training. . 3) There should definitely be a closer tie between the business community and the high schools through the use of advisory committees, speakers. etc. ‘ 4) School counselors should be educated in vocational placement of non-college bound students, and they must be made to realize the importance of teacher-coordinators and what their responsibility is to distributive education. This is necessary so that distributive training classes*will not become “dumping grounds“. II.A :1 J0} 5) The schools should take a closer interest in their non-college bound students and expose them to what careers are open to them as a vocation and not just a Job. B 123 L100 RAPHY 26 B IBLIUGRAPHY Public Documents U. 5. Department of Labor, Occupational Q5100}: handbook, 1966-67. Washington, D. 0., U. S. Government Printing Office, 1966-67. U. S. Department of Labor, flyover Rmrt g_f_ the President, Washington, Do Co. Us 3. Government Printing Office. 1966s U. s. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Office of Education, Vocational Education in. the Next Qgcade, Washington, D. C. , U. 8. Government Printing Office, 1961. U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Education, Education for g Qhanging World 0 Work, Washington, D. C... U. 3. Government Printing Office, 19 Books Haines, Peter 6., and redder, Herbert 11., Qistributive Education gaining Guides. South-Western Publishing Co. , 1965. Hand. Barcld Ce. Esainins for Gaingg; Em?10222dte Stat. Of Illinoi. Board of Vocational Education, Springfield, Illinois, 1961. Mason, Ralph 8., and Heines, Peter 6., Cooperative Qccupational Education and w__o__rk Marianne in the ericulum. The Interstate Pablishersg 1300. “19650 Articles and geriodicals Bernard, Louise" "Out of School and Out of Work," Overview(Ju1y, 1962). Chase, Edward 1., "Learning to be Unemployable," Harper's figurine (April, 1963). Kuehl, Neil., "What if Your Youngster Doesn't go to College?," Better Homes and gardens (Hay, 1963). Leonard, George 3., "Are We Cheating Twenty Million Students 2," 20k MagazineUune, 1963). 14c Fayden, Edward., "Improving Attitudes and Performances of Salespeople, “ Journal of Retailing. New York: New York University. Al . I. livaflsv LI It». .Ilslte 27 Articles and Periodicals Scott, George A., "Your Future in Retailing, " Richards Rosen Press Inc. New York, New York, 1951. Velie, Lester., "Why Johnny Can't Get a Job," Rea are EigesgcJanuary, 1963). Willis, Benjamin c., "Vocational Education in the Years Ahead, Amerigan Vocational Education(Fehruary, 1963). "Your Opportunities in Distribution," Rational Association.g£ fianufacturers(New York, 1955). Unpublished Material Mask, Harry J., “A Study to Determine Which Personal Traits are Necessary for Success in Retailing in Flint, Michigan," (unpublished.naster's dissertation, Michigan State University, 1966). . H.015». I...) R: $417.9»; In- .9. 0. . . ., ,. 3 . -. .. . .3: .e " APPENDIX A 4 i . a ‘ l i .v ayatamnfihL-DE up. . . . . Io ..... ....\’..I.- ‘1. t V 29 1727 Ottawa Street Saginaw, Michigan Date: Dear Gentlemen: As a Distributive Education instructor in the Business Education Department at Saginaw High School, I an.in- terested in determining the employment Opportunities that are available for high school graduates in the Saginaw area. . The purpose of this letter is to request an appoinmnent which should not take more than fifteen minutes of your time. I have indicated several proposed appointment times. If any of those suggested times are agreeable, please indicate on the enclosed postal card, if not please suggest a time which.would be suitable and con- venient for you. I shall appreciate your time and cooperation in helping to make this study one of value. Sincerely yours, Donald Efremoff Enclosure Preposed Appointment Times: .. I .. . . s u s. . r 1 . I . . . u t i O r s . a .1 . a 1. {J I. I 'e . I I . ., D O I.‘ In A . in Y O . It I \ Q V 7 II) \n c . Y. I . I I _ 1i . . ,mxv’éncv IOU.’ :Di...7uh.. .hn.ssl._7 ii}..¥.ur:€. smith" .}0. .s. ‘ . .1 n . , .. _ "W s n . .9; a. 30 INTERVIEW GUIDE PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWIIIG: l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 7a. Firn.Neme Your Home Your Position number of Employees in Your Firm What is the occupational breakdown of your employees within each of the job classifications listed below! (Number in each Category) A. Office Personnel(Accounting, Personnel, Billing, Etc. B. Sales Personnel C. Management Personnel(Eaec., Dept. Mgrs., Etc. _ D. Maintenance Personnel E. Others(Service, Wrapping, Receiving, Etc.- TO‘what extent are you interested in hiring high school graduates for the categories listed in Question #5 above? A. High Interest 7 C. Very Little Interest B. Some Interest D. None __A When hiring high school graduates for office and distributive(retail) positions, do you prefer to hire those high school graduates with: A. Distributive Couperative Training? 1) Yes 2) No 3) No Opinion B. Office Cooperative Training? 1) Yes 2) R0 3) No Opinion If answers to Question #7 above were fig or 32 Opinion, please answer the following questions: 31 INTERVIEW GUIDE Continued: 7b. 7Ce 8. 9. A. Do you feel that the high school graduates with Distributive Cooperative Training: ' 1) Are Unmotivated . 2) Show Little or No Interest 4) Other 3) Have Negative Attitude as Do you feel that the high school graduates with Office Cooperative Training: 1) Are Unmotivated 2) Show Little or No Interest ‘ 4) Other 3) Have Negative Attitude Why do you prefer to hire the high school graduate with little or no Office Co0perative Training?: A. Company has "own" training program B. Schools do not prepare students for respective job requirements‘ C. Other Opinions Why do you prefer to hire the high school graduate with little or no Distributive Cooperative Training?: A. Company has "own" training program B. Schools do not prepare students for respective job requirements_ C. Other Opinions Does your organisation require a test of the potential employees? As I” Be N0 Does your organisation require a personal interview’with potential employees for any of the categories listed in Question #5 above? . . . _ A A A i 1 n . . . a . . . a . . . . . , o .. a a A . a n . y 0 . . , . v . . .. ._ f . fl , . 4 _ t _ C IL 4 nun. d: :10 i. . , 32 INTERVIEW GUIDE Continued: 10. ll. 12. 13. A. Yes Which Category? B. 30 When considering the potential employee, does your organisation refer to?: A. School Records 1) Attendance *' _ ww W , W 2) Scholastic Records 3. Police Records C. Credit Bureau D. Personal References , ‘ E. Other Sources .— _i__ When seeking potential employees, please name five characteristics which.you consider to be essential for an employee: A. C. B. “_ l D. and Es What occupational(employment) positiOns do you gsuallz have Open for the high school graduate? Please list below: Does your organisation foresee employment expansion in the near future? Ae Y3. Y Be NO Please define in*what areas, it you have checked "Yes" \l 33 IHTERVIEN GUIDE Continued: 14. 15b. 16. Does your organization have a "continuous turnover" of employees? A. Yes 3. No If answer to Question #14 above is Yes; in‘what occupational areas does this continuous "turnover“ exist in? In your opinion, do the high schools prepare the high school graduates ‘for selected Office Occupations? A. Yes B. No Please explain your answer(0pinion) In your opinion, do the high schools prepare the high school graduates for selected Distributive Occupations? Ae Y” Be N0 Please explain your enswer(0pinion) What suggestions do you have that would enable the high schools to better prepare the students for the world of work? APPEIDIX B 1. 2. 3. BAIES b. Ce d. 35 3. Loan Associations First Savings 6: Loan Assoc. 124 South Jefferson Saginaw. Michigan Michigan National Bank 501 Lapeer Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw Savings & Loan Assoc. 219 South Michigan 4. Saginaw, Michigan Second National Bank 101 North Washington Saginaw, Michigan b. Ce (1. Federal Stores Inc. Green Acres Plaza Saginaw, Michigan Montgomery ward 115 West Genease Saginaw, Michigan J.C. Penny Company, Inc. Green Acres Plaza 5. Saginaw, Michigan Sears Roebuck a Co. (>08 Federal Saginaw. Michigan DISQEI STORE§ b. Arlan' 8 Inc. 2885 Bay Rd. Saginaw. Michigan K-Mart Stores 6200 State Rd. Saginaw, Michigan DIS” " S CRT-13 Cantinued: Ce (1. b. Ce (1. S 51013 b. Ce d. HOTEIS Shopper's Fair 260 West Genesse Saginaw, Michigan Yankee Stores Inc. 3411 East Genesse Saginaw, Michigan access Bancroft Hotel 107 South Washington Saginaw, Michigan Holiday Inn of America 3324 Davenport Saginaw, Michigan Imperial 400 Hotels 1014 East Genesse Saginaw, Michigan Ramada Inn 6: Motor Hotel 3425 Holland Rd. Saginaw. Michigan anp as a3 .L \fm‘ a *‘h‘: Darker's Shoe Store 220 east Genesse Saginaw, Michigan Granville Shoes 123 North Washington Saginaw, Michigan Kinney Shoe Store Green Acres Plaza SaginaX-I, Michigan Rob 11 Shoes 311 East Cenesse Saginaw, Mi chigan :. 3...... - 36 SELECTED DISTRIBUTIVE OUTLETS Continued: 7. 8. STORES 8 . b. Ce (1. Edward's Men Shops Port SaginaW'Hall Saginaw. Michigan Heavenrich's 301 East Genesse Saginaw, Michigan Jacobson's 400 Federal Wm. C. Wiechmann Co. 116 South.Jefferson Saginaw, Michigan supennsxgrg b. C. d. A S P (Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.) Green Acres Plaza Saginaw, 1i chigan Kroger Comp any 3448 State Saginaw, Hichigan Ray's Food Fair 5700 State Rde Saginaw, Michigan Vescio Supermarkets Inc. 2831 Bay Rd. Saginaw. Michigan EARLS: g STORE§ b. Franklin Five to Dollar 122 Nerth Michigan Saginaw; Michigan W. 1. Grant CO. Green Acres Plaza Saginaw, Michigan VARIEEZ STORES Continued: Ce d. Se 3e Kresge COe 310 East Genesse Saginaw; Michigan Fe We WOOIWOrth COe 304 East Genesse Saginaw, Michigan ._ 7' ‘ ‘ll . I. 'II' ‘ ‘ ' v . » pm WM‘AAM _. --_ MICHIGAN STQTE UNIV. I ll Illll! LIBRQRIES 31293010256612