Recruiting and retaining transportation maintenance workers is an ongoing and increasing challenge. A project sponsored by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board seeks to address this by providing easily accessible tools that local agencies can use to help recruit and retain maintenance professionals.
A new website—MNTransportationCareers.com—will launch on July 9 as a portal for job seekers, public works managers, human resources departments, employment counselors, and others. It will include videos, brochures, a training guide, a job board, and other resources that will be easy to access and share.
The content and resources on the site were developed based on the findings of focus groups that were conducted in late 2023 with four different “cohorts”:
- Adult jobseekers either entering or returning to the workforce
- CDL holders working outside of the public sector
- High school students
- Human resources professionals from local agencies
The website and materials will guide people who identify as a member of these groups directly to custom content that is useful and appealing. For instance, one of the things that participants in the high school student focus group said was that jobs that use new technologies and innovation are important to them. So, the “Students” section features a video about using drones for bridge inspections.
An online job board will include postings of transportation maintenance positions and internships from across Minnesota at cities, counties, townships, and tribes, as well as links to positions posted through association websites. New positions will be easy to submit for posting with a simple one-minute form.
A training guide will help maintenance workers and managers navigate courses offered by MnLTAP and other institutions and associations. This career development tool will be organized by topic (e.g., winter operations, traffic control and safety) and include both in-person and online training options.
Case studies and sample materials from several local agencies’ training, onboarding, and trainee programs will also be featured on the website to inspire ideas.
Following the launch on July 9, the project will be promoted regularly through MnLTAP.
—John Siqveland, CTS communications director