TRENDS

By Seth Skydel

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.

The Terex Utilities Service School at Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, South Dakota, offered utility technicians hands-on training with bucket trucks and digger derricks.

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

Fall 2024 | Telecom & Utility Construction 19