COVER STORY

New Hampshire Community Technical College located in Stratham. Amy Root-Donle photo

The two biggest skills shortfalls of entrepreneurs and managers are financial and "people skills," according to Professor John Burtt, chairman of the Department of Business and Computer Technologies for the New Hampshire Community Technical College.

Colleges and universities want to fill those needs, as well as find out what else these heads of companies need and want.

Six schools at the Pease Tradeport formed a collaborative and commissioned a recent survey, talking to the human resource departments of 32 companies to learn, among other things, what skills are most valuable to them.

One of the questions asked: What is the most important job skill for new hires?

Communication came out on top, an answer that Dermot O'Brien, director of the Portsmouth Center of Franklin Pierce University, said he hears often.

"For employees, what I always hear from business owners, it's the basic applications," he said, "oddly enough, good writing, grammar. Lots of people can use some help with their writing skills. Really it's a matter of concentrating on the basics, to develop their particular skills in a particular business."

The survey was released by the College and University Partnership at Pease (CUPP). The partnership includes Granite State College, Southern New Hampshire University/New Hampshire College, University of New Hampshire Professional Development and Training / University of New Hampshire Continuing Education, Franklin Pierce College, New Hampshire Community Technical College and Daniel Webster College.

The findings are still being reviewed, said Lin Tamulonis of the New Hampshire Community Technical College.

Professor John Burtt, chairman of the Department of Business and Computer Technologies for the New Hampshire Community Technical College. Amy Root-Donle photo

In another collaborative effort, NHCTC linked with the state Department of Revenue and Economic Development and also with Small Business Administration and a couple of nonprofit groups about five years ago, said Burtt, looking to develop a "business incubator."

Public Service of New Hampshire provided $10,000 in seed money, for what became My Virtual Business Incubator, or myVbi at myvbi.org, run by Bill and Deb Osgood of the Knowledge Institute and buzgate.org, an online small business resource.

In myVbi, students can get an online office, said Burtt, and answers to questions such as "what's the best way to finance my business?"

"It gives them access to resources heretofore they might not have had," he said. "It opens them up to folks to give advice on a pro-bono basis."

Someone looking to set up another company can learn what's legal and why, or find out how to operate new software.

Tailoring to a specific need is what professionals are looking for.

Noncredit courses at the college give professionals flexibility, said Burtt. The courses can be designed around a need. All it takes is eight people to sign up to make the course financially feasible.

Dermot O'Brien, director of the Portsmouth Center of Franklin Pierce University. Amy Root-Donle photo

"You come to us with a need," he said, "we can fill it."

The college also offers an entrepreneurial certificate, a 12-credit course.

"We assess your passion for an idea, take you through the idea stage to a marketable business plan," said Burtt.

The goal, he said, is to make the idea credible enough to have people invest in the plan.

Franklin Pierce offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs, and also a doctoral program. The college changed its name to Franklin Pierce University on July 1, to reflect the variety of programs, said O'Brien.

"For the general population, it's still a matter of basic spreadsheets, data word processing," O'Brien said. "When you begin to discuss other areas, it becomes particular to disciplines."

The programs are geared toward professionals, he said, and not just the person who has just gotten his or her business degree.

"What's wonderful about the program is it's designed for people who have been in a business environment," he said. "Someone who owns a day care may be sitting next to someone in banking. It adds to the learning environment."

A master's degree provides a solid foundation in understanding management, he said. It helps professionals increase their income.

The MBA is case driven.

"What you're actually doing is seeing a variety of case studies, what did they do right and wrong," said O'Brien. "Case studies, generally for large corporations, still provide insight into what is good strategic management and what is faulty strategic management. It's important working for large national corporation or opening an ice cream shop or day care center, to think strategically."