GROWING THE
TRUCKING
WORKFORCE IN
WISCONSIN
Kathy Heady
Bruce Palzkill
Sandy Schmit
Partners
State Agency Partners
– Wisconsin Department of
Workforce Development
(DWD)
Industry Partners
– Schneider National, Green
Bay
– Roehl Transport, Marshfield
– Wisconsin Economic
Development Corporation
(WEDC)
– WEL Companies, De Pere
– Truck Country, Appleton
– Wisconsin Technical
College System (WTCS)
– Marten Transport, Mondovi
Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association
Wisconsin Transportation
Consortium
• Economic development tied to transportation
– Infrastructure, trained professionals, and industry capital
investments
• Transportation jobs for people in Wisconsin
– 1 in 15 workers tied to “trucking,” $41,000 average salary, $6.6B
annual payroll
• Transportation industry workforce needs: common
challenges, equally unsuccessful results
– Lack of interested/qualified/trained workforce and spiraling cost
of filling needs
Consortium – Original
Objectives and Goals
• Build public/private partnership through collaborative
efforts with WI based transportation employers and State
agencies
• Initial focus was industry-led effort to source, train, and
place WI residents in stable, well-paying transportation
jobs
• Primary initiatives included:
– Integrated marketing effort to increase awareness of need and
opportunities
– Building levels of training capacity in the state to meet the
industry’s needs
– Identify and secure funding opportunities that help meet
collective objectives
Mutual Needs – Jobs and Job
Creation
• WI Motor Carriers Association members started
working together to fill vital industry workforce
needs: CDL drivers and diesel technicians
–
–
–
–
–
Marten Transport, Mondovi
Roehl Transport, Marshfield
Schneider National, Green Bay
Truck Country, Appleton
WEL Companies, De Pere
Common challenges and
opportunities
• Lack of interested, qualified, and trained CDL drivers and
diesel techs, yet many in WI are out of work
• Shortages today will become more severe at a higher rate
than other industries
– Aging transportation workers retiring and younger workers not
backfilling them
– Increased regulatory requirements and liability exposure increasing
standards
– Widening gap could limit economic expansion (manufacturing) in
the state
• Collective efforts can yield better results for all
– Statewide marketing and recruiting actions
– Expansion of in-state training capacity for diesel techs and CDL
drivers
– Fill transportation jobs, employ WI residents, optimize funding
resources
WEDC Business & Industry
Development Division
Leveraging industry leadership to
accelerate growth and high quality jobs by
advancing targeted, high impact initiatives
in Wisconsin.
Qualifying Investment Criteria
• Industry-Led
• High Job Creation
• High Economic
Impact
• Sustainable
• High Return
• Low Managed Risk
Collaboration
DWD
• Workforce Development
Boards (WDBs)
• Technical Colleges
Trucking
Consortium
WEDC
• Department of
Transportation (DOT)
• National Guard
WTCS
• Veteran’s Services
3 Goals
• Increasing awareness / visibility
• Increasing training capacity
• Reduction in training costs
INCREASING
AWARENESS
Wisconsin Economic Development
Corporation
• Visibility
– Outreach to veterans
• Military CDL waivers formalization with Department
of Transportation
– http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/drivers/apply/types/
cdl-military.htm
– Youth Apprenticeship
• Creation of curriculum for Diesel Mechanics
– http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/youthapprenticeship/programs.
htm
Department of Workforce
Development
• Web-page
– Trucking was first industry sector included on
the Job Center of Wisconsin (JCW) Website
– Initial focus: increase awareness of Diesel
Mechanic/Technician and CDL/Over-the-road
truck driver career opportunities
– Direct link for training opportunities
DWD (Cont’d)
• Web-page (cont’d)
– Worked with Trucking Consortium to identify
relevant industry reports/trends
– Incorporated current State and Federal labor
market information pertinent to these careers
– Increased awareness by having trucking
company logos prevalent on this page.
DWD (Cont’d)
• Email outreach
– Have done several rounds of email blasts to
job seekers to raise awareness of career
opportunities
– Separate email blasts to veterans
DWD (Cont’d)
• Next steps
– 1) Increasing the number of trucking firms
participating in this website
– 2) Implementing the web-site as an entry
portal to CDL training program
Web-site Hits
• Hits, 1/1/2012 – 12/31/2012:
16,545
• Hits to date for 2013:
37,720
INCREASING CAPACITY
Supply
Chain/Logistics
Diesel Technician
Programs
Truck Driving
Technician Programs
Training Capacity
• Start of consortium
– Diesel Technician - 200 annually, however
100 graduate
– Truck Drivers-Class A CDL - 350 annually
• Today
– Diesel Technician - 250, TBD on the number
of graduates
– Truck Drivers-Class A CDL - 1200 annual
Projects
• Brainstorming sessions with
Deans/Faculty
• Meetings with industry to make
connections with colleges and to raise
awareness
• Made connections between industry and
career prep college staff
• Developed online hybrid curriculum for
several diesel courses
New Programs
• Milwaukee Area Technical College has added a
CDL program
• FVTC and CVTC have expanded diesel
program capacity
• FVTC has expanded truck driver training
capacity
• All colleges have or will offer a 4 week CDL
contract training program
• 2 Colleges are exploring or expressed interest
in Diesel Programming
Challenges
• Program Cost
– Low instructor to student ratio in truck driver
training
– Equipment and facility needs for both
programs
• Attracting students to programs, especially
employable students for truck driving
• Time to develop skills-difficult to
“accelerate” or shorten programs
REDUCING TRAINING
COSTS
High Cost of Training
• Potential Opportunities Identified
– CDL Training program
– Funding avenues
– Existing Resources
• Financial aids from schools
• Veterans Benefits
CDL Training Program
Select
Train
Employ
• Job Service-prequalify individuals
• Identify funding for individuals in partnership with Workforce Development Boards
• Complete screening including Job Behaviors, drug and background checks
• Participant secures Learning Permit
• Technical College System
• Coordinate training, develop sections
• Companies guaranty employment based on identified qualifications and successful
completion of training
• Driver finishing training
• Coordination of placement
Key to Approach
• Industry-led
• Identification of commonalities
– Assists all companies
– “…take off your competitive hats and leave them
at the door.”
– Understanding of the mutual interest of working
together
• Clearly articulated goals
• Industry-Agency collaboration
• Multi-pronged approach to solutions
Q&A
Agency Contacts
Kathleen Heady, Sector Manager
Kathy.heady@wedc.org
Bruce Palzkill, Bureau Director
Bruce.palzkill@dwd.wisconsin.gov
Sandra Schmit, Education DirectorTransportation and Electronics
Sandra.Schmit@wtcsystem.edu