Allegany Community College in Cumberland, Maryland, conducted an employer assessment survey of Somerset County businesses during the winter of 1995 in order to provide evaluation data for planning and curriculum development for the secondary and postsecondary educational institutions. The survey was mailed to 760 establishments, with a 29 percent return. Some of the major findings of the survey are the following: (1) Somerset County establishments rate themselves highly in each of nine areas of business performance, with quality control and management and labor relations rated highest and technology, marketing and sales, and diversification rated lowest--but still above average; (2) manufacturers in the county rated themselves lower in business performance than manufacturers in either West Virginia or Bedford County, Pennsylvania; (3) 9 of 10 businesses use informal on-the-job training, whereas 6 of 10 use formal in-company programs and less than 5 percent of respondents used high school, technical or community, or four-year colleges for worker education and training; (4) at least half of workers use computers at least once per week; (5) employers spend an average of $200 on employee training; (6) workers in the county need additional education and training, particularly in the areas of communication, computers, leadership, and management; (7) most employers want college-level educational opportunities, particularly in computer and information sciences, business management and marketing, and distribution, for their employees; (8) although employers think that employees could benefit from training, they maintain a generally positive view of work force quality; (9) most hiring is done through word of mouth, followed by local newspaper advertisements and employment agencies; (10) less than one in five respondents reported having received assistance from a public or nonprofit organization during the the assistance from a public or nonprofit organization during the last 2 years, with about three of five of assisted firms receiving work force training; (11) employers rated the quality of Somerset County schools as good; and (12) recognition of Allegany Community College and the Somerset Area Vocational Technical School is high, with most employers familiar with these institutions rating their performance as "excellent" or "good." (The report contains 13 tables, five figures, and the survey instrument.) (KC)