DATE: Wednesday, November 12, 1997          TAG: 9711120651

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MICHAEL CLARK, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   43 lines

WORK ETHIC RANKS HIGHLY WHEN VIRGINIA EMPLOYERS RATE JOB APPLICANTS

As much as young job applicants need computer literacy and basic reading and writing skills, they also need belts to hold their pants up, according to a recently released study by the University of Virginia.

``Virginia's Changing Workplace: Employers Speak,'' recounts interviews with 564 Virginia employers who say the most important skills high school students can bring to the job market are the ``three Rs,'' computer literacy and an old-fashioned work ethic.

``The main thing is you want to find a good work ethic in them, and in the last 15 years, that's been very difficult,'' said the vice president of an electrical contracting firm.

He continued: ``I would say that out of a class of 100, you might find five who'd be worthy of what a workman traditionally used to be 25 years ago, where they're willing to work, they're willing to learn, they're willing to go the extra mile and take pride in their work.''

Within that ethic, most employers in the study also lament the appearance of young job applicants.

One sporting goods store manager described job applicants as ``coming in with their pants hanging off their butts, shirts on that say nasty things, their hair's not done. . . .''

Julia Martin, research director of the university's Cooper Center for Public Service, compiled the report. It focuses on entry-level jobs for young people without four-year college degrees in fields ranging from biomedical machinery repair and carpentry to restaurant management.

``I really was surprised by the vehemence of their feelings on the work ethic,'' Martin said of employers interviewed.

``You could hear it in their tone of voice,'' she said. ``What they said about these old-fashioned values, about how people dressed and talked in interviews. They all hung together.''

She compared the report's results to a study she did in 1985. In ``Changing Job Skills in Virginia,'' work ethic ``was nowhere near as important an issue,'' she said.

Recommendations for educators, job counselors and young people themselves are included. Copies of the report are available from the Cooper Center. Call 804-982-5522 for information.

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