To better determine the educational and training needs of local employees, Lane Community College (LCC), in Oregon, undertook a project to analyze responses from a statewide survey of employers' perceptions of training needs and conduct focus groups with Lane County employees regarding their perceptions. The statewide study surveyed 6,010 businesses in the state, while LCC conducted focus groups with approximately 360 employees from 40 organizations. A comparison of findings from the two studies revealed the following: (1) the top four training priorities for employers were technical training, safety training, interpersonal communication, and basics skills training; (2) the top four training needs cited by employees were interpersonal and communication skills training, new employee orientation, technical training, and team building; (3) while employers and employees cited similar training priorities, employees mentioned training issues not covered by employers, including training for effective meetings, statistical control processes, and time management; and (4) the groups also differed with respect to quality-related training, with employers rating it highly and employees giving it the least priority. As a result of the project, a model was developed for accurately assessing regional training needs by gathering data from numerous sources on both employer and employee perceptions. Includes a six-item checklist for assessing training needs. Contains 19 references. (HAA)