Recruitment and Retention Case Studies
Local agencies across the state have developed programs to recruit, train, and retain transportation maintenance workers. A number of these case studies are featured below. Have a case study of your own to share? Please email us and let us know!
City of Eagan: Maintenance Trainee Program
Eagan's Maintenance Trainee program is a two-year full-time union position designed to train individuals for maintenance work by rotating them through park, utility, or street systems. Trainees do not need a CDL or prior public works experience and rotate through different maintenance groups to gain on-the-job training.
The program aims to diversify the public works industry by attracting non-traditional employees and providing workforce development by expanding the applicant pool. It also allows supervisors to evaluate trainees for permanent positions while maintaining a lower cost than permanent hires. Key lessons the city has learned include ensuring adequate training resources for both the trainee and trainer, creating a comprehensive training plan, and focusing on safety and necessary skills for permanent employment.
More information: Sample Job Posting: Maintenance Trainee (PDF)
City of Chaska: Growth Through Opportunity
Chaska's Growth Through Opportunity (GTO) program—inspired by a similar initiative in Roanoke, Virginia—provides 18- to 21-year-olds with intellectual or developmental disabilities with the chance to intern across various city departments for eight weeks. Led by Officer Julie Janke from the Chaska Police Department and in collaboration with Empower Inclusion, the program aims to build job skills, enhance community engagement, and foster career exploration for participants.
The program prioritizes low-cost implementation, and successful outcomes have included enhanced employee engagement, and strong hires from the intern pool. The city learned that front-end implementation required the majority of the effort, and that partnering with nonprofits and leveraging social media for program visibility and impact were beneficial.
More information:
City of Hopkins: Advancing Careers and Employment
The Advancing Careers and Employment (ACE) Program at the City of Hopkins targets youth aged 16-24, offering paid summer internships and professional development opportunities. The summer internships last eight weeks and cover various city departments, including public works, and include the prerequisite “ACEentials” program for job readiness training. Aiming to build professional skills and leadership qualities among participants, the program has broad eligibility criteria and prioritizes youth facing barriers to employment, such as those with disabilities and from underrepresented communities.
Key takeaways:
- Ongoing communication between youth, supervisors, and managers is critical.
- Let the youth know that it is okay to reach out with questions or concerns.
- Developing panels around professional development are great opportunities for youth to connect and gain insight from individuals from diverse backgrounds.
More information:
City of Golden Valley: Public Works Step System Program
The City of Golden Valley's Public Works Maintenance program offers a structured Step System Program with hands-on and classroom training for employees in various maintenance divisions such as Streets, Utilities, Parks, and Vehicles. Employees progress through a total of seven steps based on experience, certifications, and performance evaluations. The program includes continuous education requirements, equipment operation proficiency, and special skills development. Additionally, the city collaborates with external organizations like WorkForce and DEED to create career pipelines and provide resources for employees, emphasizing professional development and skill-building across divisions.
More information: Worksheet: Public Works Maintenance Step System - Street (PDF)
City of Faribault: School Credit Reimbursement
Faribault’s Engineering Department developed a program to advance a promising employee in a Tech I position—which requires high-school-level education—by reimbursing his further studies. The one-time intern entered the Civil Engineering Technology program at South Central Mankato, focusing on school in the off-season while working 40-hour weeks during construction season. The city will ultimately reimburse around 45 credits of the 60-credit program, totaling around $9,225 if he remains with the city for at least two years post-graduation.
More information: City pays for intern schooling to train and retain good talent
Otter Tail County: OTC Works Program
Otter Tail County is developing partnerships to address workforce challenges, foster career exploration, and build the future workforce. Through programs like the Youth Workforce Navigation Program, the county aims to increase career awareness and interest among students in various industries, including transportation. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to support a resilient and growing employer community by finding, retaining, and training skilled workers.
With projections indicating a significant workforce shortage in the next decade, Otter Tail County is investing in rural rebound efforts, emphasizing the interconnectedness of business development, workforce training, housing, childcare, and broadband internet access. The "OTC Works" workforce strategy focuses on creating partnerships, promoting available jobs with family-sustaining wages, improving occupational readiness, reducing employment barriers, and aligning skills with future workforce needs. This holistic approach aims to create a thriving environment for businesses and individuals alike. It showcases opportunities and pathways for career growth, and development in various fields, including automotive careers such as diesel mechanics, fleet management, and CDL roles.
More information:
Anoka County: Middle and high school outreach
Employees from Anoka County’s Public Works Department regularly give presentations promoting careers in their field to teenage students at local schools. Assistant County Engineer, Jerry Auge, explained that his team divides assignments between high schools and middle schools across the northern counties—from Rogers to Elk River. Auge personally presents at Forest Lake High School twice a year (the district overlaps with Washington County).
Auge says that most students don’t know much if anything about public works, so the presentations open students up to new career paths. He makes his presentations engaging by using examples of how public works professionals improve peoples’ day-to-day lives, such as keeping students safe by maintaining the roads they drive on everyday. Auge also brings project maps/layouts, and samples of materials, for students to interact with.
Students choose which presentations they attend on career day. Throughout his years presenting, Auge’s audiences have grown from just a handful to full classrooms of students who ask good questions about different aspects of public works careers. Beyond compelling presentations, key to this growth in student interest is the partnership and advocacy of a passionate industrial technology teacher who encourages his students to attend Auge’s presentations. As a possible next step, Auge and the teacher are discussing development of a sub-curriculum about Public Works to be taught in his class.
Auge says his teams’ presentations have led to students applying for internships and positions at Anoka County Highway Department. However, Auge’s overall goal is to expose more young people to the profession, regardless of where they might find future employment.
More information: Presentation for Forest Lake High School students (PDF)