PacificMountain

Top Ten O*NET Skills Needed for Pacific Mountain Consortium's Fastest Growing Occupations Prepared November 2, 1999
*Ranking*	**ONET Skills Needed***	*Description of Skill*
1.	Reading Comprehension	Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents
2.	Information Gathering	Knowing how to find information and identifying essential information
3.	Active Listening	Listening to what other people are saying and asking questions as appropriate
4.	Speaking	Talking to others to effectively convey information
5.	Writing	Communicating effectively with others in writing as indicated by the needs of the audience
6.	Problem Identification	Identifying the nature of problems
7.	Information Organization	Finding ways to structure or classify multiple pieces of information
8.	Critical Thinking	Using logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
9.	Solution Appraisal	Observing and evaluating the outcomes of a problem solution to identify lessons learned or redirect efforts
10.	Service Orientation	Actively looking for ways to help people

Top Ten O*NET Knowledge Areas Needed for Pacific Mountain Consortium's Fastest Growing Occupations Prepared November 2, 1999
*Ranking*	**ONET Knowledge Needed***	*Description of Knowledge*
1.	English Language	Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar
2.	Clerical	Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing systems, filing and records management systems, stenography and transcription, forms design principles, and other office procedures and terminology
3.	Computers and Electronics	Knowledge of electric circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming
4.	Customer and Personal Service	Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services including needs assessment techniques, quality service standards, alternative delivery systems, and customer satisfaction evaluation techniques
5.	Mathematics	Knowledge of numbers, their operations, and interrelationships including arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications
6.	Education and Training	Knowledge of instructional methods and training techniques including curriculum design principles, learning theory, group and individual teaching techniques, design of individual development plans, and test design principles
7.	Medicine and Dentistry	Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures
8.	Administration and Management	Knowledge of principles and processes involved in business and organizational planning, coordination, and execution. This includes strategic planning, resource allocation, manpower modeling, leadership techniques, and production methods
9.	Therapy and Counseling	Knowledge of information and techniques needed to rehabilitate physical and mental ailments and to provide career guidance including alternative treatments, rehabilitation equipment and its proper use, and methods to evaluate treatment effects
10.	Psychology	Knowledge of human behavior and performance, mental processes, psychological research methods, and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders

Projections of Pacific Mountain Consortium's Top Ten Occupations Based on Growth Rate Prepared November 2, 1999 Base-year 1998 with projections to 2008
*Occupational Title*	*Est. Employment*		*Growth Rate*	*Total Growth*	*Annual*
*Occupational Title*	1998	2008	*Growth Rate*	*Total Growth*	Growth	Replace- ments	Openings
Computer Support Specialists	726	1398	0.0926	672	67	5	72
Personal/Home Care Aides	258	486	0.0884	228	22	4	26
Systems Analysts	573	1076	0.0878	503	50	4	54
Medical Assistants	381	686	0.0801	305	31	6	37
Medical Records Technicians	154	259	0.0682	105	11	3	14
Phys, Corrct Therapy Assts	111	179	0.0613	68	6	3	9
Dental Hygienists	249	388	0.0558	139	14	7	21
Paralegals	103	158	0.0534	55	5	1	6
Securities/Financial, Sales	76	113	0.0487	37	4	1	5
Physical Therapists	125	185	0.0480	60	6	1	7