URBANDALE, IOWA — A new survey of 300 mechanical, electrical, facilities, utilities and plumbing professionals indicates a lax attitude toward training among mechanical-electrical-plumbing employers.

Of those responding, nearly 45% said their employer did not have a budget for training, while another 15% said their company’s training budget is going down in 2009. What’s more, 55% of respondents funded their last professional certification training and testing costs on their own.

When asked about the last time they were trained in a work-related safety procedure or process, more than 25% of respondents either couldn’t remember or hadn’t been trained yet.

Ninety percent of respondents were over the age of 31, and 62% were currently employed when the survey was conducted in late December 2008.

“Like many areas of business, training initiatives are seeing budget cuts,” said Jeff Dickey-Chasins, vice president of marketing for MEP Jobs, the job board conducting the survey. “Companies hoping to differentiate themselves during a time when many prospective employees are shopping for jobs should focus on promoting their dedication to continuing education and training.”

Additional information and more survey results are available from Dickey-Chasins at 515/473-9206, jeffdc@mepjobs.com.

MEP Jobs is a leading online job board and resume bank for professionals in the mechanical, electrical, facilities, controls, utilities and plumbing industries. MEP Jobs was founded in 1996, and is a service of Industry People Group.