Building the Talent Pipeline

The industry wide challenge of finding and retaining technicians is expected to continue, driven in large part by retiring baby boomers and fewer workers entering vocational education programs.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that diesel service technician employment is projected to grow 4% from 2021 to 2031, creating about 28,500 openings each year, on average, over the decade. According to the TechForce Foundation’s Transportation Technician Supply & Demand Report, 177,000 new entrants in the diesel technician field are needed between 2022 and 2026.

At EUFMC 2024, a panel of fleet, manufacturer and other experts covered how they are helping address this challenge with a variety of creative technician recruitment and retention solutions.

Talent Acquisition and Training

At Terex Utilities, several traditional recruiting methods for technicians are in use, including advertisements for job openings, career fairs, community events and referral programs. Terex Senior Director of Services Nick Cammisa reported that a 2023 digital ad to recruit technicians provided a 30% increase in website traffic and a 54% jump in activity on a career site in one market. The advertisement also led to thousands of impressions and clicks during a four-week period.

“Building a talent pipeline requires an investment in outreach, training and onboarding programs, and looking for partnership opportunities like those with the U.S. Department of Labor,” Cammisa said. “It’s also valuable to build relationships with schools, including making in-kind donations, through advisory boards and supporting their curriculum with technician training.”

Terex also recently implemented an internship program for heavy equipment shop and mobile field technicians. The goal behind the three- to six-month program is to acquire full-time technicians. During the internships, shop interns work in one location with multiple experienced technicians, and field interns travel throughout a region with one or two techs servicing equipment at customer locations.

With any new hire, retention efforts are essential, Cammisa noted. In place at Terex Utilities, for example, are new hire orientation, training, mentor and field service ride along programs, as well as local team building events, regular communication through calls and newsletters, and market reviews to ensure the company is offering competitive technician wages.

For Cammisa, continuous improvement in any recruiting or training initiative is important. “Evolve your program and if something doesn’t work, try something new,” he said. “Improve your job descriptions and make updates to onboarding that make the process seamless.”

“All of these efforts led to a 35% improvement in technician retention from 2021 to 2022,” Cammisa said.

Terex Utilities offers its own training programs to the electric utility industry. Held recently at Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, South Dakota, the company’s 39th annual Service School offered utility technicians hands-on training with Terex bucket trucks and digger derricks, helping them understand how to inspect, maintain, troubleshoot, service and operate the equipment.

This year, the school attended by 56 participants from across the U.S. and Canada consisted of nine stations staffed by Terex instructors from the technical support, field service and regional product support managers groups. Stations included training on specific aerial devices and digger derricks, and general instruction on maintenance and inspections.

While the training is geared for technicians who work on the equipment, trainers can benefit from this hands-on learning experience as well. Roger Pothier, the owner and an instructor at Live Line Utility Training Inc. in Canada, an accredited training supplier for the Canadian Utility Fleet Council, was one of them.

“My goal is to be able to go back with more content for my training program,” Pothier said. “The demonstration materials and teaching aids they are using here are second to none. I am learning a lot of tips and tricks that will add value to my courses.”

Recruiting Creatively

The ability to deliver energy services in seven states across the Southeast and Midwest requires the support of an extensive maintenance organization. At Duke Energy Fleet Services, that need for 17,000 active vehicles and equipment is being met with 260 technicians at 60 garages.

According to Shana Angers, director, fleet services technical support at Duke Energy, technician recruiting takes a multi-faceted approach, which includes working with vocational education partners to create opportunities.

“We have boots on the ground at the local technical schools to educate deans and professors on the rewards of a career in utility fleet for their students,” she said.

Once a technician joins the Duke Energy organization the focus is on employee engagement. To ensure technicians have a voice, Angers reported, there are board and annual voice survey opportunities. Equally important, she added, are sign-on bonus and training programs, and progression timelines that allow for career advancement.

Transitioning Veterans

By day, Cristina Moore serves at Duke Energy as the utility’s general manager, fleet services. At the same time, the U.S. Army Brigadier General and United States Military Academy graduate serves as the assistant adjutant general, sustainment, in the North Carolina National Guard.

Moore is also the CEO and owner of Bronze Star Homes, a minority service-disabled veteran owned business dedicated to providing housing solutions for disabled veterans. Her energies are also focused on the DOD SkillBridge program, which provides retiring and transitioning service members the opportunity to participate in industry training programs while transitioning out of their military careers.

“Military veterans are great for utility companies because many of the positions we need to fill require a rotating schedule and veterans have experience working 24/7 operations,” Moore said. “Due to this previous experience, they are more likely to comply with work schedules, saving the business time and money.

“Veterans are also procedure driven,” Moore continued. “Being trained in the military, these workers are no stranger to following procedures. The men and women who serve our country are also held to a higher standard. They are driven by ethics and will honor company policies and procedures.”

DOD SkillBridge covers military pay and benefits during a service member’s time in the program. Participants are eligible in their last six months of military service. Assignments are managed by Transition Assistance Program Offices and SkillBridge coordinators at military installations, who also share employment opportunities through targeted postings.

Businesses can engage in the SkillBridge program by identifying opportunities aligned to a service member’s skills and interests, and by targeting specific skillsets of program participants, Moore explained. They can also provide an approved full-time vacancy for conversion purposes at the conclusion of the program. A company hiring manager is responsible for documenting training and performance records with a military liaison.

“We must recruit veterans to meet the growing demands of our business,” Moore said. “Each year, over 200,000 service members transition out of the military. Since 2011, more than 50,000 service members have participated in SkillBridge, which provides invaluable experience for service members and industry partners.”