By Julie Davis, Senior Director of Workforce and Industry Initiatives at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
It’s no secret to anyone working in equipment manufacturing the ever-growing technician shortage is a problem poised to get worse before it gets better.
According to a 2020 AED Foundation industry research report, our industry may need to fill as many as 73,500 heavy equipment technician positions by 2025.
In addition, the report stated equipment manufacturing possesses a job opening rate three times higher than the national average.
Among survey respondents, 95 per cent agreed with the assertion there was a skills gap in the industry, while 89 per cent reported a shortage of workers within the walls of their respective companies.
Now, I don’t want to suggest the widespread technician shortage can be quickly addressed, let alone easily solved.
However, equipment manufacturers can embrace and adopt a number of short-term and long-term strategies to set themselves up for sustained success as it relates to workforce development.
1. Focus on retention
Many pieces of the technician workforce puzzle can only be lightly influenced. However, one area companies can focus efforts to drive positive change as it relates to retention is workplace culture.
Start by asking the following two questions:
- Are exit interviews being conducted?
Technicians leaving an organization within the first six months could indicate an onboarding problem, while technicians leaving between 2.5 and 3.5 years could indicate a lack of development opportunities. With exit interviews, it’s worthwhile to have both a manager and human resources representative conduct interviews separately, as each position is likely to elicit different responses from departing employee.
- Are staying interviews being conducted?
Talking with staff in key positions about their individual experiences can shed light on missed opportunities or future red flags. Engaging in staying interviews can be particularly helpful in the first 12 months to understand what it’s like to be onboarded and how new employees experience the existing culture within the organization. Start by creating a culture check-in by surveying all employees. What changes can be made based off all the information learned? And remember, to those companies who aren’t currently acting on employee feedback being received, asking for additional input can (and likely will) negatively impact culture moving forward.
2. Fill the technician talent pipeline
There’s really no overstating the importance of finding ways to fill an organizational talent pipeline. And while it takes time to secure a return on investments of time, effort and resources to do so, it’s worth it to take proactive steps to ensure desired results.
Simply contacting the nearest local technical college once or twice a year isn’t going to be enough to attract and acquire talent. Regularly engage with educational institutions. As well, join review committees, get in front of students in classrooms or donate equipment. More than anything else, do what it takes to be top of mind when these schools begin looking to place their best students. It will pay dividends over time.
In addition, it’s important to connect with high schools feeding into technical college programs. One effective way to do so is to introduce the high schools to a free, available high school technician curriculum offered through the Curriculum for Ag Science Education.
It’s not just an ag technician curriculum, but rather a program that introduces the technician career to a wide audience and enhances industry perception to parents, teachers and students. As a bonus, there is a built-in industry connection opportunity though the collection of used parts and by offering several class visits.
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Organizations must be willing to shed light on the significant industry demand for qualified workers and worthwhile career opportunities, because chances are they aren’t aware of the extent of the existing technician shortage.
Technician program partnerships, apprenticeships, job shadowing or any other work-and-learn program are the most effective way to connect with new workers. Ultimately, partnering with education is critical for retention, as technicians require ongoing training and development.
3. Diversity recruitment strategies
Want to really move the needle when it comes to acquiring talent? Try the following:
- Actively recruit women and people of colour.
- Change the way job postings are written and where they are being posted.
- Check language in job postings via a gender decoder website to determine if it’s overly masculine.
Target locations and events where someone with the skills, interests and hobbies of workers the organization wants to replicate might be out and see if the openings can be posted.
4. Collaborate with others
As the technician shortage is one of our biggest issues, AEM’s Workforce Development Committee has created a technician taskforce.
We’ll share examples of survey questions, stay interview questions and other practices being used by industry members to help move the needle in this space.
AEM is also partnering with the AED Foundation. If you’re not aware of the AED Foundation’s work to accredit 100 colleges and recognize 150 high schools in heavy equipment technology programs, you can learn more about its Vision 2025 by visiting their website at aedfoundation.org.
When it comes to understanding the work being done to support the industry’s need in this space, there are many associations that are trying to collaborate rather than duplicate efforts.
Just as there’s no one thing that a company can do to help ease the technician shortage, there’s no one association that can solve the challenge on their own.
With much work to be done and a new technician taskforce being formed, more information will be generated on this topic. In the meantime, make sure to visit AEM’s Workforce Solutions Toolkit to access valuable resources