European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 24, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Secretaries need technical skills associated press technology is changing the image of the Mollico soc Slaty in he United Stales a arc Cal Survey of 500 american Coria rations found Hal 61 percent of inc employers hire Sec lyrics with word processing skills und 57 per Cunt expect secretaries to use Persona compilers Wilhurn two ears. The Survey was conducted by Indianapolis based itt educational services inc an itt corp subsidiary and a Privalo Tanner of professional secretaries r Ilmy Antl dictation arc no longer considered primary secretarial skill requirements a Secretary in today s workplace needs to be proficient in world processing repro graphics communication distribution and electronic  said Rene Champagne president of itt educational services. Those Cdcil Starics who possess the skills needed to keep up with new technologies Are becoming invaluable loth if  employers arc perceiving secretaries in a new Light say Eleanor p. Vreeland president of the Katharine Gibbs school which conducted a Survey of Fortune 500 arid Otter companies the presence o automation in  enables secretaries to debate More Lime to  responsibilities thus uttering companies a More product ivc employee1  g bus school inc is a network a 11 a photo by  George it not enough far a Secretary just to Type and tile. Private business secretarial schools in the Northeast. In the Gibbs Survey 51 percent of the respondents acknowledged a significant increase in the Secretary 3 level of arts Nistra Tive responsibility 48 percent saw inc Rcd Lor computer literacy As another major change. Ninety three percent of the compares surveyed by the secretarial school agreed that inc role of the Secretary 15 Ditler ont from what it was live years ago. Seventy T percent said secretaries must Havo knowledge of word processing. The u a Bureau of labor statistics estimates that 300,000 secretariat positions will become available through the 1980s and 80,000 of these will go unfilled because of a Lack of unqualified secretaries. Good secretaries Are hard to find Lor a number of reasons Vrieland said. The baby bust has resulted in Lawer people in the work Force there Ara More career options open to women and the rapid growth of Small to mid sized businesses has caused Tierce Competition Lor secretaries Between companies especially m the  the Bureau of labor statistics projects a 96 percent increase in secretarial jobs irom ibs to 1995, despite the spread of Mollico automation jobs Lor secretaries stenographers and by pills increased by an average of 3 3 porch no a year Between 1982 and 19s7. Below thu rate Lor total Emp Ohyrn Cal Outlook for grads brightens byte Duncombe associated  ollege graduates in the United Stales this year Are finding jobs More easily than the class of 87, but olten with companies that would t have reef Pilod on Campus in the past. Job candidates also Are lacing More tests Tor drug use and honesty. To Sec a very Bright Outlook Lor this year s graduates said Alan e. Yost assistant executive director of inc College place men Council based in Bethlehem. A. We Are in an expanding  Pennsylvania stale University students Lor example had nearly 26,000 on Campus interviews this year Wilt business Industry and government representatives up irom 23,325 last year said Ralph Dos Hong associate Jirec Lor of career development and placement. Temple University had 10 career Days on Campus Whin employers could meet and interview students said Noil  of career development h past yours l had us six he said the most significant actor Lor us has been the co is iffy Able increase a less Well known employers Gulman said Piza companies a Dairy and Delicatessen association arid discount building Supply companies Are among Trio employers that have come to look for management prospects. Gulman said. 1 Hose Are employers thai would t have bean Here a Low years ago he said. The trend in part a tells changes in major Corpora Lrons that today employ service or consulting firms far work once performed in House Yost said. They re bringing ewer people in through the Broad front  he said. Last All s Stock a Kcal chill appears to have had Anttio elect on this Spring s Job prospects. Ii did nol Flo unnoticed. We had some students who Weie concerned about it Deshong said but to can t say that it has had an Impact nor Are we heating students say thai offers have  in ils latest Survey of salary otters the College placement Council reported employers Are offering More Money to graduates in most disciplines. Oilers to electrical engineering graduates As of March y where students imn tto College hat ism hed bearing on few a careers according to Counselor. Averaged j2.410 monthly a 1.4 percent increase since last july accounting $1,975, up 9 percent and marketing and distribution $1,742, up 2.7 percent. Social workers were being Oll cred an average o 11,420, up 9 percent communications workers $1,619, up 7.1 percent and management consultant. $2,228. Up 3.3 percent. Oilers were lower Lor graduates in Only a jew academic disciplines such As economics $1,817 monthly Down 7.8percenl from last july chemistry. $2.059, Down 3.4 percent and aerospace and aeronautical engineering �2,322, Down 0.9 percent. Oilers As financial analysts averagedtl.940, Down t2,4 percent banking il.687, Down 10.7 percent and transportation and distribution Sim Down 2.7 percent Bui to Starl earning a paycheck graduates Olacsi must undergo More rigorous screening than their predecessors. In a november 1986 Survey of 497 employers Tho Council found 28.2 percent required tests Lor drug or alcohol abuse. The Council estimates nearly 60 percent of All employers now use such 1csta. Yost said. The main reasons cited Lor drug screening in 1986 were solely and Security he said. Students have adjusted fairly Well to that said Deshong la s obviously a concern to business Industry and  employers Are also checking other Asp cos of employees backgrounds More thoroughly. They seem to be backing off from the lie Detector test but there s a pickup in the tests Tor honesty Yost said adding that credentials get a More thorough review today As Well the employees Are getting a lot More cautious Aboul bringing people aboard Yost said. Given 1ha litigious Ness of society and what a contract implies they wan to to awfully sure going  where students went to College has limited bearing on their careers. A prestigious degree May help a student gel the first Job bul not the second Ona. Yost said. You can t go into your Job and base your performance on your undergraduate Grade Point  Deshong said. Sooner or later it s going to comedown to  Page 16 the stars and stripes Friday june 24,1988