The number of full-time Olympic Peninsula employees in environmental and resource management is estimated at 1,256. Another 882 work partially in the area. The majority of these employers are in the public sector, although growth is somewhat greater for tribal organizations and in the private sector. Over the next five years, there should be approximately 63 new hires per year working full-time in environmental and resource management, along with about 18 new hires working partially in the area. The report estimates that the demand for new hires with Bachelor's degrees in Environmental Studies will therefore be in the 60-65 range.
Demand is quite high for coursework in environmental studies to upgrade current employee skills.
Two-thirds of employers say they would send at least one employee for courses each year if a full program in Environmental Studies is developed at Peninsula College. The report's conservative estimate would be that a total of about 100 employees per year would be sent to take courses. Employers in the environmental and resource management area indicate that their employees need a wide range of specific skills listed in the full report. They also emphasize management and planning ability, general educational skills, and communication skills. The primary skills they emphasize are ability to respond to and plan for rapid change, grasp of legal-bureaucratic issues, and grounding in basic principles of environmental science.